Counselling in Hampstead, London

Finding the Right Counsellor for You. Welcome to Mandi Simons Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice. We are a team of experienced practitioners providing counselling which is tailored to your needs in Hampstead, Stanmore and online.Our team comprises of CBT and integrative therapists specialising in many different areas, such as depression, anxiety, bereavement, addiction, neurodiversity and relationship issues, allowing us to provide tailored expert help for all kinds of issues. lthough we are all experts in several different fields, we all share the same approach of working with clients in an empathic, individual way,

Coming to therapy, wanting to understand yourself, is a deeply vulnerable and brave thing to do. Life can be demanding and fast-paced and I think therapy can be a place that offers the opportunity to slow it down, connect with what our bodies are telling us and process difficult emotions or experiences. People come to therapy for a myriad of reasons and I have worked with a broad range of concerns and issues. Whatever it is that brings you to therapy, I offer a warm and compassionate space to explore. Therapy can offer a space to untangle and understand who we are and the opportunity to live more peacefully.

I was born and raised in Italy. I came to England and studied psychology at university and then I trained as a mental health nurse. I have worked in the NHS as individual and group psychotherapist for over 25 years, in a variety of settings and different levels of complexity. I trained as a Group Analyst at the Institute of Group Analysis in London and I have extensive experience in running groups. I have facilitated experiential groups in the statutory and third sector settings as well as staff reflective practice groups. I trained as a supervisor at the IGA and offer supervision. I am a member of the IGA and I belong to the UKCP.

Asking for help can be really daunting. If you are here, reading this, and have recognised that you might benefit from the kind of support that therapy offers, then you have already taken a big step. There can be lots of reasons you might benefit from therapy. You might be dealing with a difficult time, such as an illness, bereavement, a separation. You might be feeling stressed, anxious, lost or low more often than feels ‘ok’. You might want to understand yourself better, why you feel and behave the way you do, or want to feel more alive.

My clients include adults, teens and children. I work integratively, combining ideas from psychodynamic, humanistic and behavioral theories. I see each client as an individual with her unique needs and I create a bespoke treatment to help with the specific issues. This all happens in a non-judgemental, safe and caring environment where the client gradually feels comfortable to open up and share her life experience. Alongside talking therapy I also use arts especially with younger clients. We look beneath the surface of difficult emotions to see what is at the core of the problem to help the client to make sense of her story.

Does your mind race with past problems or future worries? Are your challenges affecting your work and home life? Do you feel stuck in patterns, habits, or a certain version of yourself? In coaching, you can learn practical strategies that can help you thrive. Difficult experiences in your past or mental health struggles in the present don't have to dictate your future. You can develop the skills to cope with anxiety, career issues, relationships, and more. You can recover from challenges, build self-esteem, have better relationships, and move forward. Coaching can build hope and support tangible progress. Reach out now.

Are you experiencing stress, anxiety, low mood or are you finding yourself feeling overwhelmed or panicked? This can be understandably challenging and sometimes we all need someone who can help us through these times.

I offer individual and group psychotherapy. Psychotherapy has the exciting potential to support self understanding and change. The reasons that people give psychotherapy a try are uniquely subjective. Initially there is a wish to try something new and involves some type of recognition-noticing something that feels tangled, elusive, and a struggle. Especially in group psychotherapy you come to know yourself in ways you didn't before; through reflecting with others on experiences in and out of the group. Group therapy can help with figuring out options for change in oneself and in relationships and can bring hope for the future.

With twenty years experience in the field, I offer highly skilled psychotherapy to individuals and groups in my private practice. I am the Lead Psychotherapist managing a specialist NHS mental health service in Hammersmith & Fulham for adults with severe, complex and enduring mental health problems. Within the NHS I manage and supervise other psychologists and psychotherapists as well as seeing patients for one-to-one and In my private practice, I work with a wider spectrum of people experiencing everything from mental and emotional distress to major life changes as well as those who are seeking to make more meaning in their lives.

