About me
Anxiety is rarely just anxiety. More often than not it has a history, and it's quietly doing a job. That might be trying to protect you from something, or keeping you braced for something that happened once and may happen again. That's why it can hang around long after you've worked out where it comes from, and why being told to relax or think positively so often doesn't help. Understanding it isn't the same as feeling different.
I'm Thea, a UKCP-registered, trauma-informed psychotherapist and anxiety is at the heart of the work I do. I see clients in person in Battersea and Putney, and online across the UK.
You might arrive knowing exactly what you'd like to work on. You may just have a sense that something isn't sitting right. A restlessness you can't quite put your finger on, a pattern that keeps coming round again, or a worry that's been there so long you've stopped noticing it perhaps.
What I work with
Sometimes anxiety is easy to recognise. It might be a constant, low hum of worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, health anxiety, or the exhausting business of living with uncertainty. Sometimes it's linked to trauma, whether that's a single event or something that went on for a long time, including PTSD and C-PTSD.
And sometimes it doesn't arrive under its own name at all. It can show up as perfectionism or people-pleasing, trouble sleeping, putting things off, finding it hard to say no, a harsh inner voice, physical symptoms that can be difficult to make sense of, or a habit you can't shake however much you want to. It's often there after a relationship that's left you feeling less like yourself, too. Changing the behaviour can help, but often the more lasting shift comes from understanding what's underneath it.
How I work
I believe therapy is a relationship first and a technique second, and feeling comfortable with the person you're talking to really matters. My approach is person-centred, so you lead the way, we go at a pace that feels right for you, and you never need to talk about anything you're not ready to.
I trained integratively, which means I have a range of approaches to draw on rather than one model for everyone. Alongside talking therapy, including CBT, I use clinical hypnosis, Havening Techniques® and Eye Movement Reconsolidation, and my work is informed by Internal Family Systems and polyvagal theory. Some of these work more directly with the body, which can help when talking alone hasn't quite got there. We can decide together what feels right as we go.
Anxiety isn't only in our thoughts. Often it's held in a nervous system that learned, a long time ago, that it needed to stay on alert, and it shows up in the body too. In your sleep, your digestion, a chest that won't loosen. Noticing that connection, with kindness and curiosity, can shift things that thinking alone can't.
Some people come for a few focused sessions, while others prefer to work longer-term. It's entirely up to you.
A little about me
Before training as a psychotherapist, I spent over twenty years working in the entertainment industry, representing people across film, television and theatre. So I know something of the pressures that can come with creative and public-facing work - the uncertainty, the long hours, the scrutiny, and the particular vulnerability of putting your work out into the world and waiting to see how it is received.
I've seen how easily work can become intertwined with identity, and how a difficult job, rejection or a period of uncertainty can sometimes start to feel like a judgement on you as a person.
That experience also shaped the way I came to psychotherapy. Working closely with people over many years gave me a real appreciation of what can sit beneath the surface of how we appear to be coping, and how much we can carry without other people necessarily seeing it. Becoming a psychotherapist felt like a natural extension of that interest in people, what shapes us, and what can help us feel more at ease in ourselves.
Getting started
I know reaching out can feel daunting, and finding the right therapist matters. Feeling at ease with the person you work with is a big part of what makes therapy helpful. That's why I offer a free 20-minute call, with no obligation. It's a chance to ask any questions, find out a bit about how I work, and see whether we feel like a good fit.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Full clinical membership, UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- Advanced Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy
- Certificate in Trauma Therapy, National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy
- Certificate in Working with Parts, National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
- Certified Havening Techniques® Practitioner
- Member of the National Society of Talking Therapies (NSTT)
- Registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
- Member of the National Council of Hypnotherapists (NCH)
I practise in line with these organisations' codes of ethics and professional practice. Regular clinical supervision is an integral part of my work.
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.
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£95.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I offer a number of low-rate sessions as I feel passionately that therapy should be accessible to everyone regardless of their financial background. If this is a concern for you please do mention it when you call and I’ll do my best to make therapy an option for you.
When I work
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