Lucy Christopher

I am a humanistic psychotherapist and an advanced practitioner in cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-i). Keep reading for more info on how I work with each, and indicate at your initial enquiry what you are looking for.

CBT-i with me: I help sleep deprived people to fall asleep faster, reduce problematic night wakings, and address sleep anxiety - freeing themselves from being preoccupied with sleep across the 24 hour cycle. I am a former insomniac myself and re-trained in CBTi after benefitting from its transformative effects in my own life. Insomnia is understood as:

• Difficulty falling asleep;
• Night awakening and struggling to get back to sleep;
• Waking up too early or too late; 
• Tiredness during waking hours because of poor quality sleep;
•  . . .and typically, a combination of these. 

CBT-i is the insomnia treatment of choice within the NHS and NICE guidelines. It has over 30 years of robust evidence and longitudinal research demonstrating its effectiveness, with new data being discovered all the time. 

My approach is non-pharmacological, and combines insomnia treatment with my humanistic background, to offer a holistic service. I quickly realised that CBT-i's very effective but formulaic approach can feel quite cold and clinical, and so I developed a method that meets you with warmth and curiosity also. Yes there is paperwork, and yes there are short exercises between sessions, but my relational approach also contextualises your insomnia within your wider life and relationships. I will be interested in the whole of you, not just your insomnia symptoms - and I will invite you to do the same. 

Humanistic therapy with me: 

Therapy can be hard work; it can also be profoundly rewarding. 

I will be curious about how you experience yourself and your relationships, and how your wider environment (or ‘life spaces’) shape these experiences. I work affirmatively with sociocultural identity and aim to facilitate a space where no discussions or topics are taboo.

I will encourage you to consider the narratives you tell yourself and have been fed by others, about your self and your history, about other people, and about the world around you. Therapy can help you to reconstruct your own narrative and expand your skills and capacity to live this narrative in your ‘real’ life and relationships, beyond the therapy setting.

As an existential therapist, I will invite you to ask yourself:

What would it mean to live a life more authentic to your own values and beliefs? What are your obstacles to living this life now? What aspects of your past remain unresolved and may be getting in the way of you living this more meaningful life right now? 

If my ways of working sound like a good 'fit' for you, get in touch for an initial phone consultation. 

• Initial 20 min phone consultation (free).  
• I am registered with Axa and Vitality. 
• One third of my client slots are low-cost. Once these are full, I offer a flat rate of £80 per session for Humanistic Gestalt therapy, and £65 per session for CBT-i.