Sylwia Kowalska-Lewis
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
My name is Sylwia Kowalska-Lewis. I am a psychotherapist based in London.
Life can be tough at times, and it can be difficult to know how to cope when our thoughts and feelings overwhelm us, whether that’s due to stress or anxiety caused by work or relationships, loss, childhood trauma or any number of other experiences that make up our lives.
In therapy we can gain insights into why these thoughts and feelings persist and together, we will navigate the complexities of your inner self, bringing about a transformation that will allow you to lead a happier, healthier life.
My approach to working with patients is psychodynamic and pluralistic in nature. I have special interest in Jungian thought, which is orientated towards the future. Jungian therapy is built on the idea that the unconscious is a source of wisdom that can help promote psychological growth. One of its core tenets is that when we stop living “in the flow” and our authentic self becomes blocked, mental health issues can emerge and develop into depression, addiction etc. This then leads to destructive relationship patterns within our lives.
Rather than focusing on specific symptoms, such as panic attacks, Jungian therapy employs a holistic approach to promote wellness throughout the entire personality.
It's never too late, nor too soon, to venture on a path that will lead to positive change. If you need some help and support, please get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
Education
I completed a rigorous four year postgraduate training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Prior to that, I spent 6 years studying Jungian psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Experience
I have over 9 years of experience working with a variety of problems such as relationship breakdown, anxiety, loss and bereavement, personality disorders, addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, trauma and PTSD, issues around identity and crisis of meaning.
I worked for 4 years as a psychodynamic psychotherapist for North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), supporting patients with issues such as anxiety, depression, anger, sexual abuse, loss of purpose and meaning.
I have professional experience of placements at closed psychiatric units (Goodmayes Hospital) and offender’s institution (HMP Wandsworth).
Currently, I split my time between secondary care service within the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLAM) working for a personality disorders unit and my private practice.
Member organisations
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Additional information
My standard fee is £60 per session (50 minutes) and £90 for the initial consultation (1.5 hour). However, I might be able to offer reduced therapy fees, particularly if you are interested in a higher frequency of session, or if you are on a low income.
