London Counselling and Psychotherapy (LCaP)
Integrative Therapeutic or Psychodynamic Talking Therapy
Accredited Counsellor and psychotherapist with clinics in Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone.
Face-to-face & online counselling sessions for adult individuals, couples and other relationships (family and non-traditional).
Welcome to my website
I am a qualified and accredited counsellor with clinics across Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone.
I am committed to providing counselling, psychotherapy, and talking therapy in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental environment. I work with individuals and couples using an open-ended counsellor approach or for an agreed-upon period to enable you to enhance your life experience(s) and live them more fully.
I understand that seeking out therapy might be a difficult decision for some, but I firmly believe that when an individual makes that step, it is because they are ready for change and growth. Using my counsellor training and counsellor knowledge, I will work with you towards a better awareness of yourself and yourself in relation to those around you.
Nothing you say will shock me, and everything you say is always confidential.
Together, we will recognise and explore patterns in yourself and others, what your triggers are, and where those patterns may have originated. I do not believe in immediate fixes; rather, most issues are relational problems.
I work from clinics in Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Wimpole Street, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone. Currently, I have availability in the West End and Marylebone - behind Selfridges.
It's about the relationship we have with a problem that causes us pain; how you react to a topic, person or life event that causes upset in your personal and/or professional life.
The Process for starting
The process is something like this:
- We have an initial 15-minute telephone call.
- You tell me a little bit about what is going on for you and why you have reached out for counselling and psychotherapy.
- I will tell you a bit about what I can offer you as an integrative therapist.
- If by the end of the telephone consultation we are both happy to go ahead, we move on to looking at both our diaries to agree on a weekly day/time slot for each week in person at Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Wimpole Street, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone. I also offer online counselling sessions or hybrid counselling sessions.
- I offer a once-weekly model, which can be short-term therapy or long-term therapy (open-ended).
- If you would prefer a full in-person assessment session in Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Wimpole Street, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone, please do ask.
Couns.Dip, Cert.Psych, MBACP
Enhanced DBS Renewed May 2023
My locations
I am a qualified counsellor offering face-to-face counselling and psychotherapy services in Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Wimpole Street, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone, London.
I also offer online counselling sessions via the secure platform Zoom. Hybrid online and face-to-face counselling sessions are also available.
Angel Islington
N1, EC1V
Counselling & Psychotherapy
Holborn, High Holborn & Chancery Lane Counselling & Psychotherapy
Oxford / Bond / Wimpole Street, Manchester Square W1U Marylebone Counselling & Psychotherapy
Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Circus W1G Marylebone Counselling & Psychotherapy
Fees & availability
- Adult Individual Counselling and Psychotherapy: £90–£145 per therapeutic session (50 minutes)
- Adult Individual Counselling and Psychotherapy: more than once per week: £75–£95 per therapeutic session (50 minutes)
- Adult Couple Counselling and Psychotherapy/ Separation Therapy: £125–£175 per therapeutic session, depending on length
- Other Relationships Counseling and Psychotherapy: £125–£175 per therapeutic session, depending on length
I am available for a free 15-minute conversation on the telephone for clients to discuss what they want out of therapy. Please ask about an in-person full assessment session if you prefer—in Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Wimpole Street, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone.
