Dr Julian-Pascal Saadi
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Being human is complicated. We’re born into a body, family and world we don’t choose. We’re told how we need to be and what path to follow. If that wasn't challenging enough, we also have to endure the pain, loss and suffering that life so frequently brings.
In order to manage this suffering, we develop all sorts of strategies to keep us safe. These also function to safeguard our authentic Self from a world that might have been unfair, scary or cruel. However, these very forms of protection tend to alienate us from who we really are and contribute to the development of we think of as 'symptoms' or emotional distress.
What this points towards is a need to re-encounter aspects of ourselves that we have lost touch with, making way for a more integrated and whole sense of Self.
Who am I?
I am a Chartered Psychologist (BPS) offering online and face-to-face therapy to individuals, couples and multi-partnered people. I am also an Advanced Accredited Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversities Therapist (AAGSRDT).
Key issues that I work with include:
trauma/PTSD/CPTSD
loss and grief
identity issues
sexuality and gender conflicts
chemsex/sexualised drug-use
HIV
medically unexplained symptoms
chronic illness
addiction
anxiety and depression
relationship difficulties
My philosophy
First and foremost, I believe that healing is a holistic process that has as much to do with mental health as it does physical health. My approach is rooted in an idea that mind and body are not separate, and therefore need thinking about together in order to promote the best conditions for healing. What we do with our bodies (e.g. smoking, exercise, diet, sleep, substance misuse) has a direct influence on how we feel in our minds, and vice-versa, so fostering a healthy relationship between the two is an important step.
Secondly, I don’t believe in the “one size fits all” approach to therapy. Everyone’s different and so what works for you won’t necessarily work for someone else. Taking this perspective means that I value what makes people different, and I will think carefully with you about what kind of approach might be helpful and whether we could be a good fit.
Influencing my thinking is an understanding that the context in which we grow up in, shapes our sense of self and how we live our lives. My work therefore acknowledges the impact of culture, sexuality, gender, sex, race, religion etc., on the development of our sense of self. My aim is to support you in your journey towards finding your authentic Self.
My approach to therapy
I was trained to think in an integrative way (combining different models of therapy). However, I have now come to specialise in long-term trauma-informed psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
The psychodynamic/psychoanalytic perspective is exploratory in nature and non-directive. It aims to help people become aware of the unconscious aspects of their behaviour, thoughts and feelings. This approach is most suited to those who want to explore and understand the ways in which the past might be influencing the present and current difficulties.
More information about this approach can be found here: https://www.bpc.org.uk/information-support/what-is-therapy/
Training, qualifications & experience
Training and qualifications
After initially completing a BSc in Biochemistry which offered me an understanding of health and the body, I eventually chose to pursue a career in Psychology. I completed an MSc in Health Psychology at University College London (UCL) and then trained to Doctoral level in Psychotherapeutic and Counselling Psychology at the University of Surrey. I have therefore developed a good understanding of the body, the mind, and the link between them. Following this, I did specialist training in gender, sexual and relationship diversity (GSRD) therapy.
I am trained to deliver both structured and short-term therapy (e.g. Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy), as well as more long-term, unstructured and exploratory therapy. I specialise in long-term exploratory therapy, but can adapt this if needed.
I work with individuals, couples and those in multi-partnered relationships (e.g. polycules, open-relationships...etc.).
Experience
I have worked in mental health for almost 10 years and have specialised in therapy with young adults (18-25) and adults (>25). I have worked with mental health difficulties on the entire spectrum of distress, ranging from "mild" to "severe".
Aside from my private practice, I currently work in a secondary care NHS service with people who experience severe and complex mental health difficulties. I am also an academic lecturer and research supervisor on a Doctoral programme for trainee psychologists and psychotherapists.
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 HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
British Psychological Society
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Ace or Asexual
BDSM / Kink
Bi- | Pansexual
Cross-dresser
Intersex
Non-binary | Genderqueer
Queer
Questioning
Survivors of attempted conversion therapy
Trans
Therapies offered
Fees
£160.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I am seeing clients both online and in person (Forest Gate).
- Standard individual fee (for psychology assessments and sessions): £160
- Limited space available for those in financial need: £75
- Standard fee for relationship therapy (1h-1h30min): £200-£250
The preferred payment method is by bank transfer which can either be after each session or upon receipt of a monthly invoice.
When I work
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Further information
Cancellation policy
Once we have agreed to start therapy, your slot will be reserved for you on a weekly basis. All cancelled sessions are therefore payable in full.
Confidentiality
It isn't uncommon for people to be concerned about confidentiality given that what they discuss often concerns private or intimate details about their lives. Therapy is a confidential process, however, I attend regular supervision in which I discuss the work anonymously. No private details are shared in this environment, and it serves as a way of reviewing the work so that I can ensure that my attempts at helping you are sound.
There are only specific circumstances in which I may have to breach confidentiality:
1) You provide me with information that makes me think that you or someone else is at risk of harm
2) Situations requires by law
Ethics
As a registered practitioner with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS), I am accountable to their codes of ethics and clinical practice.
