Choosing someone to talk through your most sensitive or intimate concerns is one of the biggest considerations when thinking of working with a therapist. It's an important and very personal decision.

Most people find that an initial appointment offers a good sense of what working together might be like. And arranging a preliminary session – even when that feels daunting – often offers people a sense of relief: the hope that things can be different. You can decide at the end of that appointment whether to commit to ongoing weekly sessions, or you might want a few days to think it over.

I create a safe space where you can be received non-judgementally and attentively. I bring creativity and intuition to my approach – whilst drawing on a strong theoretical framework of both psychosynthesis therapy, mindfulness and self-compassion practice.

The way I work is particular to you as an individual, developing out of the relationship we build together. As part of building this relationship, and to establish a rhythm and momentum, I like wherever possible to work through weekly sessions – at the same time and on the same day of the week. This is particularly important in the early stages of our work together.

I hope this helps give you a sense of my approach. Do contact me if you would like to explore this further.

As one of few early pioneers to have specific training in bringing both mindfulness and self-compassion to counselling and therapy, I have something very particular to offer. The therapeutic model in which I trained is psychosynthesis; to this integrative approach, I bring many years' experience of mindfulness and compassion-based approaches.

What psychosynthesis, mindfulness and self-compassion hold in common is a base in body-awareness and a belief that we each hold within us what we need in order to realise our full potential.

Psychosynthesis, which integrates elements of more than one well-established psychotherapeutic model, harnesses the imagination, and draws on the belief that out of pain and suffering something new is trying to emerge.

Mindfulness helps us bring present-moment awareness to our experience, whatever it might be. The approach is validated by contemporary neuroscientific research, whilst being rooted in ancient meditation-based and contemplative traditions. Read more about mindfulness ...

Compassion-based approaches are complementary to mindfulness, drawing on equally ancient traditions and similarly validated by contemporary scientific understandings.

If you'd like to talk further about my particular approach to counselling and therapy, so you can decide if it might suit you, do contact me to fix an initial appointment.

Mindfulness and self-compassion are central to my life and how I work. A longstanding mindfulness and compassion-based meditation practice inspires, informs and supports every aspect of my life – including, implicitly, my work as therapist and counsellor.

I’m trained to draw on mindfulness and self-compassion as aspects of counselling and psychotherapy and, where appropriate, I bring these explicitly into my work as a therapist.

I have a deep belief in the potential of mindfulness and self-compassion to bring greater richness and awareness into everyday life: powerful and effective vehicles for change. Paradoxically, by being more present with our actual experience, we are more able to embrace change.

Research suggests that therapists, and trainee therapists, who have some training in mindfulness have more positive outcomes with their clients than those who have not(Crane, R., Elias D., 2006, Being With What Is - Mindfulness practice for counsellors and psychotherapists, Therapy Today 17(10)31).

My therapeutic training follows the psychosynthesis model, an integrated approach which draws on the belief that out of pain and suffering something new is trying to emerge. Psychosiynthesis also harnesses creativity and the imagination where this is helpful to the work.

What psychosynthesis, mindfulness and self-compassion hold in common is a base in body-awareness and a belief that we each hold within us what we need in order to realise our full potential.

It can vary. I offer both open-ended work at depth, and solution-focused approaches when you might want to look at a specific short-term issue.

Most important is the relationship we build together arising from mutual trust and commitment. You need to take things at your own pace, and that may take time.

Committing to regular weekly sessions, especially in the early stages of our work together, is important – normally at the same time and on the same day of the week. I find that committing to an initial block of, say, eight to twelve sessions allows you to find your own way into the process. Equally, it offers the opportunity to explore immediate issues.

Towards the end of that time we’ll review how things are going for you. You may feel you want to continue on a more open-ended basis, with regular reviews. Or you may decide you’ve got what you want, at least for the time being.

I hope I’ve addressed your immediate concerns about how long it might take to explore an issue in counselling or therapy. If you have further questions I'd be pleased to hear from you.

I find that setting things out clearly enables us to focus on the things that matter most, so before we meet I’ll send you information outlining how I generally work.

We’d normally meet at a regular time on the same day of each week, to establish a rhythm and momentum in our work together. This is particularly important in the early stages of our work together.

I offer both longer-term open-ended therapy, and short-term counselling - with an initial mutual commitment to between eight and twelve sessions.

