Ralph Williamson MSt (Oxon), PGDip, MBACP

About me

I am a psychodynamically trained Counsellor and Psychotherapist and work from the aptly named Calmer Clinics in Dolphin Square, close to Pimlico, Vauxhall, Victoria and Westminster. I offer a safe and confidential space to explore feelings, emotion and troubling behaviour, without judgement, to gain understanding and to overcome life's challenges. I have experience of working with depression and low self-esteem, relationship issues and breakup, abuse, self-harm, eating disorders, work related issues, trauma, bereavement and loss.

I provide time-limited or open-ended (solution-focussed) counselling with adults of all ages. I am very happy to work with young people, and with couples too. My counselling and psychotherapy is relational and based on attentive listening, creating space for understanding, change and personal growth.

My other professional life is as an Anglican priest with 30 years experience of working with people in parishes and in university chaplaincy. The experience of encountering great emotional need and seeing the effectiveness of counselling persuaded me to train as a therapist and counsellor myself. I took the Oxford University MSt programme and qualified in 2013, working throughout that period in a local community counselling organisation before moving back to London. I have particular respect for cultural difference, and for both the absence and presence of religious belief. In counselling, I do not expect to make reference to spiritual issues unless asked to. My starting point is a deep respect for each person as an individual and a care for real human flourishing.

I primarily work at the Calmer Clinics on Wednesday afternoons but am available to see clients in Central London at other times.

How does this work?

If you are considering counselling then get in touch and tell me a little about your circumstances. Then we would arrange an initial session lasting an hour and a half. In that session we would aim to identify the key issues which have brought you to therapy and I would explain confidentiality, payment, arrangements for missed sessions and other practical things. If you and I are each happy that this is going to be helpful and you wish to go ahead, we will arrange to meet weekly at the same time.