About me
Many people come to therapy after a long period of pushing through, functioning outwardly while privately feeling overwhelmed, tense or emotionally stuck. Often there are repeating patterns in relationships (people-pleasing, overcontrol, emotional withdrawal, fear of conflict) alongside a growing sense of pressure, anxiety or burnout.
For some people, stress also shows up physically: IBS-type symptoms, migraines, chest tightness, dizziness, fatigue or persistent tension, even when medical tests have been reassuring. Many persistent symptoms follow a pressure-body loop. Emotional strain activates the nervous system; when it is managed through overthinking, people-pleasing, shutting down or pushing through, the activation can shift into physical symptoms. Symptoms can then trigger fear and monitoring, which can lead to avoidance or repeated reassurance-seeking, keeping the body on high alert.
I’m Dr Zach Vogiatzis, a Chartered Counselling Psychologist (HCPC registered) at The Psychology Clinics in Central London (W1W) and online. I specialise in anxiety and low mood, burnout/high-pressure functioning, relationship and attachment patterns, and stress-related and medically unexplained (persistent) physical symptoms (PPS).
Therapy with me is focused, active and collaborative. We map the pattern linking sensations, attention, emotions and behaviour; reduce symptom fear and avoidance/reassurance loops; and shift self-protective strategies such as people-pleasing, perfectionism, overcontrol or emotional numbing so change holds in day-to-day life.
Who I Can Help
I work particularly well with adults who experience stress or anxiety (panic/health/social) and/or depression/low mood as well as:
Relationship issues and emotional patterns
- Repeating unhealthy cycles in relationships
- Difficulty expressing emotion
- Fear of closeness or fear of loss
- Attachment difficulties stemming from past relationships
High-achieving professionals
- Burnout, perfectionism and imposter feelings.
- Feeling “not good enough” despite external success.
- Pressure to perform at work or at home.
- Adjusting to living or working away from home.
- Feeling isolated despite being surrounded by people.
Stress-related and medically unexplained symptoms (persistent physical symptoms/PPS).
- IBS-type symptoms and other gastrointestinal distress.
- headaches/migraines and persistent muscle tension.
- chest tightness, breathlessness, palpitations (once urgent causes have been ruled out).
- dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue.
- persistent pain with no clear explanation
- symptoms that feel frightening, confusing, or trigger repeated checking/reassurance-seeking.
If you feel that your body, emotions and relationships are closely intertwined, I can help you make sense of this and find new ways forward.
How I Work
My aim is to help you stay present when anxiety, shame, grief or anger threatens to take over, and to change repeating patterns in your body and relationships. We work with care, paying attention to what happens in real time, including the pull to withdraw, please, explain or shut down.
My core framework is emotion-focused and ISTDP-informed (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy). We use what shows up between us to understand what keeps the cycle going, then practise new ways of responding so the change carries into everyday life. When clinically appropriate, I also integrate other evidence-based methods depending on what will help most:
- CBT for anxiety loops, avoidance, overthinking, and behavioural patterns that maintain symptoms
- EMDR when distressing memories are central and continue to drive current reactions
- DIT (Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy) as a focused, time-limited relational approach to recurring interpersonal themes
- Psychodynamic therapy for longer-standing relational and attachment patterns, and deeper developmental themes
You don’t need to choose a model or know the “right” type of therapy. We’ll agree a clear focus early on, review progress as we go, and use what best fits your goals and presentation.
Together, we work at a pace that feels safe and productive, helping you build awareness,and emotional clarity so your mind and body can begin to settle. We usually begin with a structured phase to clarify what the problem is for you and to help you stabilise distress, then review progress regularly so the work feels contained and purposeful. We work in a focused and active way.
What You Can Expect
Clients often come to me when they:
- have “tried everything” medically and want their symptoms taken seriously without minimising;
- sense their body escalates when emotions are avoided or relationships feel unsafe;
- want therapy that is focused, boundaried and active.
- want to work with patterns as they happen, overthinking, people pleasing, emotional numbing, perfectionism, so change is lived, not just understood.
The goal isn’t just symptom reduction; it’s understanding the emotional logic behind your experience and helping you develop a clearer understanding of yourself, reduce physical tension and distress and build more satisfying relationships with yourself and others.
What progress can look like
Change in therapy is rarely instant or linear. Signs of progress often include:
- More steadiness in the body, less fear of symptoms: tension eases and panic sensations or gut symptoms feel more manageable and less alarming.
- Greater emotional awareness and clarity: you can notice what you feel, name it, and understand it more accurately.