Before we start working together we’ll draw up an agreement so things are clear from the start.

I hope this gives you an idea of how things are arranged, and that you'll get in touch with me ...

I mainly practice from the City Therapy Rooms, 33 Furnival Street, Holborn, London EC4A 1JQ and our sister practice, the Barnsbury Therapy Rooms, 144 Liverpool Road, London N1 1LA. Both are within easy reach of major public transport links.

Sessions are normally in person, although once we have established a therapeutic relationship it may be possible to arrange - on an exceptional basis - the occasional session by Zoom or another similar platform (where, for instance, you have to be away from London for a short period).

In each case, the consulting rooms I use are on an upper floor, and I regret there is no lift. It may, however, be possible with sufficient advance notice, to arrange for me to see you in a ground floor room, and I'd be happy to discuss this with you.

I hope this gives you an idea of where I work. There is more information on this page about how to reach both locations, and I will give you detailed directions to enable you to access the therapy rooms when we arrange an appointment.

Wherever possible, I prefer that we meet in person - in the City of London (Holborn) or Highbury/Islington. Where appropriate, I may agree that we work online over Zoom. This would preferably be after having met in person.

I'd be happy to discuss with you whether working online might be appropriate - please contact me to arrange a phonecall.

Many people find the initial session – sharing what's been on their mind, perhaps for quite a time – a great relief.

For that initial meeting, I charge £80-£95 (depending on time of day), payable by bank transfer in advance of that session; each subsequent session costs the same amount, payable one session in advance by bank transfer.

Your regular weekly sessions – normally at the same time, on the same day of the week – are for you, to use in the way that works for you.

Where this is discussed and agreed in advance, I do reserve some discounted spaces (normally during the middle of the day) for those from a low-income households. If this the case for you, please contact me so that we can explore whether such an arrangement is appropriate.

Fees are reviewed periodically - either annually or less frequently - to take into account any increases in my costs. I do try to keep fee increases to a minimum in terms both of frequency and amount;  any proposed change in fee would be discussed with you in advance, with a minimum of a month’s notice.

When you contact me to arrange an initial consultation, we'll try to fix something within the next few days.

It's generally best to email me to make an appointment, though I'm happy to receive an initial approach by text.

If you prefer, we can first discuss over the phone how I might help you. If I'm not free to speak, please leave a clear message suggesting a good time to talk. Our conversation will be completely confidential, and I'll understand if you need to put me on hold for a few moments whilst you find somewhere private in which to speak.

I hope this helps you decide your next step and that you will contact me ...

I'll send you information which sets out clearly how I tend to work, and giving clear directions to enable you to gain access to the consulting rooms.

At our initial meeting we can talk about what’s troubling you and explore any questions you might have. And it’s important that as our work progresses and our therapeutic connection develops, you feel able to talk openly about what you feel you’re getting out of it.

You can decide at that initial meeting whether you'd like to arrange ongoing appointments – normally at the same time and on the same day each week – or you might prefer to take some time to think about that.

I'd be pleased to hear from you if you'd like to book an initial appointment ...

we can discuss what may be troubling you and explore how we might work together.

It’s natural for you to feel apprehensive before we meet, but most people feel reassured by talking things through. This preliminary session will last 50 minutes, costing £80-£95 payable in advance of that meeting.

You may decide to book an initial block of sessions. Or you might want to think it over for a few days.

And when we do start working together, it’s important that as our therapeutic connection develops you feel able to talk openly about what you feel you’re getting out of it.

I hope you'd like to arrange an initial meeting ...

I will set aside your regular weekly in-person appointment, which will be yours to use in whatever way feels best.

I normally take a break three times a year - 2/3 weeks over the New Year period, a similar length of time in the spring, and a longer period in the summer which generally includes August. In order to create a regularity and momentum to our work, I do ask that you avoid taking breaks at other times,  and I charge for any missed sessions, irrespective of how much notice is given.

We’ll review our work at intervals, when you may decide you’ve got what you need, or that you want to continue.

Bringing our work to a close can be one of the most important phases in the therapeutic process, and in order not to bring our work to an abrupt and unhelpful end I always recommend that we discuss and agree a suitable ending process. This would vary in length, according to the nature of our work and how long we have been working together, but would generally be a minimum of four sessions and sometimes rather longer.

For information about my background, training, qualifications and how I keep up to date with professional developments, please go to about Lokadhi ...