Isabelle Dolis

Why Therapy?

Life can take unexpected turns leaving you feeling distressed, paralyzed and unable to cope. Unwanted events such as an accident or the onset of sudden illness, redundancy, the death of a loved one, relationship breakup or divorce may have changed the course of your life. You may have been affected by or still experience bullying, domestic violence or abuse. You may feel disempowered and hopeless.

If you are reading these lines, you will be wondering whether therapy is the right way forward for you. You may think your problem is too insignificant, that you are overreacting and over-analyzing things that others seem to manage to cope with. Could it be that attended to proactively, what you are feeling now will never develop into a full blown, overwhelming roadblock if indeed it is mild at all? Alternatively, you may feel that what you are experiencing is unsurmountable. Perhaps you feel shame, are prone to harsh self-criticism or helpless apathy. Why not take a curious, open look, attempt to make sense of what is happening and consider the possibility that something can be done about it.

People come to counselling for a wide variety of reasons. Some individuals look for emotional support and the exploratory facilitation it can offer. Others are drawn to the collaborative and trusting relationship that provides the safety net necessary to delve into a difficult past. Others still want to tackle a specific issue in their work or personal life and are looking for effective coping strategies and skills to build resilience.

What I can offer?

I am an experienced integrative psychologist/therapist. I have worked in mental health and counselling for over ten years, both in the charity sector and privately. I am a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) whose ethical code I abide by. I work with adults and practice integratively. This means that I draw on a number of different approaches and theories such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), mindfulness based practices and attachment theory to name a few. This enables me to tailor the work to your issues and your preferences. Counselling is about providing a safe environment and developing a secure and compassionate therapeutic relationship in order to understand and work with the issues you are experiencing. We will explore feelings, thoughts and beliefs as well as patterns of behaviour that may trip you up. Working together will involve identifying your goals, discovering new perspectives, experimenting with different ways of responding to difficulties and putting in place new skills and strategies that will support change.

What next?

I work with a wide range of issues and would be happy to discuss what you are seeking help for to determine whether an initial consultation would be advisable. This usually requires a fifteen minute phone call. I am always happy to suggest alternative options if the service I offer is not suitable.

The initial session lasts ninety minutes and enables me to gain an understanding of your issues and the context in which they developed. If you decide that you would like to work with me, we can then book additional sessions. Regular therapy sessions last sixty minutes.

Assessment: £80

Daytime sessions: £50 (6.00pm onwards/weekends: £60)

I have a small number of discounted places that can be negotiated.

Street parking is available. My practice room is 2 minutes walk from a Citi 7 bus stop and approximately 15 minutes walk from Shelford Railway Station (London Liverpool Street Line). Please bear in mind that I do not have a waiting room.