About me
I believe that every individual has the capacity to heal, and that with the right space to be honest, take risks and be truly heard without minimisation or judgement, people often discover they already know more about what they need than they realise. My aim is to offer a steady, compassionate and relational environment where you can explore what’s going on for you at your own pace. I often see teenagers who are looking for guidance and understanding as they are going through big developmental change
Many of the people I work with are used to coping, performing or staying strong for others while holding a lot on the inside. It’s common to feel overwhelmed, unsure of your own needs, or caught in patterns of overthinking and self‑doubt. You may find yourself carrying responsibility for how others feel, struggling to rest without guilt, or feeling “not good enough” that seeps into relationships, family life or work. For some people life transitions, grief, burnout or a particularly difficult period has left them needing a safe, non‑judgemental space to process their emotions and work out a way forward.
Talking to someone who listens with curiosity, care and insight like I do can make a profound difference. You don’t have to navigate what you're holding alone.
I am a BACP accredited, integrative counsellor and psychotherapist, and I work in a way that draws on talking therapy alongside somatic and creative approaches where helpful, supporting both emotional understanding and awareness of how experiences are held in the body. This can often involve inner child work, an understanding of life scripts, negative core beliefs, unmet emotional needs and thought patterns and behaviours that might be holding clients back. Sometimes it is about experiential work that can reduce shame and let big feelings out.
Often it is about feeling truly seen and heard, being able to be honest and open within a trusting relationship, where you can begin to notice what is really going on for you, feel understood in ways that may not have felt possible elsewhere that can help a client grow in self awareness and create positive change. As well as working with adults, I often see teenagers who are looking for guidance and understanding as they are going through big developmental change. Finding the right intervention at this crucial time can make a big difference.
I have experience supporting clients with:
• Managing and understanding anxiety and depression
• Childhood and adult trauma
• Low self‑esteem, people‑pleasing, codependency and issues with control
• Relationship and family difficulties
• Emotional immaturity and emotionally immature family members
• Parenting pressures, work stress and life transitions
• Grief, anger and emotional overwhelm
• Understanding and celebrating ADHD, autism, dyslexia
• Working with teenagers around for example anxiety, depression, needing to be understood, school and family pressures and burnout.
• Working with parents to become more conscious of their inner worlds to parent in the way they want to.
Testimonial
“Katy created a safe and supportive space where I felt completely comfortable opening up about my feelings without fear of judgment. Through her thoughtful guidance, I've gained a much deeper understanding of my emotions and behaviours, and I've learned how to set and clearly communicate my boundaries. She approaches every conversation with genuine kindness and always made me feel truly seen and heard. My feelings and perspectives were consistently respected and valued. I'm incredibly grateful for the support she has given me and cannot recommend her highly enough.” — Former client
I hold a level 7 postgraduate diploma from Place2Be, and a BSc in Humanistic Counselling from Metanoia Institute. As well as my job at a counselling centre in North London, I work in private practice at Peckham Therapy Space which provides cosy, thoughtfully decorated rooms just a few minutes from Peckham Rye train station on Bellenden Road. And I work online.
Equality, diversity and inclusivity are central to my practice. I welcome adults and adolescents of all backgrounds and identities, offering a space where you can show up exactly as you are. Please take advantage of a no pressure free consultation on phone or zoom and see what you think. I offer a sliding scale fee of £60 - £80 including a limited number of reduced rates for students, trainee counsellors and low earners. As a BACP accredited therapist I will soon be taking insurance referrals so please do get in contact if that is you. I have availability in person on a Tuesday evening and can make room for other sessions on request.
Training, qualifications & experience
My experience
I am an experienced integrative counsellor and psychotherapist with over ten years’ clinical experience. While I work with a large age range of clients, my practice is now primarily focused on supporting adults, including parents, and teenagers who may be navigating challenges in their relationships, family life, work or sense of self. My training and experience in child and adolescent psychotherapy gives me a strong understanding of child development and the impact of early relationships and environments, which can often be an important part of understanding ourselves as adults. An interest in IFS therapy and training in this has helped me understand parts of ourselves - often young parts of ourselves - that often get in our own way and I help clients talk compassionately with these parts to help them move forward and feel better.
I have worked therapeutically in primary and secondary school settings with Place2Be and currently work within a counselling centre in North London as part of an amazing team of therapists and supervisors, where I have been for six years where I work with children, adolescents and adults. Alongside this, I run a private practice where I work with adults and adolescents. Over the years I have supported clients with a wide range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, relationship challenges, ADHD, trauma, stress, bereavement, anger, shame, family conflict and difficulties with the inner critic.
Before training as a therapist, I spent 15 years working in education as a teacher and in leadership roles. This experience, combined with nearly two decades of working with young people and families, has given me a deep understanding of the pressures and emotional challenges that can arise within family systems, parenting and development. I also know first hand the stress that teachers are under as well as parents!
Alongside my professional training - as well as enjoying long walks in the countryside and getting in to a swimming pool! - I place great importance on my own personal development and self-awareness. I have worked hard on my self-awareness and worked with my own therapist and within group therapy to heal wounded parts of myself and, in turn, understand myself and my relationships and boundaries better. This gives me insight, empathy and understanding of the problems that come into the therapy room, and I am able to stand alongside the people I work with with care and understanding and provide a judgement-free supportive space for clients to explore all types of thoughts and emotions.
Qualifications
BSc Humanistic Counselling – Metanoia Institute
Postgraduate Diploma (Level 7) Child and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy – Place2Be / University of East London
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling – Place2Be
National Certificate in Special Educational Needs
MA and PGCE in Education
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 - £80.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I have availability on Monday afternoons and Tuesday day time and evenings face to face in Peckham, South London plus zoom slots on request. Both platforms are usually £75 per session however I have a sliding scale and offer a limited number of reduced fee spaces to students, low earners and trainee counsellors. Payable on the day of therapy or in advance.
When I work
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Further information
Some of what I offer:
- Face-to-face weekly sessions for adults and teens of 16+. Some zoom sessions on request.
- Talking therapy incorporating sand tray work, art, creative tools, and the use of the body if wanted.
- Knowledge of 12-step programmes, namely ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics and dysfunctional families), Al-Anon and CoDA
- Excellent supervision and continuous professional development inc. among others ongoing active training on difference and diversity, developing cultural competence and anti-racist practice, IFS therapy and neurodiversity training.
- A spacious, comfortable, confidential room with reception and a safe, seated area.
- I help with issues such as anxiety, fears, depression, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, parenting, bereavement, family conflict, stress, anger, angry outbursts, and shame.
