About Catherine

I’m an accredited and registered psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and mindfulness coach based in Hackney, N16, London. I combine hypnotherapy and psychotherapy to help with anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD, relationship problems, self-esteem or self-control issues

Qualifications

I have over ten years of experience and thousands of client hours, with high success rates of supporting clients to transform their lives and reach their goals.

I have a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford in Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology and an Advanced Diploma in Hypno-Psychotherapy from the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy. I’m a full clinical member of the UK Council for Counselling and Psychotherapy (UKCP), the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Society of Talking Therapies. I’m also a qualified yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance.

How does therapy work?

I tailor my approach to suit you rather than trying to fit you to a standard therapy script and I use only evidence-based techniques. My academic background included neurophysiology and the study of neuroplasticity which underlies all my techniques and approaches. I also have my own personal daily yoga and meditation practice which borrows heavily from compassion-focussed and mindfulness-based philosophies. I believe that we are what we practice, and that with calm focus, self-compassion and a bit of time, we can all shift the neurological patterns that are our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and relationships, so as to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

A typical session with me would be half spent talking about your week or your feelings, and then the other half in a deep relaxation session, during which we can walk through situations you find tricky, as well as learn to be more relaxed in body and mind. The relaxed state is also excellent for developing focus and directing your energies on areas of your life that you feel would benefit from that. We can also use lighter trance states to desensitise and reprocess feelings and memories from your past which are not yet resolved.

You will remain fully conscious and in control during hypnosis, and will not, under any circumstances, be made to cluck like a chicken! You may find, however, that change is surprisingly easy, once your subconscious is involved in the process. The trick is to find the sweet spot between relaxation and sleep, where your imagination is at its peak and you feel completely safe to explore new ideas. The positive associations that you form in this state will stay with you after the session.

Psychotherapy can help you explore your personality, attachment styles and boundaries so that you can better understand yourself in relationships, and to help you develop your communication and relating styles. Learning how to identify and process different emotions can be done at any stage in life. 

I also offer trauma-informed therapy, such as EMDR (eye movement desentisation and reprocessing), where there is traumatic tension stored in the body. Bad experiences can cause us to shut-down or dissociate, or leave us in a high state of anxiety or panic. Therapy can help to release that so that you can move forwards with clarity and vitality.

What can therapy help with?

Areas I work with include:

  • Anxiety 
  • Stress 
  • Panic
  • Relationship or attachment issues 
  • Adapting to changes in life
  • Overwhelming emotions
  • A general feeling of dissatisfaction that is hard to pinpoint
  • Difficult childhood experiences
  • PTSD or similar trauma symptoms
  • OCD
  • Insomnia and other sleep issues
  • Phobias, including fear of flying or public speaking
  • Social anxiety
  • Diagnoses or suspicions of neurodivergence
  • Developing healthy habits
  • Developing a meditation practice

Please note that I work only with those over 18.

How much does therapy cost?

My fees are £80 per session, which are normally 60 minutes but sometimes come to a natural end a few minutes earlier.

Unfortunately, I’m not offering discounted rates at this time.

Availability

My available hours are Monday – Friday, 11am to 7:30pm

Location

My office is at my home in Burma Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 9BJ click here to show on a map

Please note there is a cat here, he’s normally asleep in the other room. Online or phone sessions are available.

How many therapy sessions are needed?

I don’t put pressure on clients to invest more time or money than they choose to. The length and frequency of therapy is up to you, I have no minimum or maximum number of sessions. Some clients find that around 6-8 weekly or fortnightly sessions is all they need, but sometimes therapy can be longer-term over several months or years, it depends on the value you are getting from it and the depth of issues we are working with. You are always free to take breaks and come back at other points in your life if that works for you.

My role as therapist

Depending on your circumstances and what your therapy goals are, I can operate in the short term (6-8 sessions) as a hypnotherapist, or a meditation coach, guiding you in setting up a regular self-practice. I am also able to act in a longer-term capacity as an ongoing therapist, if you would like to have longer, more in-depth conversations about your life.

I also offer specific trauma therapy such as EMDR. This can be helpful for processing life-threatening events, but any bad experience can leave a traumatic effect so the techniques can be used on any level of trauma.

In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to work in partnership with specialist agencies, clinical psychologists or psychiatrists but we would discuss this as we went along.

Guarantees

I cannot guarantee success from the work that you put into your own development with my support, but I can assure you that you will receive a compassionate and professional service from me during our sessions. In line with the code of ethics of the UKCP, I don’t provide testimonials from past clients as these breach confidentiality. All therapists are different and if you don’t feel that you are getting what you need from me, then please do feel free to let me know and shop around for someone else.

Contact

Please use the form below if you would like to make an enquiry or book an appointment. If you prefer, before committing to a session we can speak on the phone, via zoom or in person for 30 mins for no charge.

Cancellation policy

My cancellation policy is to charge the full fee for a no-show or cancellation within 24 hours. This is because it has prevented another client having that slot and it is standard practice for therapists.