Katerina is a fully qualified, professional Gestalt counsellor having trained at the prestigious Gestalt Centre in London, and is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (Reg MBACP). She works one-to-one with adults in a GP surgery, private practice and universities and has worked extensively with charities including Samaritans and Mind, supporting people struggling with suicidal thoughts and young adults exiting the care system. Having spent more than 10 years in the journalism and creative arts industries also, she understands the cumulative effects of unconventional lifestyles and the vicarious and secondary trauma that can impact professionals exposed to harrowing stories. She works with a very wide range of issues, clinical or not, and is able to discuss these in consultation.

I recognise that the pursuit of counselling can be an overwhelming and stressful experience in confronting your emotions. There is a stigma in society attached to seeking help, and information isn’t easily accessible. There are two things that really matter when you seek out a counsellor or therapist:

1. How comfortable you feel with the therapist and

2. What happens in the therapy

I am a fully qualified, insured and professional counsellor and a registered member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (one of two main accrediting bodies for counselling). This means that as well as having completed an accredited training course, I adhere to a clear ethical code, which you can find here: http://www.bacp.co.uk/ethical_framework/practitioners.

My style is welcoming and gentle. I use my intuition and instinct to get a sense of what’s happening for you. In our initial consultation together, we will explore what brings you to therapy, what your expectations are and whether we’re a right fit for each other. You are never under any obligation to book further sessions with me if you don’t wish to; My job as a Gestalt counsellor is to help raise your awareness of your coping strategies, your impact on others and to support you in living as true to yourself as possible. I support you in noticing entrenched patterns of thought and behaviour that may be limiting you. I encourage you to unlock your creativity and to take risks and experiment as a way of stepping away from the things that are upsetting you or others.

Gestalt is an effective way of getting to better understand how people view us and how we impact them. Through observing patterns in the therapy room, we can witness in the immediate present how we impact each other, and practise and experiment with ways of behaving and talking in a safely contained, confidential space without any fear of repercussions. Gestalt therapy can at times feel more experimental than other types of talking therapies. Depending on what comes up, we might use props and objects in the room, partake in visualisation exercises, work with dreams, use art, drawing, role-play, music or movement to explore feelings and even place those feelings in different locations in the room. Or we may just simply focus on talking. Where many talking therapies focus on what you say, Gestalt therapy takes into account your use of words, body language, bodily sensations and feelings as well as thoughts and emotions. Sessions can in some moments feel spontaneous, even at times playful; at other times, sessions may feel more reflective with dialogue between us. I respond to you and what you bring. There is a focus on the here-and-now experience where we use what comes up in the moment as a springboard for where the session will go. My intentions are to draw out insights and connections for you to reflect on – however I take the view that you are the expert in your own life and you are never forced to do anything you don’t want to do.

Ultimately, my aim is not to interpret what you do or say or to define who you are but to support you to define yourself and help you make sense of how you do things. I focus on raising your awareness of self and your way of relating, getting to the crux of underlying feelings and the core of who you are and what you want when you remove society’s expectations and messages out of the equation.

Availability: Tuesdays all day, Wednesdays 8.30am-2pm, Fridays 2.30pm - 8.30pm (Skype sessions and other sessions available outside of these hours by arrangements or for those outside of London)

Contact details:

mobile 07980 814645

email katerina@kgcounsellor.com

Twitter/Facebook: @kgcounsellor (KG Counselling Psychotherapy)

Price list:

Initial consultation: £60

Price per follow up session: £80 (Concessions available for students, retired and those on a low income, with prior agreement) I offer both short-term (6-12 sessions) and long-term counselling, to be discussed in consultation. Sessions to be paid for in cash or cheque at the start of each session. Block bookings of 6 or 12 sessions may be paid in advance via BACs or PayPal at a reduced price after the initial consultation.