David Ewins Psychotherapeutic Counselling
Taking the step to reach out and ask for help can feel scary and takes courage. To help explore the challenges you are experiencing, I offer a safe and welcoming space where you can feel heard, respected and valued.
I am a warm, empathic, qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor, offering private sessions for adults on a longer or short-term basis. Together, we will work towards what you want from your life.
Find more about therapy here.
ContactAbout me
I am an experienced, qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor and hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis Counselling from the Psychosynthesis Trust in London. I am a Registered Member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), and I am fully insured. (The BACP sets the practice and ethical standards for Counselling in the UK.)
I also have a degree in Psychology and have worked in a number of other sectors, from Pharmaceutical to Corporate Finance. I know balancing life’s various demands can be tough, but also how important that balance can be.
I am experienced in working with a wide range of ages and backgrounds and am welcoming of diversity. My voluntary work includes working with identity issues of LGBT+ and mixed heritage clients.
Psychosynthesis sees the whole person, both your challenges and your potential, and offers a range of creative therapeutic approaches alongside talking therapy. If you are interested, you can find out more about this approach here.
The work can be short- or longer-term, depending on your needs. At its core, the aim of the work is to support you in those areas that you choose to bring to therapy.
Committed to professional development, I attend courses, seminars and conferences throughout the year, keeping up-to-date with advances in neuroscience and psychotherapy.
FAQs about therapy
- What can I expect?
- What issues do you work with?
- How can I choose a therapist?
- Can we have a brief call to see if I want to have a session?
- What is the initial session like?
- What are standard appointments like?
- Are our sessions confidential?
What can I expect?
I offer a safe, confidential place for you to voice your thoughts and concerns, and be truly listened to. My job is to help guide you on your journey of personal discovery.
We can work together in person or online, or use a hybrid approach, depending on your circumstances.
Alongside talking therapy, simple and effective techniques may be suggested, such as guided imagery, visualisation and drawing. These approaches can help broaden your understanding of yourself and your world. It can also help connect you with your inner strengths and wisdom and make positive changes in your life.
We may work with what is happening in your life at the moment, as this is often what brings a client to therapy. The work might also take us into exploring experiences of childhood as well; often the root of outdated patterns of behaviour or thinking that we have carried into our adult lives.
Our path in life is not always clear. A sense of meaning and purpose is fundamental to our wellbeing and happiness and may also be touched into in sessions, or even be the focus of the work.
What issues do you work with?
Some of the issues a client might bring can include:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Obsessive thoughts
- Work stress
- Depression
- Sadness and grief
- Low self-esteem and low self-confidence
- Relationship difficulties
- LGBT+ and sexuality issues
- Trauma
- Childhood issues
- Loss of meaning in life
- Personal growth and development
How can I choose a therapist?
Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start when looking for a counsellor, especially if you have not experienced counselling before. Perhaps you had a less than ideal experience with counselling previously.
It might be helpful to think about the following when making this decision:
- Is this person someone I can relate to?
- Are they someone I feel comfortable with and safe talking to?
- Can I trust this person and do I feel they understand me?
Can we have a brief call to see if I want to have a session?
Before we begin working together, we will arrange a short (15 minute) call to discuss what brings you to therapy and see if we might be a good fit. I can answer any questions you might have and if you are happy to, we can arrange a first session. There is no charge for this call.
What is the initial session like?
In our first session we will begin to look at what has brought you to therapy, as well as your hopes and expectations. We can also discuss any concerns you might have about the therapy process. There is no obligation to continue after this session.
If we both feel we can work together, we will decide how to proceed. This will often involve agreeing to six sessions, at which point we will review how our work together is going. Therapy is a collaborative process and trust is crucial to this, and takes time to develop, like in any relationship.
What are standard appointments like?
Sessions are usually 50 minutes long (60 minutes if online) and held at the same time and day each week. There may be some room for flexibility (less so if in-person), but this cannot be guaranteed. We can discuss your specific needs in our initial sessions.
Are our sessions confidential?
Following the BACP Ethical Framework, everything discussed in therapy is private and confidential. As you might expect, there are limited circumstances where we might discuss breaking confidentially, for example, where you, or someone else, is in danger.
Fees and location
Session fees
The following options are available:
Online
£65
60 minutes (Zoom)
In-person
£65
50 minutes (London Bridge)
Reduced fees may be available for those on low incomes (limited availability). Please call to discuss.
Location(s)
Depending on your preference and where you live, we can either meet in-person, or online.
Online
Wherever you are based*, I offer the opportunity to have secure, private, one-to-one sessions online via Zoom (accessible via desktop, tablet or mobile devices). Ask me about this service when we have our free telephone consultation.
(* This may not be available in all countries, please ask.)
London Bridge
Ideally, if you live in London, we will meet in person for the first session at my counselling rooms in London Bridge. This may depend on COVID-19 (or other) restrictions.
Address
Psychosynthesis Trust 92-94 Tooley Street London SE1 2TH
Contact
To contact me, either call and leave a brief message (07835 392 872), or complete the form below. I will contact you as soon as possible and we can then arrange an initial session and take things from there.
© Copyright 2022 David Ewins. All rights reserved.
David Ewins is a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.