Valentina Raducanu

I am here to create together a space where you can bring your whole self without judgement!

This is your space, where vulnerability is celebrated, where you can start welcoming yourself with empathy, curiosity, understanding and acceptance.

Let's walk together the labyrinth of your emotions and life experiences!

I am a qualified Integrative Counsellor/Psychotherapist, registered member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). This means I am committed to following BACP's ethical guidelines. 

I like to keep an open heart and mind while interacting with all people who may come my way, so it is important that you feel accepted in a non-judgmental space in our sessions, where you can start exploring yourself and bring new perspectives to the dilemmas you may be experiencing. 

When we bridge a space of empathy and curiosity, we can begin to build a different relationship with ourselves, understanding our boundaries and our wants & needs. When we purposefully create this space, we can then start to have more choices in how we live our lives.

Therapeutic approach:

I am a strong believer that our values act as a compass that guides our lives, so I feel it's important to start by sharing some of my values, reflected in my counselling approach: curiosity, equality, authenticity, empathy and courage. 

My approach to counselling & psychotherapy is integrative, so I strive to combine elements from various schools of thought to create a comprehensive & personalised plan for my clients. I am, therefore, blending the humanistic approach with narrative therapy and systemic therapy, along with cognitive-behavioural therapy, so I can offer a dynamic way to address the complexities of individual challenges and experiences.

I deeply value togetherness or partnership, so I see the therapeutic relationship as the foundation of my "therapeutic house", while various approaches make up for strong & solid "walls", allowing the clients to build their own "roof" through their new found inner resources. 

Where are you in your life right now?

People come to counselling & psychotherapy for various reasons, from anxiety & depression to low self esteem or perfectionism. Other people come for self-development, while some try to build a new sense of identity and navigate life without a loved one.

Some of my clients started therapy to process deep and traumatic past experiences that have had their world shaken to the core, while others to learn how to adapt to new ways of living live following major life transitions. 

No one should ever suffer in silence!

Your journey in life is unique and deserves celebration!

I hope you will give yourself permission to be courageous in telling your story!

How I can help:

• Trauma & adverse childhood experiences, sexual abuse, Complex PTSD
• Acculturation, immigration & refugee adjustment
• Being in and staying in unhealthy relationships
•  Loss & grief, including psychological loss 
• Low self-esteem and negative self-talk
•  Anxiety difficulties, panic attacks & perfectionism
• Lack of focus and direction in life
• Depression & mood difficulties
• Life changes & adjustment
• Emotion regulation

Sessions:

I see clients of all ages such as:
children & young people (8 to 18 years old)
adults (18 to 65 years old)
older adults (over 65 years old)

I have experience of short-term counselling (6-10 sessions) and long-term (more than 20 sessions).

Following a 30 minutes free introductory session, you could book an initial session. This will allow us to decide we are a good fit and I can support you with the difficulties you have been experiencing. However, the first 2-3 sessions are mainly dedicated to establishing a good therapeutic alliance and therapy goals, as well as understanding how the current difficulties have been impacting your life & how these are informed by past experiences. Once we establish an action plan, we will have regular reviews of therapeutic goals and decide together on how we will move forward. 

• Online sessions (via Google Meet & Doxy.me telemedicine)
• Telephone sessions
• Walk & Talk Therapy in surrounding areas, weather permitting (convenient location to be arranged & confirmed prior the session)
• Bilingual sessions: English and/or Romanian
• Short & long term counselling & psychotherapy 
• Flexible hrs: evening & weekend appointments available 

About me:

I am someone who will always find something good in everyone!
And I would like to build a space where you could start seeing this too: see the good in yourself, the people & world around us!

I am forever humbled by my clients' experiences and their strength, and for the opportunity to have met them.

Although I might know myself (and continue working on this) and have strategies to help other people navigate the complex labyrinth of their most hidden thoughts and emotions, you are the expert in how you feel. I am not here to tell you what to do, but to join you while you face your dilemmas and change the narrative as you wish!

As I am a bilingual Counsellor/Psychotherapist (working in both English and Romanian), I value diversity and I hope this will continue to allow me to integrate flexibility & authenticity in my counselling work.

My personal story starts in Romania, where I first built a career in Journalism. Forever passionate about people and curious by nature, I moved to the UK with the hope to train as a psychologist/psychotherapist.

Ten years later, while studying, volunteering &working in various mental health settings, I stand before you with the same passion I had when I was four years old and I told my first story in front of a class full of children. This is when I first learnt about the power of words & silences, this is when I first knew that sharing an emotion with other people is such a unique and monumental experience, the joy of human connection!

• Free introductory 30 minutes session (online/telephone)
• £55.00 for 60 minutes sessions
• £250.00 for blocks of five (5) sessions when paid in advance - £25.00 discount overall 
• Concessionary rates available for students, trainee counsellors, people on a low income: £40.00 for 60 minutes session
• Fees are payable 24 hours in advance of each session and are payable by BACS transfer. Fees are non-refundable for cancellations occurring in less than 24hrs before the appointment. 

Online sessions (via Google Meet, Doxy)

Telephone sessions

Walk & Talk therapy 

My insurance includes public liability and professional indemnity.
I hold a valid DBS certificate 
Registered with Information Commissioner's Office