What is psychodynamic therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that explores how your past experiences, relationships, and unconscious patterns affect your current life. Unlike CBT which focuses on changing specific thoughts and behaviours, psychodynamic work aims to understand why patterns keep repeating and what your feelings are trying to tell you.

How long does psychodynamic therapy take?

Psychodynamic therapy is open-ended, meaning we don't set a fixed number of sessions in advance. Some people stay for a few months, some for years. The work continues as long as it's useful. This isn't about prolonging therapy unnecessarily — it's about giving the process the time it needs without artificial deadlines.

What happens in the first therapy session?

The first session is mostly about getting to know each other. I'll ask what brought you to therapy and listen to your story. We won't dive into deep exploration straight away — the first priority is making sure you feel comfortable enough to want to come back.

Is psychodynamic therapy better than CBT?

Neither is objectively better — they're different tools for different needs. CBT is often helpful for specific, concrete problems where you want practical strategies quickly. Psychodynamic therapy suits people who want to understand the deeper patterns in their life and are willing to take the time to explore them. If you're not sure which is right for you, we can discuss it in a free 15-minute call.

Is This Right For You?

I'm not the right therapist for everyone. Let's work out whether I'm right for you.

Therapists don't usually write pages like this, which is maybe why so many first sessions end in a mismatch. Before you book anything, here's an honest look at how I work, what I do well, and what I don't offer — so you can decide with full information.

What I actually do

I'm a psychodynamic psychotherapist. In practical terms, that means:

We meet weekly, in 50-minute sessions.Same day, same time, ideally for as long as we're working together.

The work is open-ended.We don't start with a fixed number of sessions or a predetermined structure. Some people work with me for a few months around a specific life event. Others stay for a few years because the patterns we're working with took a long time to form and take a while to loosen. We review how things are going as we go.

The focus is on understanding, not techniques.Rather than giving you tools to manage symptoms, we try to understand why certain patterns — overthinking, anxiety, avoidance, self-criticism, whatever's brought you here — keep showing up in your life. Where they came from, what they're protecting, and what it would mean to work with them differently.

We take your inner life seriously.Dreams, feelings that don't make sense, memories that come up unexpectedly, the things you haven't said out loud to anyone — all of that is part of the material we work with.

I'll draw on other approaches when they help. Mindfulness, some CBT-informed tools, creative work with younger clients, writing prompts between sessions — but the foundation is always psychodynamic.

What I don't do — and who does

If you're looking for something I don't offer, here are some places that might be a better fit:

Short-term or solution-focused therapy — If you want a structured programme with a set number of sessions and clear goals, try NHS Therapy For You (free NHS service for Essex) or search the BACP therapist directory, UKCP, or Counselling Directory to find a therapist who offers short-term work.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) — If you want to focus on changing specific thoughts and behaviours with practical exercises, the BABCP register can help you find an accredited CBT therapist.
Couples therapy — I only work with individuals. Relate offers couples counselling, including online.
Addiction (without wraparound support)— I can work with people in recovery, but if you're currently in active addiction without other support in place, you need specialist help first. Open Road provides free addiction services in Essex.
Forensic work or open court cases— I don't provide court reports or work with clients involved in ongoing legal proceedings.
Active psychosis— If you're experiencing psychosis, you need a specialist team, not weekly talking therapy.

I'd rather point you toward the right help than have you book with me and realise it's not what you needed.

When I'm probably the right therapist for you

You don't need to tick every box. But if several of these sound familiar, we're probably a good fit:

You've tried short-term therapy or CBT and it helped a bit, but you didn't quite get where you needed to go
You want to understand why the same patterns keep repeating in your life, not just manage the symptoms
You're willing to commit to weekly sessions and give the work time to unfold
You're a woman dealing with burnout, anxiety, overthinking, self-worth questions, body image, or identity
You're a neurodivergent adult (ADHD, autism) looking for an affirmative therapist who won't try to “fix” you
You're a parent looking for therapy for your teenager or child (ages 4–17, in-person only)
You're a Romanian speaker and want therapy in your first language
You're anywhere in the UK and want online therapy (available for age 16+)
You want an honest therapist who will tell you what she sees, not just reflect things back

When I'm probably not the right therapist

You want a 6-session plan with homework, goals, and measurable outcomes
You want advice, coaching, or someone to tell you what to do
You're looking for couples therapy

None of these make you a bad fit for therapy — just for therapy with me. There are excellent therapists who specialise in exactly what you need.

If you're in crisis right now

If you're in immediate danger or need urgent support, please contact:

NHS 111

Call 111, press option 2 for the mental health crisis line. Available 24/7.

Shout

Text 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 text support.

Your GP

For an emergency same-day appointment.

What the first session is actually like

Before any session, there's a free 15-minute phone call. This isn't therapy — it's a vibe check for both of us. You can ask me anything, I can hear a bit about what's brought you here, and we both get a sense of whether this feels like it could work.

If we decide to go ahead, the first proper session is about getting to know each other. I'll ask what brought you to therapy and then mostly listen. We won't dive into deep exploration straight away — the first priority is making sure you feel comfortable enough with me to want to come back.

There's no assessment, no form-filling, no clinical checklist. Just two people in a room (or on a screen), working out whether they can talk to each other.

“I take comfort and fit seriously. No amount of clinical skill replaces the feeling of sitting across from someone you can actually talk to.”

Still think I might be a fit?

Book a free 15-minute call and we can take it from there.

Book a Free 15-Minute Call