COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY IN GOLDERS GREEN AND FINCHLEY, NORTH LONDON
& ONLINE NATIONWIDE
Welcome
Sometimes in life we face problems that can feel just too big to manage alone
"I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being." Hafiz
The therapeutic counselling relationship
I offer a free 20 minute introductory telephone consultation. This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have, for me to hear about you and what brings you to therapy, and for us both to get a sense of whether I am the right therapist for your needs.
You will be able to gain a sense of my way of working and to see how comfortable you feel talking to me.
Finding the right therapist is a personal and important choice and you should feel safe and trusting in the therapeutic relationship.
I will also explain the practicalities around our sessions such as confidentiality and the terms and conditions of therapy.
Developing your
self-awareness
Counselling can help develop your self-awareness, you may feel like you don’t know who you are anymore or you feel like you’ve lost part of yourself.
Maybe societal, familial, work or educational pressures and expectations have stopped you from being your true self, leaving you feeling stuck.
When you wish for change and it never happens, it can be time to look inwards and explore what is holding you back.
What keeps everything the same, stuck and unchangeable, what role do we play in this and why do we allow it to happen, self-awareness is about looking inward and understanding who you truly are and what you want from life.
Rebuilding your confidence
When we do not feel good enough, ignored, and not valued within our relationships it can lead to low self-esteem and poor mental health.
Counselling can help you work to rebuild your confidence and sense of identity and enable you to make choices about the relationships you choose to form with others.
When adult or childhood trauma has resulted in emotional neglect or abuse, and is left unprocessed this can present, consciously or subconsciously, in both our physical and mental health.
I am a trauma-informed therapist who offers you a space to gently work through your experiences to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, empowering you to bring about change, acceptance, and closure on past experiences.
People Pleasing
When we push down uncomfortable memories and emotions, those that are too painful, too shameful, or too sad to revisit, they don’t simply disappear.
They often present in impactful ways. This can look like a constant drive to overachieve, perfectionism, people pleasing and meeting the needs of others over your own, or procrastination and lack of direction and motivation.
It can affect relationships; being overly reliant on partners or avoiding intimacy and an inability to form relationships, leaving you feeling misunderstood, lonely, and isolated.
Coping mechanisms
We can resort to coping mechanisms to distract ourselves; self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, food, shopping, gambling, and social media are just some of the ways of avoiding your feelings.
Anxiety and self doubt
Anxiety and repetitive thought patterns can be debilitating, effecting all aspects of your life. I work with an holistic approach to explore the roots of these thoughts and feelings and how they are impacting you in the here and now.
Historical or current experiences that are left unprocessed can lie under the surface and play out unconsciously in our thought patterns. Unbalancing our emotional responses, how we feel about ourselves, and how we react to those around us.
Excessive worrying and rumination, or avoiding intimacy, shutting down, and struggling to communicate with the ones we love the most are just some of the unconscious behaviours that can contribute to low esteem, anxiety, stress responses and negative thought patterns.
Bereavement
Loss and bereavement are one of the biggest life events that we cannot avoid but it’s rarely talked about. The death of a loved one is a traumatic and often life changing event that can alter the landscape of your life, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation, shaking the foundations of who you are.
Understanding the grieving process and being given a safe space to talk about how you are feeling is a very important part of processing your loss and making sense of your feelings.
Ambigous Loss
Loss can come in many forms; infertility, infidelity, poor health, the end of a relationship, broken friendships, family breakdowns, redundancy, and life changes can all be supported through the counselling relationship.
It’s sometimes hard to be vulnerable and share your feelings with family and friends, or maybe you do not feel like you have anyone you can turn to, and this is where therapy is a safe space to share the most painful losses in life.
Neurodivergency
ADHD, ADD, ASD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia can lead to feelings of heightened anxiety and low self-esteem in adulthood. When you feel different and misunderstood, often from childhood, it can result in masking behaviours and adopting coping strategies.
These behaviours and strategies can be exhausting and leave you feeling like you can’t be accepted for who you are.
Understanding your triggers and who you are without the labels can be empowering and a positive step forward to acceptance.
Whether you have a diagnosis or recognise spectrum traits in yourself. Or maybe you support a neurodivergent loved one I can offer a therapeutic space just for you.
Understanding
The therapeutic relationship is a key component to successful talking therapy, if you feel heard and understood in the relationship with your therapist, you will feel safe to explore and reconnect with your true self - your needs, values, emotions, and identify and begin living more in alignment with who you truly are, rather than who you felt you needed to be.
Therapy is not about "fixing" who you are, but about uncovering and honouring your authentic self: your needs, your voice, your values, and your inner wisdom.
Therapy isn't always easy - but it's deeply empowering. When you begin to understand who you really are beneath the expectations, the masks, the noise, you can start making choices that feel more true to you.
Personal Growth
Embarking on personal therapy is a transformative journey, however, there is no quick fix or magic wand, it takes commitment and often time.
It can be uncomfortable when you are revisiting past trauma and hurt but when you are supported through this process in a safe environment, with compassion and empathy.
I am a qualified and experienced professional therapist who can work with you to take your first steps towards healing and personal growth.
Together, we will explore the challenges you face, identify your strengths, to unlock your full potential and enhance your well-being.
Christine
Testimonials
"I just wanted to thank you again for helping me through my difficult time. You are such a great listener, so professional and gifted in your field." Carolyn B.
"The way you respond and ask questions to challenge the persons situation to allow them to gain another perspective is amazing, your patience and nurturing energy made it so easy for me to open up to you. I like to say you were my therapist at first sight because I spoke to many therapists but it wasn’t until I spoke to you were I felt like you were the right therapist for me. It never felt like a service; I always felt like you really cared to help me. Thank-you for being a part of my journey and allowing me to let go, rant, cry, laugh, explore, be safe." Paytaya H.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling and therapy works, or to arrange an initial telephone conversation. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and if I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call 07957 448464 and leave a message. I will call you back to discuss any queries or questions you may have.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses a secure phone and email services.