About Me
I am a HCPC registered Counselling Psychologist with over 8 years of experience of working in the NHS and private settings.
I hold a Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology from City St George's, University of London, a Master of Science in research methods for psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Goldsmith's, University of London. I have undertaken post-qualification training in Couple Therapy.
I am a registered member of the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC), the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Services
I offer therapy to individuals and couples, both online and in-person in Central London.
Individual Therapy
Private individual sessions to focus on your personal experiences and goals for change.
Online Therapy
Convenient and flexible sessions that fit your schedule from the comfort of your home.
Individual Therapy
Now is the time
If you are reading this, there is most likely something you wish to change about your psychological and emotional life. Psychological therapy can have a transformative effect on how you feel about yourself and relate to others. Difficulties in our emotional life can show up in different ways, for example as depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship problems, psychosexual problems, emotion regulation issues, attention problems, eating disorders, or obsessions and compulsions. These and many more symptoms can be addressed with talking therapy.
One the of hardest parts of change is acknowledging that a change is needed. You have already taken this step.
The second step is finding a therapist that can support and facilitate change.
In individual psychological therapy, I aim to foster an environment for clients to make long lasting change that will benefit all aspects of their life: Their relationships, their internal sense of self-esteem and their working life. While it can be daunting to explore the past, I offer a safe, confidential and judgment free space to explore the past -both in it's good and bad aspects, to help clients understand themselves in the present. I work with them to find new, more adaptive ways of coping in the present and future.
If you are considering making change, don't delay. These feelings are your unconscious urging you to address a problem, resolve a conflict, to change something. Delay only avoids the issue, prolonging or exacerbating symptoms.
To take the next step, please get in touch. I will endeavour to see you within a week. I offer free initial consultations via telephone or video.
I see clients face to face in different London locations across the week. Please contact me to find out more.
Individual sessions are £100 for 50 minutes.
How I work
As a Counselling Psychologist, I am trained in multiple models of evidenced based therapy and I integrate these depending on the needs and goals of each individual client. The main models drawn on in my work are below.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Often our current behaviours and feelings are driven by internal conflicts that are outside of our awareness. Psychodynamic approaches focus on uncovering the unconscious through exploration of the past, including childhood experiences, past and current relationships to make sense of the present, aiming to resolve repeating patterns of feeling and behaviour that are distressing.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and third-wave CBT approaches, including Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aim to manage and alleviate symptoms in the present. Focus is given to the the link between feelings, thoughts and physical sensations and therapy supports the alteration of negative thought patterns in order to influence and manage current symptoms.
Body-Oriented Psychotherapies
Body-oriented psychotherapy is premised on the connection between mind and body. These approaches pay special attention to how emotions present in the physical body as this can provide insight into unconscious emotional experiences, increase self-awareness, improve the articulation of emotional states and strengthen personal boundaries. Interventions include body scans, breath-work, guided meditation, visualisations and movement.
Contact me
I offer in-person sessions in private rooms in Central London and online sessions on different days and times across the week. Please contact me for more information.
Couple Therapy
Now is the time
Relationships face a huge amount of pressure from common life events such as marriage, having children, illness, bereavement, wider family influences and financial difficulties. Even happy life events can negatively impact once easy relationship dynamics.
Relationships can also face specific problems, such as infidelity, loss of trust, psychosexual problems, loss of desire, loss of connection and intimacy, arguments, breakdowns in communication, differences in opinion, goals and desires.
Couple therapy can help facilitate more effective communication between partners, resolve conflicts and encourage mutual respect of differing perspectives and provide insight on individual emotional experiences influential to the couple relationship. Therapy can help couples regain connection and overcome barriers to intimacy.
Often couples come to therapy as a last resort to save their relationship or to gain clarity on the prospect of separation and for mediation if and when that has been decided. But therapy can also help couples with satisfactory relationships deepen their connection and prepare for or adjust to big changes such as starting a legal partnership or a family.
I offer therapy for couples both in-person and online.
Sessions are £150 for 50 minutes
£200 for 90 minutes
Therapeutic approaches to Couple Therapy
I draw on multiple evidence based theoretical and therapeutic influences in my work and integrate these to meet the needs of each couple. Part of this work includes offering couple sessions and one-to-one sessions with individual members of a couple.
Attachment Theory
Attachment theory explains how the quality of early relationships with primary caregivers significantly impacts future emotional bonds. In couple therapy, understanding the early attachments of each couple member can provide understanding of their needs, expectations and ways of resolving conflict.
Neuroscience
Understanding how the brain is activated during conflict can provide insight in how to self-regulate strong emotional responses and to understand your partner's emotional reactions. Therapeutic interventions including psycho-education, breath-work, couple touch and mindfulness exercises that work to integrate brain activation, manage responses in stressful situations and develop a sense of connectedness with your partner.
Differentiation Theory
Differentiation theory is related to the ability of individuals within a couple to maintain a clear sense of self while remaining emotionally connected to each other. Therapy helps members of the couple distinguish their own individual thoughts, feelings and values from those of their partner and encourages the acceptance of the other, allowing for healthier communication and team work.
Online Therapy
I offer both individual therapy and couple therapy online via video.
Online therapy sessions can be highly effective and convenient, particularly for issues with geography, mobility or scheduling. It is important to ensure you can make these calls in a quiet and confidential environment that you feel comfortable in.
Please contact me for my availability for online work.
Contact me
info@laurafarley.com