Books of Interest
- Christiane Sanderson - Counselling Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
- The Origins of Psychoanalysis: Freud, Ferenczi and the Challenge of Thought, Maria Pierri
- Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy: The Classic Handbook to its Principles - Eric Berne
- Object relations & relationality in couple therapy - James L. Poulton
- Mentalizing in Psychotherapy - Carla Sharp; Dickton Bevington; Peter Fonagy
- Psychoanalytic Ideas series - Vol 1, Psychosis (Madness) & Vol 2, Perinatal Loss & Breakdown
- From Breakdown to Breakthrough: Psychoanalytic Treatment of Psychosis - Danielle Knafo and Michael Selzer
- Mother, Madonna, Whore, Estela Welldon
- Psychoanalytic theories: perspectives from developmental psychopathology - Peter Fonagy & Mary Target
- Games People Play - Eric Berne (Transactional Analysis)
- Playing with Dynamite, Estela Welldon
- Mad, Bad and Sad - Lisa Appignanesi
- Is it Ever Just Sex? - Darian Leader
- The Unconscious at Work - Anton Obholzer
- Dreams That Turn Over a Page: Paradoxical Dreams in Psychoanalysis - Jean-Mitchel Quinodoz
- Mapping the field of psychoanalytic psychosocial practice - Laurnece Spurling
- Michael Balint and his World: The Budapest Years - ed. Judit Szekacs-Weisz, Raluca Soreanu and Ivan Ward
- From Breakdown to Breakthrough: Psychoanalytic Treatment of Psychosis - Danielle Knafo and Michael Selzer
- Christiane Sanderson - Counselling Skills for Working with Trauma and Shame
Some of the issues that people seeking therapy look for
October 2024
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Low self-confidence
- Family issues
- Trauma
- Stress
- Bereavement
- Couples therapy
- Mental health
- Feeling sad
- Loneliness
- Addiction
- LGBTQ+ counselling
- Neurodiversity
- Person-centred therapy
- W1G Psychotherapy
- Social anxiety
- Anger management
- Integrative counselling
- Panic attacks
- Sex problems
- Attachment disorder
- Cognitive and behavioural therapies
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Health anxiety
- Suicidal thoughts
- Affairs and betrayals
- Eating disorders
- Abuse
- Work-related stress
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Dissociation
- Perfectionism
- Marylebone Counselling
- Alcoholism
- Emotional abuse
- West End Counselling
- Career counselling
- Self-harm
- Sexual abuse
- Binge-eating disorder
- Psychoanalytic therapy
As well as using a Humanistic Couples and Relationships Therapy model I also offer the
Bader-Pearson Developmental Model of Couples Therapy - which lends itself to the Psychodynamic
The Bader-Pearson Developmental Model of Couples Therapy provides a framework for understanding and addressing the deep-seated emotional patterns and unconscious motivations that influence relationship dynamics. Developed by Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson, this model is particularly effective in helping individuals and couples navigate the complexities of breakups and separation. Key elements of this methodology include:
Developmental Stages of Relationships
Bader and Pearson identify specific stages that relationships typically go through, from initial attraction to a mature partnership.
These stages include:
1. Symbiosis:
· Bonding and falling in love
· Emphasising similarities
· Establishing a boundary around the couple
2. Differentiation:
· Expressing individuality and asserting differences
· Developing the capacity to tolerate differences and conflict
· Establishing clear personal boundaries
3. Practicing:
· Rediscovering self as an individual
· Engaging in independent activities and relationships
· Consolidating self-esteem and personal power
4. Rapprochement:
· Balancing closeness and independence
· Enhancing intimacy and emotional sustenance
· Further resolving childhood issues that interfere with coupling
5. Synergy:
· Supporting mutual growth
· Maintaining a strong, healthy connection
· Embracing a mature partnership dynamic
Attachment Styles
Attachment theory plays a significant role in the Bader-Pearson model. Early childhood experiences with caregivers shape how individuals approach relationships. Recognising your attachment style (secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganised) can provide insight into your reactions to separation and help you identify patterns that may be influencing your current emotional state.
Emotional Regulation
The model emphasises the importance of developing strategies for emotional regulation. This involves learning how to manage intense emotions, such as anger, sadness, and anxiety, which are often heightened during breakups. Techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, and emotion-focused coping can be beneficial in this process.
Interpersonal Dynamics
The Bader-Pearson methodology examines the intricate dynamics between partners. It highlights how each partner's behaviors and emotional responses affect the other, creating a cycle of interaction. By understanding these dynamics, individuals can gain clarity on how certain patterns contributed to the relationship's end and how to avoid repeating these patterns in future relationships.
Self-Awareness and Growth
A core component of the Bader-Pearson model is fostering self-awareness and personal growth. Counselling encourages individuals to explore their emotional landscape, understand their relationship history, and identify the underlying factors that led to the breakup. This self-discovery process is crucial for personal growth and for building healthier relationships in the future.
Therapy for Breakups and Separation: A Path to Healing
The end of a relationship can feel like the ground beneath you has given way. Whether it’s a marriage, civil partnership, or significant partnership, breakups and separations often bring a storm of emotions that leave you feeling lost, hurt, and overwhelmed. This is where therapy steps in—not just to help you survive the storm, but to guide you toward rebuilding your life with purpose and hope.
Turning Pain into Growth
It’s natural to feel like nothing good can come from such heartache. But with support, you can use this moment as a turning point. Therapy can help you process what’s happened, make sense of your emotions, and take steps toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.
Why Breakups Are So Hard
The end of a relationship isn’t just about losing a partner—it’s about losing a piece of yourself and the dreams you shared.
The emotional fallout often includes:
- Trauma: The shock of separation can leave you feeling physically and emotionally raw;
with symptoms like sleeplessness, anxiety, or feeling disconnected.
- Grief: You may grieve not only the relationship but the life and identity you built around it.
