About me
Hi, I’m Issaka, though most people call me Zak.
I often work with people who think deeply about themselves and the world, yet find themselves caught between understanding their problems and actually moving beyond them. Many of the people who reach out to me are thoughtful, capable individuals who notice certain patterns repeating in their lives but can’t quite explain why.
From the outside things may appear fine, yet internally something can feel stuck, conflicted, or quietly out of place.
Often there is already insight. You may have spent a long time reflecting on your experiences or trying to understand why certain reactions, relationships, or habits keep resurfacing. Yet insight alone does not always bring change. Sometimes what we understand intellectually still feels unresolved somewhere deeper.
Therapy offers a space to slow things down and look at those patterns more carefully.
Together we explore what might be shaping the way you think, feel, and relate to others. This can include long-standing beliefs about yourself, parts of your personality that pull in different directions, or experiences that have quietly influenced how you move through the world.
My work is collaborative and flexible. I draw from humanistic counselling, Jungian-informed depth psychology, and practical coaching tools, but the approach is always shaped around you rather than the other way around.
Psychotherapy is rarely about quick fixes. More often it involves understanding the patterns that have developed across your life and learning how to relate to them differently. When those patterns become clearer, people often find that change begins to follow naturally.
You do not need to arrive with perfect words or a clear explanation of what is wrong. Honest curiosity is enough. Our work simply begins wherever you happen to be.
Sessions are available online, so as long as you have a quiet and confidential space, we can work together wherever you are.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a First Class BSc (Hons) in Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Essex, alongside a Master’s degree in Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies, where my research focused on dreams and the psychological life of the psyche.
My earlier training includes a Diploma of Higher Education in Person-Centred Counselling, also from the University of Essex.
Alongside private practice, I have worked in several therapeutic settings including the Youth Enquiry Service supporting young people, as well as roles with the Essex Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) and the Colchester Institute Counselling Service (CICS).
I remain committed to ongoing professional development and regularly undertake additional training to deepen and broaden my practice.
Alongside formal training, I maintain a strong interest in how modern life shapes our inner worlds. This includes the psychological impact of technology, artificial intelligence, gaming culture, and the ways digital environments influence identity, attention, and relationships. For many people these spaces are not simply entertainment but meaningful environments where themes such as belonging, avoidance, competition, and self-expression often emerge.
I also continue to explore areas such as neurodiversity, attention and focus, nervous system regulation, and the psychological challenges that come with an increasingly online world.
Over the years I have worked with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma, addiction, family conflict, shame and self-criticism, life direction, as well as challenges connected to neurodiversity and emotional regulation.
My approach is curious and non-judgmental. Many clients feel able to speak openly about parts of their lives they might hesitate to bring elsewhere, including things like gaming habits, technology use, or substance use. These topics are explored thoughtfully and without assumption.
I work primarily online, which allows people to access therapy from wherever they feel most comfortable. As long as you have a quiet and confidential space, we can work together wherever you are.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Dreams and the inner life - Drawing on my postgraduate research, I work with dreams as a way of exploring parts of the psyche that are harder to reach through direct conversation. Dreams can offer a different angle on recurring patterns, conflicts, and questions about identity and meaning.
Technology, AI, and digital life - I have a particular interest in how modern digital environments shape our inner worlds, including the psychological effects of social media, artificial intelligence, online identity, and gaming culture. For many people these aren't trivial distractions but spaces where real themes play out: belonging, avoidance, self-worth, and connection. I work with clients who want to explore this honestly, without judgment.
Cannabis and substance use - I offer a non-judgmental space to explore your relationship with cannabis or other substances, whether that's occasional use, habitual patterns, or something you're trying to understand better. This isn't about labelling or prescribing change, but about looking at what role it plays and whether that still works for you.
Midlife and major life transitions - Periods of significant change in identity, relationships, career, or direction can surface questions that have been quietly building for years. I work with people navigating these shifts, particularly when they feel stuck between who they have been and who they want to become.
Working across cultures and internationally - I work with clients from a range of cultural backgrounds and with people based outside the UK. This includes questions around identity, belonging, and the experience of navigating between different cultural worlds.
Nervous system and stress regulation - I integrate psychoeducation around the nervous system to help clients understand their own stress and emotional responses, not just as abstract theory, but as something practical and relevant to their day-to-day experience.
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Phone/Online Sessions - £50.
Concessions available for students, low income and if we have worked together on other counselling platforms previously.
When I work
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I offer recurring slots at variable frequencies (weekly, fortnightly, monthly etc) and also ad-hoc bookings for individuals who need flexibility, which I pride myself on providing.
