Nico Heinimann

"Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others."
- Pema Chödrön

*

Welcome to my counselling practice, offering integrative transpersonal therapy, couple therapy and coaching services in East and West London and online. My approach is warm and collaborative, thoughtful and thorough, informed by a depth and breadth of life experience and my lived dedication to holistic healing. As a trauma-informed practitioner, I prioritise building a strong therapeutic alliance and ensuring that you get the support you need in a manner and pace which feel right for you. 

Reaching out for help and imagining sharing with a stranger can feel daunting - a feeling I remember well! Having walked this path myself I can truly empathise with the whirlwind of emotions you might be experiencing. My invitation is into a friendly and peaceful atmosphere, where your experiences can be explored freely and without haste. You will find a safe and confidential space where your thoughts and feelings are heard with respect and without judgement. Getting to know you by listening attentively to your sharing of your life and challenges, of the ways they express outwardly and are experienced inwardly, will help me understand what you need from the process of therapy. In turn, you are welcome to ask questions about my approach and relevant experience. We can then reflect together whether I am the right fit for you. If I find that someone else might be better suited for your needs, I will refer you onwards.

My eclectic training and experience enable me to draw from various therapeutic approaches to best meet the needs of each of my clients, and sessions may include dialogue, silence, psychoeducation, enactments, creative expression, somatic and breathwork, or meditative elements - whatever appropriate, and only if you wish. Sometimes, we may work pragmatically, focusing on immediate action. Other times, we might delve into deeper aspects of your journey. Every part of your experience is honoured and held with care, and you decide where you would like therapy to go.

But first and foremost, I am a relational therapist: I believe that most psychological wounding occurs relationally, and that healing is therefore inherently a relational endeavour. Difficult patterns of relating to self and other  often reflect in the therapeutic space and in this way, the therapeutic relationship can be an opportunity for learning. If the therapeutic process brings up shame, anger, discomfort or other difficult emotions, I aim to hold a space where you can experience those feelings safely, without fear of reprisal or judgement, and where we can explore them in the room together, so that new possibilities may emerge.

Overall, rather than asking 'what is wrong', questions that guides me are 'who did you have to become in order to cope with what happened to you?', and, most importantly, 'what do you truly, deeply long for?'. Alongside acknowledging your pain, we will uncover your inner strength and resources, taking confident steps toward identifying the elements that enrich your life and help you embrace all parts of yourself. I believe that no matter the hardship and suffering, the trauma or abuse experienced - we all have access to a source of inner wisdom and creativity, and an innate power to fundamentally re-imagine our life, and way of being, as we mean it.

If the above resonates, do not hesitate to contact me for an initial contact on the phone to arrange a first session. I look forward to meeting you! 

*

"In order to change what is, we need to give speech to what has been, to imagine what might be."
- Adrienne Rich

I offer a limited amount of concession spaces for students and people in need