This grief is valid, even if the relationship was unhealthy.
- Confusion: Separation can make you question everything—your choices, your feelings, and your future.
- Overwhelm: From legal battles to emotional conflicts, the demands of separation can feel crushing.
- Emotional Whiplash: Anger, sadness, relief, shame, joy—you may feel it all, sometimes within minutes.
- Feeling Powerless: The loss of control over the relationship’s outcome or your future can be deeply unsettling.
What Therapy Can Offer
Therapy is more than a listening ear. It’s a process of rediscovering yourself, your voice, and your strength.
Here’s how it can help:
- Create space to grieve without judgment
- Untangle the mess of emotions that come with separation
- Help you find clarity in the chaos
- Support you in rediscovering who you are outside the relationship
- Empower you to regain control of your narrative
- Help you process traumatic responses to the breakup
Moving Forward, One Step at a Time
Therapy isn’t about rushing you past the pain—it’s about walking with you through it.
It's a chance to ask important questions like:
- What do I want for my life moving forward?
- What really matters to me now?
- What changes do I need to make to feel whole again?
Through reflection and support, therapy helps you plant seeds for the life you deserve, one rooted in strength, self-awareness, and hope.
If you’re ready to start this journey, reach out today. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Note: This is not mediation or reconciliation-focused therapy. It’s about you—healing, growing, and moving forward.
Monthly Spotlight
The Benefits of Integrative Therapy: A Psychodynamic Lens
The Benefits of Integrative Therapy: A Psychodynamic Lens
Integrative therapy is a flexible, holistic approach to mental health treatment that combines techniques from various modalities to address the unique needs of each individual. It personalises therapy to the client’s concerns, preferences, and goals, while a psychodynamic perspective adds depth by exploring unconscious processes and early life experiences.
Holistic and Personalised Care
Integrative therapy recognises that mental health challenges stem from interconnected factors—emotional, cognitive, physical, and social. A psychodynamic approach enhances this by addressing how unresolved conflicts and unconscious patterns shape present behaviours. This focus on the whole person promotes deeper self-awareness and healing. Personalisation ensures therapy resonates with each individual. For example, psychodynamic techniques might explore childhood experiences while cognitive-behavioural strategies address negative thought patterns.
Versatile and Adaptable
This approach effectively addresses a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship difficulties. A client might start with cognitive techniques to manage immediate symptoms, then explore psychodynamic insights to understand underlying patterns. The adaptability of integrative therapy ensures it evolves alongside the client’s needs, offering a comprehensive and dynamic framework.
Empowerment Through Collaboration
A key strength of integrative therapy is its emphasis on collaboration. Psychodynamic therapy values the therapeutic alliance, using the relationship to reveal unconscious patterns and support change. Clients take an active role in their healing, fostering empowerment. Integrative therapists incorporate feedback and preferences, creating a partnership that respects the client’s voice and autonomy.
Building Strengths and Awareness
Integrative therapy blends a strengths-based approach with psychodynamic exploration of recurring patterns and defences. It helps clients uncover barriers to growth while building self-efficacy. This combination enhances resilience and confidence, enabling clients to overcome challenges with greater insight and capability.
Mind-Body Connection
Techniques addressing the mind-body connection, such as mindfulness or breathwork, complement psychodynamic goals by accessing emotions stored in the body. Trauma-focused integrative therapy, for instance, might combine psychodynamic exploration with somatic practices to process pain cognitively and physically. This dual approach supports emotional regulation and overall well-being.
Long-Term Benefits
Integrative therapy equips clients with lasting tools, including self-reflection and stress management. By addressing both immediate concerns and deeper conflicts, clients develop the skills to navigate future challenges. This combination of insight and practical strategies enhances long-term growth and emotional resilience.
Culturally Sensitive and Inclusive
Integrative therapy respects the client’s cultural background, values, and beliefs, making it inclusive and adaptable. A psychodynamic focus on individual history aligns well with this, honouring the unique story and socio-cultural context of each person.
In conclusion, integrative therapy’s personalised, collaborative, and holistic approach—enhanced by psychodynamic insights—makes it a powerful tool for addressing diverse mental health issues. By fostering self-awareness, emotional growth, and resilience, it empowers clients to heal and thrive.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling or psychotherapy works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07549 165 155 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
© John Jeremiah Ahearne
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Angel Islington, Holborn, Bond Street, Wimpole Street, Oxford Street, the West End, and Marylebone.
N1, EC1V, WC1V, W1, W1G, W1U, W1J, and W1R.