Counsellor & Psychotherapist
This list is in no way exhaustive but it may be that you would like to:
- Work through some form of loss, due to bereavement, divorce or redundancy
- Increase your confidence, self-esteem or self-image
- Work on cycles of behaviour that may be causing you concern
- Discuss feelings of depression, anxiety, sadness or emptiness
- Find more of a sense of purpose in life, to feel less stuck
- Try and resolve some issues from the past
- Feel more comfortable expressing your sexuality
- Work through a situation currently affecting your work or relationship
- Be able to resolve a family conflict
- Talk about something you have been bottling up
- Work on social skills to connect with people better
Therapy may be able to offer insight into these and other concerns or it may be that it could be useful to just talk generally about your situation with a trained professional in a genuine, accepting and non-judgmental environment.
About Me
I am an experienced counsellor and psychotherapist and registered member of the BACP since 2009. I work with women and men, individuals and couples and have comfortable, safe and confidential rooms in North London. I have genuine interest in my clients, like to engage openly and talk in a jargon free way, developing a strong working relationship, showing empathy and building trust.
Everyone has times when things aren't going the way we might like. We can find ourselves anywhere from, a bit grey and unhappy, to, extremely dark and depressed, overwhelmed, stressed and spun out. We can get stuck in negative patterns of thinking which are difficult to break, become worried or anxious about the future, or unable to reconcile past decisions. A neutral space to think and feel can be extremely useful.
Increasingly I am contacted by men looking to explore certain areas of their lives. These are generally men with little or no experience of counselling or psychotherapy, who previously may have thought a 'talking therapy' wasn't for them but were curious as to what was involved. They tell me there might be stigma attached to therapy, or a perceived sense of weakness for not being able to 'sort things out' on their own. What they invariably find is that opening up, talking about and addressing certain issues they might have, actually makes them stronger both mentally and emotionally, increasing their ability to communicate their thoughts and feelings and what they want. This can help with relationships, decision-making, confidence, self-belief, work aspirations and general enjoyment of life.
Qualifications & Experience
An experienced and fully qualified therapist and registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). (MBACP Reg.).
With a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of East London (accredited by the BACP) following on from a course in Psychotherapy at the London Centre for Psychotherapy and a Masters from the University of Edinburgh.
Originally from Manchester, via Edinburgh University, then ICU University in Tokyo followed by the University of East London UEL, with 4 years in New York, 3 years working at an independent school in Surrey and now 12 years in London, I have worked in education and management both in the UK and overseas for 20 years. I have worked therapeutically with people from many diverse backgrounds aged 11-65, counselling students and staff at City Lit in Covent Garden, Working Men's College in Camden, Bridge Academy, Hackney New School and Hackney University Technical College and continue to work for a national mental health charity alongside private practice.
In private practice, I work in Central London at the Harley Street Therapy Centre, Harley Street W1 (close to Oxford Circus, Marylebone, Fitzrovia), and in Archway N19. I also represent a number of organisations across London including Harley Street Therapy Centre, psychotherapyUK, Central London Counselling, Place2Be and The London Counselling Collective.
I will always try and work with you in an engaging, interactive, honest and professional way.
About Therapy
There are many different approaches to counselling and psychotherapy and lots of terminology used to describe them - Person-centred, Psychodynamics, Cognitive behavioural, Humanistic, Psychosynthesis, Gestalt.
Beginning counselling or psychotherapy can be tough but it is often a positive experience which doesn't always have to be dark and dreary. Humour and personality play a huge part in the process.
My approach is to listen, try and pick up on and discuss what will be of most use to you and always try to work towards deeper understanding, a change or a new perspective.
I provide a calm and comfortable environment in which we can work together openly, honestly and confidentially and work under the BACP guidelines for ethical practice, offering the same standard of service to anybody in society who may wish to contact me.
Please feel free to get in touch at any time by phone, text or email to set up a first session in which we can discuss your situation without any further obligation.
All communication will be treated in the strictest confidence and I will always aim to respond as quickly as I can.
Therapy is a deeply personal process and it can be difficult to decide what is right for you and whether to commit or not. It is therefore important to have as much information as you feel necessary before you start. Where do you live and work? Would you like sessions in one of these areas, or somewhere else? What are your preferred timings? Mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends? Is the gender, background or sexual orientation of your counsellor important to you?
Please feel free to get in touch at any time by phone, text or email to set up an initial consultation, in which we can discuss your situation without any further obligation.
Please explore the links on the right and other sites in order to get a feel for what is available and what feels right for you and always look for a BACP or UKCP logo.
I am an integrative practitioner, meaning I use a number of different approaches depending on the presenting situation for each client.
If specifically you feel there is something from your past that is unresolved we may work in a psychodynamic way to explore further. If there is a specific barrier now, then cognitive or solution-focused therapy could be adopted. If it is more general then a person-centred approach could be used.
It takes a commitment from both sides to have the best chance of being useful and whether that is for only one session or more is and will always remain, entirely your decision.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Contact
All communication will be treated in the strictest confidence and I will always aim to respond as quickly as I can.
Locations
Fees
The initial session will be an opportunity for us both to discuss how we might work together.
The cost of this initial assessment session is £70.
Further fees are negotiated during this first session and are based on a sliding scale.
You are under no obligation to have more than one session, this will be discussed when we meet.
Individual sessions range from £70 to £120 per session.
Each session lasts 50 minutes and starts from the time agreed.
If you cancel with more than 48 hours notice you will not be charged.
Sessions are offered by prior arrangement during the day, evenings and weekends.
Testimonials
© Stephen Smith 2017