My primary therapeutic grounding is in Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), an approach to change that’s solution focused, practical and geared towards achieving goals specific to your life circumstances and challenges you feel are holding you back. Over the years, I've done extensive professional training so I tailor my approach to each unique individual. My ideal client is curious, open to discussing and exploring ideas and keen to pursue lasting personal transformation. This a real challenge which takes great courage. Successful therapy requires some degree of trust in the process and collaborative therapeutic alliance.

I am passionate about working with people of all ages to help them find healthy ways to deal with life's challenges. I believe we are complex human beings and reducing people to just one extent would be a rather shallow approach. Therefore, I try to approach every person holistically, using a wide range of methods.

Whether it's about breaking negative patterns, processing trauma, mourning, or a problem with attraction to unfulfilling relationships, the gently routined, contained process of unpacking our luggage in therapy and exploring our inner worlds can be a healing and creatively enriching process. ​ The specific reasons why we seek therapy are as unique as we are, but the underlying drivers are shared by all of us. All of us were born to someone, and we all try to find our way in life to differing degrees of difficulty. In this sense, we find ourselves in distress because we are human and suffer from the human condition.

My initial interest in Existential therapy was informed by my personal and professional experiences. Throughout the years I have explored diverse ways of supporting my clients, looking to improve their emotional and spiritual balance. Existential therapy encapsulates all my core beliefs about the therapeutic process and the powerful therapeutic connection between psychology and philosophy. It is anchored in the lived experiences (not their theoretical representation) and their relational context. It relates to human existence and predicaments, our choices and responsibilities, meaning and purpose, freedom and limitations.

I help clients deepen understanding and make changes in their lives. You may find yourself following the same destructive patterns in your relationships and not understand why. Perhaps you feel intensely anxious, lonely, angry or misunderstood by those around you or have a feeling of being at odds with yourself in day to day life. You may find yourself in a relationship which feels emotionally dangerous or where communication has completely broken down. Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on the role of the unconscious and how our past experiences may impact the way we understand ourselves, and others, in the present.

I work with the full spectrum of human pain and confusion, from feeling lost about your life circumstances to symptoms of neurosis and psychosis. One of the fundamental tasks of therapy is to create a space where we can meet ourselves – to discover who we are. This is what I ultimately strive to create for my patients, in the human encounter of the therapy room (be it online or in person). All life issues are explored together, in a spirit of acceptance, dialogue and openness. In psychoterapy we can cry, or laugh – sometimes at the same time. We are human to human, with all our complexity, different and yet similar, unjudgementally.

Most of us, will, at some point, and for various reasons, experience emotional, psychological or spiritual challenges which can impact and limit the quality of our lives. I am a BACP accredited Counsellor, experienced in working with adults of all ages, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds. According to your needs, I will draw on different schools of Psychology, such as, humanistic, psychodynamic, attachment theory and/or transpersonal, to provide either short-term-focused counselling/therapy or longer-term in-depth therapy.

With over 30 years experience I offer an insightful and friendly space to talk about anything that is troubling you. Together we’ll add light to darkness and replace confusion with clarity and confidence. Much of my work is with couples, as well as coaching in the legal/professional services sector, and working as a supervisor.

Are you feeling anxious or depressed? Is life seeming like too much to cope with? Do you feel confused, find it difficult to know what you want or difficult to express your needs? Are your relationships troubling you rather than bringing you joy and satisfaction? Do you suffer from unexplained aches and pains or sometimes find it difficult to breathe? Do you sometimes wonder how you ended up in the life you're leading? Is this all there is? Does your own body seem alien to you? Uncomfortable? Do you find it hard to appreciate your body or do beneficial things like eating well or getting exercise. Body psychotherapy can help.

I offer long term individual and group analytic psychotherapy and shorter more focused work as well as supervision. As well as my private practice in NW3, I work in the Trauma Unit at the Tavistock Clinic. I have extensive experience working in the NHS in adult psychotherapy and with vulnerable mothers and babies. I have worked with people of different ages and backgrounds with wide-ranging issues since 1998.