7About My Work – With Individual (1:1) Clients
(For Relationship Therapy Information – Click here)
The experience of coming for therapy is an opportunity for you to discover for the first (or subsequent) time in life that you can let go of all the judgements, the fear and hesitation, and begin to talk about what is bothering you. We become wounded within a sense of connectedness – in families, relationships, friendships and society – and paradoxically it is within a sense of connectedness that we can begin to heal. Healing the emotional brain takes time, but it is a creative and deeply fulfilling process that brings wonderful gifts with itself.
My Approach to Individual Psychotherapy
What often brings clients to individual psychotherapy is a sense of conflict within their relationships or within themselves or unresolved trauma, along with the desire for the suffering either to be resolved or to be made meaning of. I believe that there is no such thing as ‘fixing’ people. The goal of therapy is to become more conscious of all that happens within an individual and within their relationships, so that from this new sense of becoming awakened, a person can make choices to change the course of their lives.
More often than not, there are no ready-made answers to the specific suffering of someone’s life, but the effort lies in being open to discovering the answer that would naturally arise from you, out of your own inherent wisdom that you perhaps are not yet able to see. From experience, the more sincere the effort you put into this process with openness, the more you get something in return, but it all happens at a steady pace that doesn’t overwhlem you.
Psychotherapy can feel like an unfamiliar setting because the therapeutic conversation is not like any social conversation; but this is precisely why psychotherapy works – because we get to look at the mind in ways that are driven by curiosity, compassion and wisdom rather than habitual approaches.
Specialisms
Whilst all clients seeking help with their mental health are welcome, I specialise in working with individuals who suffer from: Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Low Self-esteem, Inter-personal Relational Issues, Work-Related Stress, Difficulty Accepting one’s Sexuality. I provide a warm and welcoming space to LGBT clients and gay men. I also welcome the use of arts and creativity in the process of psychotherapy, and I offer sandplay therapy for trauma survivors.
First Session & Subsequent Appointments
Individual Psychotherapy: Initial Assessment Session lasts for 55 minutes, and is a structured appointment with a set of questions that I go through with you in order to understand you and your life history at a deeper level. All subsequent sessions last for exactly 50 minutes. Please get in touch to enquire.
More About Me
Apart from working in my private practice (Grover Olufsen Psychotherapy), I have worked with clients in the charity sector in London.
Prior to training as a psychotherapist, I have had a wide exposure in life: I studied a master’s degree in engineering, worked in financial services for a decade, authored three books of poetry, wrote art and book reviews, been a member of a few international arts and conflict transformation NGOs, and read Buddhist philosophy for fifteen years. I speak English, Hindi and Dutch, and have a keen interest in Dutch art and culture, and in European arthouse films.
Psychotherapy Training and Qualifications
- Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy – Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE), London. A 5-year BACP and UKCP Accredited Training.
- Psychiatric Observational Placement in a PICU setting at Baldock Manor Hospital, Hertfordshire.
- Certificate in Counselling Skills, Manor House Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (MHCPC, London).
- Certificate in Working Creatively with Trauma, Jill Carter Training LTD, London.
- PD Certification Training: Advanced Diagnosis, Management and Treatment (PESI UK).
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Evergreen Certifications.
- Certified PD Treatment Provider (C-PD), Evergreen Certifications.
Other Qualifications
- MSc (SEng) – University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol
- Online Nederlands Niveau A2, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Professional Registration
- Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
- Registered Member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
- Member of the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE).
Fees
Individual (1:1) Psychotherapy: My fees are on a sliding scale: £75 to £85. Please get in touch to enquire. Each session lasts for exactly 50 minutes.
Couples Therapy: £95 for weekday appointments. £100 for Saturday appointments (where available). Each session lasts for exactly 60 minutes.
Relationship Therapy (for Adult Family Members): £50 per person per session. Each session lasts for exactly 60 mins.
For individuals with an insurance policy, I currently accept the following insurance plans:
Types of Therapy I Offer
Psychodynamic, Transpersonal, Trauma-informed Therapy, Couples and Relationship Therapy, Sandplay Therapy (for adults).
Clients I Work With
Adults (18+), Older Adults, Psychotherapy Trainees, Financial Services Organisations, Couples, Relationship Therapy (between adult family members).
Psychiatric Conditions NOT Covered
At present I do not offer psychotherapy for new clients with a diagnosis of, or signs of, personality disorders at my private practice. However, I do welcome enquiries from former clients with an existing personality disorder diagnosis.