Lynda Anderson
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
My name is Lynda; I’m a qualified and accredited psychotherapist, executive business coach and relate-trained couple therapist. I work online and in private practice from my counselling room in Surbiton, Surrey, offering both short- and longer-term individual and couples psychotherapy. I also work as a coach, helping clients with personal and organisational challenges.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, as well as my in-person practice, I've worked online via Zoom, by telephone, and a combination of the two. It's natural to feel hesitant about working online, especially if you've previously worked with a therapist face to face. My experience is that, although it does feel different, remote therapy is effective, particularly at a time when the crisis has given rise to so many issues like loneliness, isolation and health anxiety.
What it's like to work with me
For individuals
My aim is for you to leave therapy with a deeper understanding of yourself, equipped with practical tools to help you form and maintain more comfortable ways of living, whether that means better relationships, or relief from troubling mental states like low mood, worry, panic, bitterness and anger.
In the session, I'll listen, ask some questions, and share my thoughts and feelings with you. We’ll go at the pace that suits you, and together we’ll make sure that the direction we take and what we talk about feels right for you. I like to communicate plainly and clearly, and do my best not to speak ‘therapy speak’. I aim to bring myself to our meeting - as a therapist of course, and also as a person - I'm very much not a 'blank page'.
I’ve had therapy myself, so I know it’s not taken on lightly; it’s a priority for me that you can talk openly, and that together we build our understanding of what you’d like to work on and where you’d like to get to. To support this, I aim to bring compassion, creativity and acceptance to our work together.
For couples
I take a similar approach to couple work, with a slightly different focus - we will be paying attention to the relationship between you both. Clients tend to seek help when issues feel too big to deal with, whether it’s an affair, unresolved rows, clashing priorities, relationship breakdown or whatever is bothering you. My role is to work with you both to explore what’s behind the difficulties and to help you find ways to talk and move ahead.
I won’t take sides or tell you what to do – I’ll help you to listen to each other, and give guidance and practice on different ways to communicate and connect. You will leave with a deeper understanding of yourselves and your roles in this relationship, and practical tools and techniques to help you relate more effectively to each other.
Why I'm a therapist
I started my career in organisations as a manager and coach, and trained as a therapist to build on what I learned there about the challenges we all face in our lives, and how working with a committed and interested individual (therapist, counsellor, coach) helps us to change and grow.
I believe we all have the capacity to live a more fulfilled and satisfying life – we just need some help with the ‘how’ sometimes. Over the years, we tend to develop ways of behaving, thinking and feeling that work well enough to get us through our lives, but can sometimes get ‘stuck’; then we could use a helping hand to uncover better ways of dealing with life’s challenges and getting back on track. As a therapist, I’m trained in ways of finding and understanding those patterns and, without judging you, getting to the heart of how to begin to put things right.
Training, qualifications & experience
In my experience in private practice, charities and the NHS, I’ve worked with a range of different issues including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and historical trauma, relationship difficulties, eating problems, bereavement, grief and loss. My background includes working with top business schools and international clients as an executive coach.
I have an MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy, an MA in Psychological Coaching, a Diploma in Supervision and am a Relate trained and certified couples counsellor.
Member organisations
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
self compassion
mindfulness
conflict and stress at work
Therapies offered
Fees
£75.00 per session
Free initial online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£75.00 for individual sessions, £95.00 for couples.
Concessions for lower incomes and psychotherapy trainees.
When I work
I offer face to face sessions on Monday evenings in Surbiton, and online Zoom sessions on Mon, Tues and Weds, day and eve.
Further information
You can contact me either by phone, or by sending me a message. If you can indicate a time when you'll be able to talk confidentially, I will ring you for a free 15/20 minute consultation. We can discuss what you'd like from therapy, and you can get a sense of me and my style, and whether I'm the right therapist for you.
You can then think it over and contact me if you'd like to go ahead, and we can set up our first session. If this is online, I'll send you some guidance beforehand about what to expect.
