About me
Hi, I’m Alex. I’m a BACP-registered, integrative psychotherapist working online and in-person, in East London.
I appreciate there’s a lot of jargon when it comes to therapy, which can make it difficult to know what to look for. By integrative I mean that I have been trained in a manner that encompasses different psychological and therapeutic theories, but with the core aim of responding to the needs and preferences of the person I am working with.
The term psychotherapist is typically used interchangeably with the terms therapist and counsellor. The BACP is one of the main governing bodies for psychotherapists and counsellors in the UK.
About you
People seek therapy for many reasons…
Sometimes that might be in response to a big life event, such as losing a loved one or ending a relationship. Even seemingly positive life events, such as getting a promotion or having children, might bring challenges whilst we adapt - therapy can help with that.
Other times, people seek therapy to try and process something that has happened to them (for example, a difficult childhood experience, witnessing something traumatic, experiencing abuse of any kind) or to help them manage a condition or coping mechanism that is negatively impacting their day-to-day (i.e. stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, disordered eating).
Increasingly, people seek therapy to learn more about themselves or because they have the sense that something isn’t quite right in their lives. Therapy can help such individuals to live more consciously and in alignment with their values and beliefs.
Others still seek therapy to deal with existential challenges, such as climate anxiety (also known as eco-anxiety or eco-distress) or the challenging geo-political situation we are experiencing.
In short, people seek therapy for all kinds of support and often for a combination of reasons. Perhaps some of these speak to you? If so, therapy can be a really useful tool for short and longer term support as you navigate the various challenges in your life.
How we’ll work together
Our therapy sessions will be approximately 50 minutes long.
Generally, weekly sessions at the same time, on the same day work well - this ensures consistency and helps with accountability, both of which are key in therapy.
This noted, some people prefer to work on a fortnightly basis. Where appropriate, I’m open to this - please just ask.
Sessions can take place in-person or online; many say that face-to-face therapy allows for a therapeutic relationship to develop more quickly as well as providing a safe space outside of the day-to-day routine, whilst working online might allow for more flexibility, especially for those who are time-poor. It’s worth thinking about what would work best for you.
I recommend informally committing to at least 8 sessions in order to see progress from our work together.
This said, for session 1, I suggest that we meet one another with no expectation of commitment which will allow you to decide whether or not you wish to continue (in fact, it’s highly normal to try out a few different therapists whilst you figure out what works for you, so don’t be afraid to engage with a few therapists in this way!). I offer a reduced fee for this initial “trial” session.
We can agree a specific number of sessions upfront (which is of course open for renegotiation as we progress) or we can work in an open-ended manner.
In our initial sessions, I will ask about your goals from therapy and how you’d like us to work together (I’ll have questions to prompt your thinking on this, especially if you’re new to therapy / unsure). I’ll check in with you about our progress roughly every 8 sessions, to ensure you’re getting what you need from therapy.
Should you have any feedback or requests at any time during our work together, please let me know. I consider you to be the expert in what works best for you and therefore your feedback is always welcomed.
Please note:
I offer a free, 15-minute chat for anyone wishing to find out more / speak with me before committing to a full session. Scroll down for details.
I also offer 50-minute, walk-and-talk therapy sessions in and close to Victoria Park, East London. This can be a great alternative to the more “typical” therapy format of sitting in a room (i.e. for people who might struggle to sit still for this long, for new parents who might struggle with childcare arrangements and for those who feel more comfortable talking about sensitive topics whilst walking side-by-side). It is, understandably, much more difficult to ensure full confidentiality in such a setting and as a result, this format may not be appropriate for all. If this is of interest to you, please drop me an email and we can discuss whether walk-and-talk therapy might be appropriate for you.
Pricing
Initial “trial” session - £50
Ongoing sessions - £75 / session
Students / low earners - I appreciate that therapy is expensive and, as such, can be inaccessible. Please reach out if you’d like to engage with therapy but would struggle to meet the above price and we can try to come to an arrangement that works for us both.
How to get started
If you’re interested in working together, but prefer to speak first, email me to book in a free 15-minute chat.
Likewise, feel free to email me if you have any questions or requests or if you want to book your first session (I offer this at a discounted rate of £50).