Rachel Pretty

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she/her
Therapist, MBACP, BSc

About me

Hello, I'm Rachel.

I'm a Gestalt therapist with a background of experience across private practice and The NHS. I care deeply about the work I do and the people I work with. Whatever you are bringing, we will work together to explore what feels difficult, helping you to make sense of things, to accept what you have to live with or to change what you'd like to be different. 

Gestalt therapy works with the here and now, exploring how your unique history and experiences show up in the present moment. This brings deeper awareness and understanding of how you feel, your relationships with yourself and others, and the choices you make. Supporting you to live a life which feels more connected to who you are or want to be. 

I am warm and compassionate and will meet you where you are, wherever that is, without judgement. I believe that trust and openness are fundamental to the therapeutic process and am committed to creating an environment in which you feel you can be yourself, bringing all of your different parts. Therapy might not always feel easy, being open can feel challenging at times. I am here to listen, support and challenge when a different perspective might be useful.

Alongside my background in Gestalt I have a strong embodied focus. I use mindfulness based approaches to support the nervous system and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to integrate and heal parts which somehow feel in conflict with each other. This work can be particularly helpful in supporting people experiencing current or historical trauma. It is collaborative and always at your own pace.

It can be difficult navigating all of the different therapy modalities out there. If you feel unsure about which type of therapy might work for you, Gestalt can be especially effective if:

  • you want to gain insight into how you are within relationships
  • you have had therapy in the past or feel you have a lot of self awareness but don’t seem to feel any different
  • you want to make space for your feelings as they arise, to notice them, to acknowledge them, to soothe them and maybe sometimes to shout them
  • you want to meet all of the different parts of yourself with curiosity
  • you want to experiment with different ways of connecting with people 

Contact

I understand how important choosing the right therapist is and so I offer a free 20 minute introductory call. This is an opportunity for us to get a sense of one another and whether I feel like the right therapist for you. There is no commitment to work together at this point. 

Please get in touch via email. I aim to respond within 48 hours.

Training, qualifications & experience

Qualifications

  • Diploma in Gestalt Counselling (The Gestalt Centre, London, 2023)
  • Certificate in Humanistic Counselling (The Gestalt Centre, London, 2021)
  • Higher Certificate in Counselling and Counselling Skills (Birkbeck University, 2010)

Recent Training

  • Trauma therapy training, How to help clients come back from trauma related dysregulation, with Janina Fisher, Bessel van der Kolk and Pat Ogden (2026)
  • Compassion based therapy for trauma, with Gabor Maté, Kristen Neff and Dan Siegel (2026)
  • Navigating grief, workshop with Tara Brach (2025)
  • Working with anger, workshop with Umaa Thampu (2025)
  • A Gestalt exploration on family, workshop with Umaa Thampu (2024)

Experience

I am experienced in supporting people with anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, grief & loss, relationship difficulties, IVF & fertility challenges, parenting challenges, low self-esteem and identity shifts.

I am also a qualified midwife and have over 25 years working in The NHS supporting people during fertility, pregnancy and parenthood. This includes working at a pregnancy charity supporting people experiencing fertility challenges, pregnancy loss and parenting issues.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Therapies offered

Fees

£80.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed
  • Refugees

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Early morning
Morning
Early afternoon
Late afternoon
Evening

Walthamstow Therapy, 111A Hoe Street, London, E17 4RX

Leytonstone, London, E11

Type of session

In person
Online

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Google Meet
Rachel Pretty
Rachel Pretty