nicola stephenson

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My approach is based on a deep respect for your experiences and what they mean to you. It is also based on the belief that you have the right to determine your own path in life – however difficult or impossible that might seem, and however lost you may feel. It is a fluid and collaborative process which allows us to attend to whatever comes up for you both during and in between your weekly sessions, whilst working towards your goals. In essence, it is an holistic approach based on an attempt to realign mind, body and soul.

I draw on ideas, skills and techniques drawn from a wide range of theories and subject areas – most notably Attachment Theory, Philosophy, Neuroscience and Trauma/Body Psychotherapy. Key influences include the pioneering work of trauma therapist, Peter Levine, and neuroscientist, Stephen Porges. I have also been deeply influenced by retired physician, Dr Gabor Mate, who theorises that all human suffering results from a disconnect from the self, and that in order to heal we need to find a way back to who we really are. This requires a gentle and compassionate examination of your life, offering you the opportunity to untangle yourself from unhelpful, external rules and messages – usually unconsciously communicated to and internalised by you, and almost always rooted in childhood family relationships.

With this in mind my role as your therapist, with warmth and kindness, is to gently guide you through a deep and honest exploration of your life and struggles. The aim is to provide you with a safe and confidential space in which you feel comfortable enough to talk about the issues which trouble you – in your own words and at your own pace. Whilst doing so, I will help you better access and tolerate painful feelings. I can also help you re-frame your issues so that you can look at them in a more helpful light, and from a more self-compassionate angle. Fresh insights and greater clarity usually bring a huge sense of relief. Over time this process will lead you to a greater level of understanding and self-awareness regarding your current situation and how you might change or improve it. Having said that, it is a process which can take time – requiring patience, courage and commitment.

If you’d like to come and have an informal chat first – to see if we are a good fit – please get in touch.

CONTACT NICOLA

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I am a Gestalt Psychotherapist, Supervisor, Counsellor, Trainer and Group Facilitator and have been running my private practice for 25 years. I managed a local charity for 12 years, specialising in Dependency and Addiction. Alongside this, I held the position of Senior Lecturer on the BA in Humanistic Counselling at University of Chichester. I have been teaching, delivering and designing workshops since 1997.

I offer long term, psychotherapy for individuals, couples and groups in both Brighton and London. During the pandemic I worked In Kenya and offer online therapy for those living overseas. I offer clinical supervision for professionals and trainees, individuals and groups. I also offer a short term, brief phase of therapy for those needing to focus on a specific problem or issue.

As a Gestalt Psychotherapist, I endeavour to work creatively and relationally to help you understand your processes, communicate more effectively and gain insight into your psychological difficulties and concerns.

Within the context of the therapeutic relationship, Gestalt therapy supports the exploration of past events and how they are experienced in the present.

I am interested in how much of our past experience resides in our bodies. Our life stories take shape in our earliest years and continue to develop throughout our life span. I believe mind, body and psyche are of equal importance, the focus is on the whole person.

In my work I focus on how traumatic events in infancy and childhood create a lasting imprint throughout our life. I can help with understanding how and why we develop specific personality structures that support us to survive and cope within our family system.

I have an interest in Family / Trauma Constellations work, and how at a soul level, we can become entangled with and loyal to, our family culture.

Qualifications and Professional Registration:

I have an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling, MA in Group and Individual Psychotherapy and a Diploma in Supervision from the Gestalt Centre London.

I am registered with UKCP and subscribe to their code of ethics.

Psychotherapy

Individual sessions last for 50 minutes and are on a regular weekly basis.

Couple therapy sessions last for 60 minutes. Depending on what might be helpful in the work, couple therapy can be long or short term.

I receive regular supervision in order to support my practice and discuss my work. Client identity remains confidential at all times. All sessions are confidential apart from issues relating to safety.

I am committed to my CPD and regularly attend workshops, conferences and seminars to support my growth and interest.

Couple Therapy

I work with couples in a dialogic and creative way, enabling each partner to experience feeling seen and heard, and to experience being with the other.

Session arrangements can be made to suit flexibility and need.

I can help with:

Conflict, Communication Difficulties, Difficulties with Intimacy and Sexual concerns, Parenting, Money and financial concerns, Divorce and separation resolution

Clinical Supervision

I offer individual and group supervision to psychotherapists, counsellors and supervisors, trainee psychotherapists and counsellors.

Workshops:

Experiential Gestalt Group Weekend

Ongoing Therapy Group

Embodied Relational Practice Workshops

Dependency and Addiction from a Gestalt Perspective

The Impact of Addiction on Families

How to Develop Self Authority as a Therapist

The Imprint

Working with the Super Ego and the Super Ego Ideal

CONTACT MAL

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Looking to better understand yourself, change difficult thoughts, feelings, relationships or behaviour? Perhaps you’re going through major life transitions? I create a safe space for clients to feel seen, heard and understood. I work with people to help them be more connected to themselves and others; to live life with greater awareness, vitality and joy. Life can feel overwhelming and we can get into patterns that are unhelpful and destructive. Whatever brings you to counselling I will provide you with the space and support to reflect on your life, to make sense of difficult feelings and thoughts, to help you find your own path to live more fully and authentically. This work can be over a relatively short time or longer term.

I am a fully qualified psychotherapist and counsellor, and am registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). I have completed a four year training in Transactional Analysis (TA); a foundation in Jungian Analytical Psychology; a certificate in Integrative counselling and training in Psychosynthesis. I have a MSc in Health Education and Promotion and a Post graduate diploma in Public Health. I am also registered with the UK Association of Transactional Analysis (UKATA).  I draw on my varied training and experience to tailor my approach to each individual.

CONTACT HELEN LEE

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When experiences from the past remain unintegrated, it can be difficult to feel fully present, whole, or at ease in the here and now. Many of the problems that bring people to therapy — anxiety, relational difficulties, shame, or a sense of being stuck — can be understood as signals from earlier experiences that have not yet been fully processed by the nervous system.

Lifespan Integration (LI) Therapy is a structured, gentle, and body-based approach that works with memory cues from across your life to help the nervous system recognise that difficult experiences are now over. Through guided timeline work and careful therapeutic attunement, LI supports the brain and body to reorganise old patterns, updating them with the reality of the present.

Unlike purely talk-based therapy, which can sometimes keep experiences organised primarily through thinking and narrative, LI works in a way that engages the whole system — including emotional and sensory memory. Over time, this allows previously held tension, fragmentation, or overwhelm to settle and integrate, supporting a greater sense of coherence, safety, and presence in everyday life.

My Approach

I work from a humanistic and integrative perspective, informed by contemporary trauma theory and an understanding of human beings as complex, living systems. Rather than seeing symptoms as problems to be eliminated, I understand them as intelligent adaptations that once served a protective function. Therapy is a collaborative process of listening to what the system needs in order to reorganise and heal.

Alongside my clinical work, I have a long-standing interest in contemplative and spiritual inquiry, having practiced Buddhism since my mid-twenties. This informs my work subtly and respectfully, supporting clients who wish to explore questions of meaning, identity, and belonging alongside psychological healing.

CONTACT VAJRALILA

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