About me
I’m Jess, a gestalt psychotherapist working in Peckham and online. Finding the right fit can make all the difference when you’re starting therapy and I hope this profile gives you some idea of who I am, how I work, and what I can support with. If you feel like finding out more about working together, please contact me or book an initial session.
Working with me
‘Gestalt’ roughly translates as ‘whole’. For me, this looks like working with the whole of you - thoughts, feelings, history and context - in your present experience. My role is to provide you with a warm, responsive and appropriately challenging presence which gives you a space to explore whatever’s bringing you to therapy.
I started thinking about becoming a therapist through my own experience of being in therapy. As I started to notice its impact throughout my life, I found myself getting more and more curious about what was actually happening in the time I spent with my therapist each week. This curiosity has stayed with me and grown throughout my training, and remains one of my driving values in my work now.
I aim to work in a way that doesn’t pathologise; instead, I’m interested in how what has happened to you and around you shapes what is possible for you today. I pay attention to difference, both in the therapy room and our wider lives, and am committed to working in a way that is anti-oppressive and non-discriminatory.
My particular areas of interest include:
- Gender, sexuality and relationship diversity
- New parents and perinatal mental health
- The impact of our early experiences (sometimes called developmental trauma or cPTSD)
About gestalt psychotherapy
Most people arrive at therapy wanting something to change, in how they feel or relate to others, or in what’s happening in their life. As a gestalt therapist, I believe that change happens through greater awareness of where we are here and now: understanding what patterns from the past we’re repeating, why we needed them then, and what other choices are available now.
I’m particularly drawn to working creatively, and using the relationship that we develop together to understand what might be happening in relationships outside the therapy room. Rather than seeing ‘symptoms’, I’m interested in how you’ve adapted to what was and is happening in your life. Fundamental to my approach is the idea that you are the expert in your own experience and my role is to listen, pay attention, and explore what we notice.
Starting therapy
Starting therapy can feel intimidating; knowing what to expect can help. Here’s a rough guide to what it might be like starting therapy with me:
The first step is to get in touch, by email or through my contact form. It’s great if you can tell me a bit about your availability, so I can let you know if it matches mine, but that’s pretty much all I need to know.
We can either speak briefly by phone or arrange a first session. An initial session is a chance for us to meet and talk about what brings you to therapy and what you might want to get out of it. It gives you an idea of what I’m like too, so you can make an informed choice about starting. The initial session lasts 50 minutes and costs £30, and there’s no obligation to come again if you decide it’s not the right fit for you.
If you want to continue, we agree a regular slot for sessions. These will last 50 minutes and will be scheduled at the same time and day each week. The first one or two sessions we focus on some structured questions about you and your life that helps me get to know you. After that, we might agree a goal or focus area for future sessions, or leave this to emerge as we continue.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a Masters in Gestalt Psychotherapy and am a registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (registration number 2011184417).
I regularly attend further training as part of my ongoing professional development, including:
- Working with Sexuality in Psychotherapy
- Working Alongside Trans, Gender Diverse and Questioning People (through Gendered Intelligence)
- Single Session Interventions
- Understanding dissociative disorders
- Working with trauma and suicidality
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My standard fee for weekly therapy is £70. I have some lower cost spaces available based on individual need.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
I currently have availability on Monday afternoons/evenings and on Friday mornings.
