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Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

a confidential and calm space in central Reading
Orange Clouds

Welcome to my web page.

 

Most people find themselves in emotional distress at some point in their lives, sometimes the distress doesn't pass and it leaves us feeling despairing and confused. You may be struggling with anxiety, depression, overwhelm, trauma, stress, anger, identity issues or maybe you can't put your struggles into words.

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Perhaps you've been thinking about having counselling or psychotherapy for a while now and would like to find out if it's right for you.

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I offer open ended or time limited psychoanalytic psychotherapy in a confidential, calm and comfortable setting in central Reading. I sometimes have places for low fee therapy.


What can I expect from psychoanalytic Psychotherapy?

 

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a mode of psychotherapy which takes into consideration a person’s unconscious as well as their conscious thoughts and feelings. Sometimes we simply don’t understand why we feel the way we feel or act the way we act.

 

Having a therapist who works psychoanalytically can help you explore your feelings, thoughts and actions at a deeper level, it gives space for things that are unbearable to think or speak about. It is well suited to those who are not looking for a quick, “easy fix” but are interested in the detailed, and sometimes difficult, work of understanding themselves. We would work together to get a picture of your unconscious processes and think about how they might be playing out for you in unhelpful ways.

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What would happen in the sessions?

 

In psychoanalytic psychotherapy, the relationship with your therapist is key to understanding your unconscious internal world. I work with you in an interested, non-judgemental way to help uncover hidden, deep-rooted behaviour patterns, or defences, that you developed in your early years but are no longer serving you.

 

I am interested in whatever is on your mind in any given session, no matter how seemingly small, trivial or odd it might seem to you. This can also include your dreams. Sessions are not structured and you will not be given "homework" to do in between sessions.

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About me
 

I have experience of working with a wide variety of issues including trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, bereavement, family issues, finding meaning.

 

I am a UKCP Training Member psychoanalytic psychotherapist with the Association of Individual and Group Psychotherapists (AGIP) in the advanced stages of training. I currently work in private practice and I have previously worked as a Psychodynamic Counsellor at South Bucks Counselling.

Helen Santa Maria. Psychotherapy in Reading, Berkshire

I am a registered Training Member at UKCP and I abide by their ethical framework and complaints procedure. My membership number is 2011186310.

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Psychoanalytic psychotherapy in Reading
Association of Group and Individual Psychotherapists
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