Riccardo Carosi

Hello there! I am Riccardo, I am a fully qualified Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor. 

I have been delivering in-person and online talking therapy for over fourteen years. Through my work I offer a skilful, warm and passionate approach to help and guide individual clients to achieve a better quality of emotional life.

Whether you are dealing with anxiety. Experiencing low moods. Going through a bereavement. Having difficulties in your relationships or you just do not know where to start. Whatever your reasons, keep in mind that wanting to seek help is an important first step.

I work in-person - 4pm through the evenings - from a central location in Epping, Essex (CM16) on Mon, Tues and Wed. 

I also deliver therapy virtually by live video link, such as Google Meet or WhatsApp and by phone. Monday to Friday from morning to evening.

Online therapy is an effective form of therapy, for some it is actually more effective than in person counselling. It is helpful for people who wish to save time and those who struggle to access in-person treatment for one reason or another. They may have a disability, lack transportation, live too far away from a treatment location, often travel in another country, or be unable to leave their house. Online therapy sessions make it possible for more people to receive the mental health treatment they need regardless of their circumstances. 

How do I work:

In my case, being an integrative counsellor means  that I went through years of in-depth training and 5 years internship training of supervised therapy hours in more than one therapeutic approach. In the sessions I make use of elements of those different approaches to support people’s emotional state. This way of working allows me to offer therapy attuned to each unique individual, their needs and circumstances.

I am Italian by birth and British for three decades. I carry within the therapeutic relationship aspects of my own culture which I consider to be valuable. I relate to clients openly and directly with a genuine, warm and caring attitude. Through those qualities I create a supportive and nurturing space where life experiences are explored. 
 
By providing a safe and non-judgmental space to express inner thoughts and feelings, our engagement through counselling will help you process and understand your emotions better. You will learn how to change the relationship with your emotions, to understand and accept them, and to act in ways that will influence them and change their intensity.

In those past fourteen years, I have gathered extensive experience in working with:

• anxiety
• relationship problems
• family issues
• depression
• bereavement and loss
• ADHD - ASD
• going through boarding school outcomes
• low self-esteem and low self-confidence
• gender identity - LGBTQ+ counselling
• feeling sad and loneliness

Working through and processing your life experience will empower you in coming to terms with the sources of distress, clearing up confusion and enable you to identify who you really are and, in time, fulfil your own emotional needs. Moreover, counselling will support the comprehension of relationships, allowing you to make sense of why you act and react in the way you do. It will provide you the tools needed for positive changes. 

This process can significantly enhance your confidence, self-esteem, the quality of your relationships, your sense of wellbeing, meanwhile developing greater emotional resilience. 

What I also consider important to point out is that therapy will help you achieving a far stronger position to make appropriate choices within life.

Counselling for Children and Adolescents:

Alongside my work with adults, I am fully trained in working with Children and Adolescents. I have been emotionally supporting young people for over 14 years in diverse educational settings. Alongside my private work I am employed by the charity Barnardo which provides me with an online-referral system for adolescents and children dealing with different struggles. I am particularly skilful in supporting young people struggling with:

• anxiety
• bullying
• family issues
• loss and illness in the family
• school attendance
• gender identity and LGBTQ+ related issues
• self-harm
• suicidal thoughts
• ADHD - ASD 

Unfortunately, following the lockdowns and due to the often aggressive social environment we live in, the level of children and adolescents suffering from anxiety has risen dramatically. The consequences are varied, from missing school, to self-medicating, to sometimes experience physical pain through self harming, to not feeling able to going out and socialise. Therapy (face to face as well as online therapy) can deliver safe support and emotional benefits. 

In particular, I believe that having the ability of engaging adolescents is critical in maximizing the success of any therapeutic intervention. The skill of engagement it is something that I have acquired by working with adolescence in many different settings, online therapy providers, secondary schools and an independent school with trauma informed and attachment aware status. 

Engaging this age range in Counselling is especially challenging and there are several reasons for this. Most therapeutic models are based on treatments that work for adults. These methods are frequently not effective in engaging adolescents because of their developmental immaturity, the stigma many adolescents associate with therapy, and adolescents feeling forced into it.

My clinical knowledge about therapy process, children and adolescent development, and their interactions is what guides me in working with this population. Engaging young people in psychotherapy and establishing a strong therapeutic alliance require that therapists express empathy and genuineness, utilize developmentally appropriate interventions, address the stigma, and increase choice in therapy.

Feedback to Parents/Carers

In order to develop trust, it is important to offer children and young people confidentiality, so I do not give detailed feedback following sessions. However, I offer a meeting with parents/carers approximately every three months from the start of therapy, so to discuss how the intervention is progressing. When we review the sessions I will give general feedback about themes that have arisen.

What to do next:

If you would like to start with the counselling you can get in touch with me using the contact details on this page. We can have a free informal phone conversation where we can discuss your specific needs. However, if you wish to book directly an initial assessment session please do so also by contacting me. I will get back to you within the day with further details. 

Thank you for taking the time to read through and feel free to ask as I welcome any questions, uncertainty or clarifications you wish to discuss. 

Please contact me for present availability. 

Initial Assessment meeting information:

I work face to face and/or Google Meet. Firstly, we will arrange a time and day for an assessment. This initial meeting last around 90 minutes, when we will discuss what led you to seek counselling, some of your life experiences and what your expectations of our work together might be. If you feel that you would like to enter into regular sessions, then we arrange a time and day which is dedicated to you and our work together. Our 50 minute sessions are weekly. I offer open ended or short term Counselling.

For young people, a similar process will take place and the assessment with the Parents/Carers will last approximately 1 hour and will focus on the young person. Together we will discuss the present situation and the Y.P. background. The presence of the young person is not needed during the initial meeting.

Travel Directions:

My practice space is a 10-15 minute walk from Epping Underground Station on the Central Line, and is well served by a number of bus routes. A wide car park is located two minutes walking from the practice and it is free after 6pm and Saturday morning.

The Counselling Room used is big and spacious and able to offer proper safe distancing. Furthermore, there are 4 roof windows to allow a constant form of ventilation. In the photo section you can see three different angles of the room itself.

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to arrange an initial consultation, please feel free to contact me by email: rckcounselling@gmail.com or phone: 0781 7565837 or simply use the email button on this page. If I can't be reached immediately, I will get back to you as soon as I can.