My Approach

I am an existential psychotherapist working psychoanalytically. By “existential”, I mean the nature and experience of human existence from birth to death, which is unique to every individual. Psychotherapy is the practice of attending to a person who is seeking help with problems in living, by paying careful attention to their experiences, choices and actions in life and relationships, both present and historical.

People come to see me with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, relationship or family difficulties, loss of meaning, unhelpful habits, bereavement and unresolved life events. The focus of the work is the person’s wish to engage in a process to better address the difficulties they are experiencing. The aim of this work is to explore the possibility of living a more fulfilling and authentic life.

The work initially entails assessing the emotional difficulty or problem for which help is sought. This is a joint investigation into experiences both past and present, as well as the nature of significant relationships and the context of the problems. It is carried out in a professional environment that respects clients’ personal dignity and autonomy.

For those wishing to engage in this joint enterprise, psychotherapy aims to facilitate the conditions for addressing distressing or unhelpful emotions or behaviours. It is intended to help the person, couple, or family identify more constructive ways of coping with the complexities of living. My role is to assist clients in uncovering and utilising their own capacity for resolving the problems they face.

The terms of my psychotherapy work are agreed verbally between myself and the client or clients, including the timing of sessions, fees and arrangements for holidays and sickness. I am registered with most well-known health insurers, and for those who may struggle with fees, a sliding scale is available.

About Me

I have worked as a psychotherapist in private practice for over 30 years in North London. I am both a qualified psychotherapist and a consultant psychiatrist (with over 20 years’ experience in the NHS). From 2001-2026, I worked at the charity Freedom from Torture as a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and I continue to provide consultancy advice on a pro bono basis. From 2018-2025, I was a specialist medical psychotherapist for the organisation Community Housing & Therapy, which provided psychologically informed environments and therapeutic communities based on psychodynamic theory. Since 2024, I have worked as a family counsellor at Highgate Primary School. This is a joint project helping families clarify problems in the context of the child's and family's life so that appropriate and effective ways of improving the child's life can be identified.

Even though I am a qualified consultant psychiatrist, my practice is oriented toward psychotherapy. From many years of experience, I have found that a psychotherapeutic approach can be an appropriate alternative to standard medicalised models for many problems of living, particularly for those seeking to avoid the potential side effects or difficulties associated with medication.

My practice has been informed by training with pioneering existential psychotherapists Dr Aaron Esterson, author of ‘Sanity, Madness and the Family’ (with R.D. Laing) and ‘The Leaves of Spring’, and Anthony Stadlen, founder of the Inner Circle Seminars - an interdisciplinary, ethical, existential-phenomenological search for truth in psychotherapy. My work is also informed by insights from a wide range of psychotherapeutic traditions, including the work of Sigmund Freud and C.G. Jung.

I work with

• Couples
• Families
• Individuals
• Private healthcare referrals

Special Interests

Like all UKCP registered psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors I can work with a wide range of issues, but here are some areas in which I have a special interest or additional experience.

Types of Therapies Offered

• Existential Psychotherapist

What I can help with

• Abuse
• Addiction
• Adoption
• Anger Management
• Bereavement
• Bullying
• Chronic Illness
• Couple Issues
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Family
• Health-related Issues
• Mental Health Issues
• Online Counselling
• Parents
• Phobias
• Separation
• Sexual Abuse
• Suicide
• Supervision