About me
Hello, I’m Octavia, an Integrative Psychotherapist offering a grounded, compassionate space to explore whatever has brought you here, whether it’s anxiety, grief, burnout, loss of direction, or a sense that life just isn’t fitting quite right anymore.
I am a neurodivergent therapist (AuDHD) and I bring this lived experience into my practice in a neurodiversity-affirming, inclusive way. I also have personal experience of bereavement and recovery, which informs the empathy and understanding I bring to my work.
While I specialise in areas such as grief, loss, trauma, neurodivergence, and life transitions, I work across the full spectrum of human experience. You don’t have to have the right words, just a willingness to start.
My Theoretical Approach
My approach draws from a blend of Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Body-based, Transpersonal, and Existential theories. In practice, that means I pay attention to the whole of you, your thoughts, emotions, body, relationships, and the wider context of your life. Together, we might look at patterns from your past, your nervous system’s responses in the present, and what gives you meaning and connection.
I work relationally and collaboratively, therapy isn’t something that happens to you, it’s something we create together. I aim to help you build awareness, find steadier ground, and move towards a life that feels more authentic and sustainable.
What to Expect
Your first session is a space to get to know one another. You can tell me about what’s going on for you, and we’ll think together about what you might need from therapy and whether we feel like a good fit. Sessions last 50 minutes and take place at a regular time each week.
I offer both short-term counselling (8–12 sessions) and longer-term psychotherapy for deeper, ongoing work. I also see couples, and work with both adults young people. I work both online and in person.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified and registered integrative psychotherapist, trained at The Minster Centre in London.
- Diploma in Integrative Counselling - BACP Accredited Training Course
- Advanced Diploma/MA Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling - UKCP Accredited Course
Before training as a therapist, I worked in Television Production for over 25 years.
I have first-hand experience of living with ADHD/Autism neurodivergence, addiction recovery and bereavement. Processing my own behaviours and grief led to my training to help others navigate tough times to better understand themselves. I am also trained in working with kink and an LGBTQ+ ally.
To be integrative means I have studied many different modalities of therapy. I often work with existential themes of belonging, identity, death and being alive. I like to explore with the client how they relate to others and build on our relationship in therapy to create an honest and sometimes playful space for the client to explore parts of themselves they may not be able to bring elsewhere.
I am currently studying a Dpsych in Psychotherapy by Professional Studies at the Metanoia Institute.
I am BACP Registered (MBACP 388927) and UKCP Registered (UKCP 2011171748). I work within the BACP and UKCP ethical frameworks. See https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/ or https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/ for more information.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
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.
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.
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
£90.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Sessions are 50 minutes long and will be at the same time and place each week. I work in London and St Leonards on Sea, in person and over Zoom.
Fees are £90 per hour payable in advance or on the day, and I have a 48-hour cancellation policy.
Further information
I have availability now.