- Less driven by automatic reactions: fewer reflex patterns (overthinking, people-pleasing, shutting down, snapping) and more choice in how you respond.
- Stronger capacity to tolerate and express feelings: you can stay present with emotion without flooding or disconnecting and communicate it more directly.
- Healthier relationships: clearer boundaries, more secure connection and more straightforward communication.
- Subtle but meaningful shifts over time: changes often show up in day-to-day interactions and for some people, in stress-related physical symptoms..
We regularly review how the work is going and whether the approach feels helpful for you.
If you feel unsure about starting therapy
It’s very common to feel ambivalent, sceptical or anxious about therapy, especially if you’ve tried it before or are used to managing things on your own. You don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to work on. Part of our early work is making sense of what’s bringing you and deciding together how to proceed.
Fit and expectations
My approach may be particularly helpful if you’re open to reflective, experiential and depth-oriented work that looks beyond surface symptoms. It may be less suitable if you’re looking exclusively for very brief, solution-focused interventions without exploration of emotional or relational patterns.
Finding the right therapist is important and I encourage potential clients to consider whether my way of working feels like a good fit for them.
Practical Information
• I typically work with clients on a weekly basis, though this can be reviewed over time.
• I offer both short-term focused work and longer-term therapy, depending on your needs.
• I also provide clinical supervision to other professionals.
Location: London W1W & Online
Session length and fees:
50 minutes - £120
75 minutes - £180
Insurance: Aviva, AXA, BUPA, BUPA GLOBAL, CIGNA GLOBAL, Vitality, WPA
Contact: dr.zach@thepsychologyclinics.co.uk
Website: thepsychologyclinics.co.uk
Training, qualifications & experience
My Journey and Professional Training
My interest in psychotherapy developed during my undergraduate studies in psychology and deepened through my early clinical work in the NHS. From the outset, I was drawn to the complex ways in which emotional distress, physical symptoms and relationship patterns intersect, particularly in individuals who appear to function well outwardly while struggling internally.
After completing my BSc, I held senior clinical roles within third-sector organisations, working with adults experiencing long-standing psychological difficulties, trauma and stress-related presentations. This work strengthened my commitment to in-depth, relational therapy and led me to complete a four-year Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology.
Alongside my doctoral training, I worked in NHS services where I gained extensive experience supporting adults presenting with anxiety, depression, trauma, medically unexplained symptoms and persistent emotional and relational patterns. I developed specialist training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and psychodynamic approaches, with a particular focus on Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) and Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). These models inform my work with clients whose distress is expressed as physical symptoms, chronic tension or repeated relational difficulties.
In addition to clinical practice, I have supervised therapists, counsellors and psychological wellbeing practitioners and delivered workshops within multidisciplinary NHS teams. I was also involved in the development and implementation of psychological services within GP surgeries across East London, contributing to service design, outcome monitoring and the evaluation of specific therapeutic interventions.
Across settings, my work has been shaped by a consistent focus: helping people understand the emotional logic behind their symptoms, recognise long-standing internal patterns and develop greater clarity, resilience and emotional freedom.
Qualifications
• Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (PsychD), University of East London
• Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), ISTDP-UK
• Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy (Levels 1, 2 & 3), Richman EMDR
• Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), King’s College London
• Certificate in Clinical Supervision, British Psychological Society
• BSc (Hons) Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Professional Memberships
I’m committed to providing high-quality, ethical and inclusive psychological therapy, welcoming clients from all cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. I’m an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and fully accredited by the following professional bodies:
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC): PYL 38055
• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP): 140897
• British Psychological Society (BPS): 245276
Insurance Providers
I’m registered with major health insurance providers including AVIVA, AXA, BUPA, BUPA GLOBAL, CIGNA GLOBAL, VITALITY and WPA.
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 HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
The BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the practice, theory or development of CBT. BABCP also provides accreditation for CBT therapists. BABCP accredited members adhere to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, and are willing to be scrutinised in this adherence as required.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£120.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Fees: £120 per 50 minutes session and £180 per 75 minutes session.
I am registered with most health insurance providers such as AVIVA, AXA, BUPA, BUPA GLOBAL, CIGNA GLOBAL, VITALITY & WPA.
Therapy sessions are 50 or 75 minutes long and occur once weekly at the same time and location unless otherwise agreed.
Email me at dr.zach@thepsychologyclinics.co.uk to arrange a consultation today. For more information you can visit my website http://www.thepsychologyclinics.co.uk
When I work
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