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Therapy for Women
You look fine. You're not fine.
For the overthinking, the burnout, the body image stuff, the 'I don't know who I am anymore.' Psychodynamic therapy for women in Colchester and online, with a therapist who takes your inner life seriously.
You might recognise yourself here
Most of the women I work with say some version of the same thing in the first session. If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place.
- “I can't stop overthinking.”
- “I'm avoiding situations because of how I feel about my body.”
- “I feel stuck and burnt out, but I can't stop doing any of the things that are burning me out.”
- “I fit everything in and somehow still feel like I'm slipping something.”
- “I can't seem to stop worrying.”
- “I don't know who I am anymore.”
- “I feel like I'm failing at everything — even though everyone tells me I'm doing well.”
- “I can't switch off.”
These aren't symptoms to be tidied up in six sessions. They're usually telling you something important about how you've been living, and what's been asked of you for a long time. That's the work I do.
How I work
I'm a psychodynamic therapist, which means we don't start with a worksheet. We start with what's on your mind today, and we notice what comes up — patterns, feelings you weren't expecting, things you haven't said out loud before. Over time, we build a shared understanding of why you are the way you are, and what you'd like to be different.
This is weekly, open-ended work. Some women come for a few months around a specific life event. Others stay longer, because the patterns we're working with took a long time to form and take a while to loosen.
I draw on other approaches when they help — mindfulness, some CBT-informed tools, writing prompts between sessions. But the foundation is psychodynamic: slow, considered, and curious about the whole of you.
What I often work with
Burnout and overwhelm
Especially the kind that hides behind competence — the exhaustion that comes from doing everything right and still feeling like you're running on empty.
Anxiety and overthinking
The mind that won't switch off, the constant worry, the replaying of conversations at 2am.
Self-esteem and self-criticism
The internal voice that never lets up — never satisfied, always telling you you're not good enough no matter what you do.
Body image and disordered eating
Including patterns you haven't called disordered before — the complicated relationship with your body that affects how you live, what you avoid, and how you feel about yourself.
Identity and life transitions
“I don't know who I am anymore” — the disorientation that comes with major life changes, or when everything looks fine but something feels wrong.
Relationship patterns
The same dynamics showing up again and again — in friendships, at work, in romantic relationships.
High-functioning depression
The kind that looks like productivity — getting through each day, hitting your targets, but feeling flat, disconnected, or like you're just going through the motions.
Perfectionism
And what it's costing you — the impossible standards that drive you forward and wear you down at the same time.
For women in same-sex relationships
A lot of my LGBTQ+ work is with women in same-sex relationships. Sometimes that's about the relationship itself — dynamics, family, whose family we're at for Christmas, the micro-negotiations of being visible or not visible in different contexts. Sometimes it's about identity: coming out late, internalised shame, questions about gender expression that don't have obvious answers.
You won't need to explain the basics of your life to me, and I'm not going to treat your sexuality as the reason you're in therapy unless you tell me it is. I've completed specific post-qualification training in working with LGBTQ+ clients.
Is this right for you?
I'm not the right therapist for everyone. If you're looking for a toolkit, a six-week programme, or a CBT approach, we'd be a mismatch — and there are good therapists in Colchester who work that way. If you want to understand whythe patterns keep showing up and do slow, considered work, that's what I do.
More on whether we're a good fit →Start with a free 15-minute call
The free call is an informal 15-minute conversation, not a first session. You can ask anything you want, I'll answer honestly, and we'll decide together whether working with me feels like the right next step.
Book a free 15-minute callIf you're in crisis
I'm not a crisis service and I don't monitor messages outside of working hours. If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger, please contact:
NHS 111
Call 111 and press option 2 for the mental health crisis line. Available 24/7.
Samaritans
Call 116 123 (free, 24/7) or email jo@samaritans.org.
Shout
Text 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 text support.
A&E
If you or someone else is in immediate physical danger, go to your nearest A&E or call 999.