Dr Julian-Pascal Saadi

Being human is complicated. We’re born into a family and world we don’t choose. We’re told how we need to be and who we need to date. If we aren’t happy, we’re told that something must be wrong with us. 

As far as I'm concerned – we’re far more complex than the world expects us to be.

Most of us do not fit in to the neat binary of “good” vs “bad” or “male” vs “female”, or "straight" vs "gay/lesbian". We're layered and always changing, a fact of life which has huge creative potential if embraced rather than rejected. When we lose sight of our authentic selves, buried beneath the various layers which we call 'norms', we develop what we call "symptoms". I believe that regaining fluidity in how we see ourselves and the world around us is key if we want to break free from prescribed and embedded ways of living.

Who am I?

I am a Chartered Psychologist (BPS) offering online and face-to-face therapy to individuals, couples and multi-partnered people. I specialise in working with the GSRD community (Gender, Sex and Relationship Diverse), and am an Advanced Accredited Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversities Therapist (AAGSRDT). I work affirmatively, meaning I do not pathologise gender, sexual and relationship diversity. I believe that there are as many ways of doing sexuality, gender and relationships, as there are human beings. 

Key issues that I work with include: 

trauma

loss and grief

identity issues

gender identity exploration

sexuality (including Kink identities) and gender conflicts

sexual difficulties

health behaviour change (e.g. smoking, substance misuse, diet, exercise...etc.)

HIV

medically unexplained symptoms

adapting to chronic illness 

addiction

anxiety and depression

relationship/interpersonal 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.

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. 

Finally, influencing my thinking is an understanding that the context in which we grow up and live in, shapes our sense of self and how we live our lives. My work therefore acknowledges the impact of oppressive intersecting systems like heteronormativity, cisnormativity, allonormativity, mononormativity, racism, sexism, and ableism etc., on the development of identity, physical health and mental health. In doing so, my aim is to support you in your journey towards finding your authentic self outside of how you were taught to be. 

My approach to therapy

I was trained to think in a trauma-informed and integrative way. This means that I can draw on different theoretical models to tailor the work to your needs if needed (e.g. existential therapy, psychoanalysis, trauma therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy). That being said, I specialise in long-term depth work from a psychoanalytic perspective. My approach might be most suited to those who are deeply curious about their own minds and lives, and want an exploratory form of therapy. 

I believe that therapy's success is largely dependent upon the quality of the therapeutic relationship. I aim to engage in a real, genuine and empathic relationship that facilitates an open exploration of the problem at hand. The focus of therapy will be on how you experience the world and how this links to your relational patterns and emotional life.

How can therapy help?​

Therapy is first and foremost a specific and focused kind of conversation. It's a way of mapping out the territory of your life in an attempt to make sense of what can feel like a difficult, challenging, and confusing reality. In doing so, therapy can motivate you to make changes that bring you closer to your authentic self and life goals, providing emotional relief in the process.

Some people seek therapy to address specific problems, and others when life just doesn't feel quite right. It can also be an opportunity for personal development.

Ace or Asexual
BDSM / Kink
Bi- | Pansexual
Cross-dresser
Intersex
Non-binary | Genderqueer
Queer
Questioning
Survivors of attempted conversion therapy
Trans

I am seeing clients both online and in person (Forest Gate). 

• Initial free online/phone consultation
• Standard individual fee (50 min): £150-180 
• 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.  

Cancellation policy

I require 7 days notice for cancellations. Sessions cancelled after this will need to be paid for 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.