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Open ended and short term counselling for adults

I offer short-term and open-ended psychodynamic counselling, both face-to-face in Hove and Brighton, and online across the UK and internationally. I work with adults facing a wide range of difficulties, providing a reflective, compassionate, and creative space for those looking to understand themselves more deeply and live with greater emotional freedom.

Areas of Focus

You may be coming to therapy because you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, low or stuck. Sometimes there’s a clear reason; other times it’s just a sense that something isn’t quite right. Together, we can begin to make sense of your experience, exploring how past relationships and unseen patterns may be influencing your current difficulties. I work with people across a range of issues, including:

  • Living with a chronic or terminal illness—or caring for someone who is—can be profoundly demanding, physically, emotionally, and relationally. I have worked closely with people navigating serious long-term health conditions, as well as with carers whose own needs are so often pushed aside. In our sessions, you will find a compassionate space to explore the impact of illness, loss, and change—and to begin discovering ways of living with greater understanding, strength, and self-kindness.

  • Living with ongoing stress or anxiety can be deeply draining, leaving you tense, uncertain, or caught in patterns that feel hard to change.  In our sessions, I will support you to explore and make sense of what sits beneath the surface—how past experiences, relationships, and inner pressures may be shaping the way you feel now. Together we can begin to understand the roots of your anxiety and find steadier, more compassionate ways of being with yourself.

  • If you are living with depression or low mood, you may feel stuck, disconnected, or weighed down in ways that are difficult to put into words. In counselling, we create a supportive space where you don’t have to face those feelings alone. Together, we can start to explore what might lie beneath your low mood, understand the patterns that keep you feeling stuck, and gently open up possibilities for change, connection, and a renewed sense of self.

  • You may long for connection yet find it difficult to reach out or feel truly understood. Counselling offers a space where you don’t have to carry these feelings on your own. Together, we can explore the experiences and patterns that may be keeping you disconnected, begin to find new ways of relating—to yourself and to others—that can bring greater ease, meaning, and connection into your life.

  • Whether with a partner, family member, friend, or colleague—you may feel hurt, stuck, or unsure how to move forward. In counselling, we create a place to explore the patterns, emotions, and experiences that affect how you relate to others. Together, we can work towards understanding, communication, and healthier ways of connecting, helping you build more fulfilling and supportive relationships.

  • You may often doubt yourself, feel unworthy, or be overly critical of your thoughts and actions. Counselling offers a supportive place where we can explore these feelings together, uncover the experiences and patterns that have shaped your self-view, and begin to develop a kinder, more compassionate relationship with yourself. Over time, this can help you build greater confidence, self-acceptance, and a stronger sense of your own value.

My Approach

My approach is psychodynamic, which means we explore how early experiences can shape the ways we think, feel, and relate to others in the present. Together, we create a space where you can gently explore what might be happening beneath the surface. I work alongside you, bringing curiosity, creativity, and openness to the process, so that we can make sense of unconscious patterns that may be influencing your emotional life. This isn’t about quick fixes, but about developing deeper self-understanding and insight – the kind of change that supports lasting growth and transformation.

I am a qualified Psychodynamic Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I bring over 15 years of experience working in NHS mental health research, supporting both adults and young people with a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges, including depression, anxiety, loneliness, and the impact of living with chronic physical or mental health conditions.

My work has included supporting people at Macmillan Horizon as they adjust to and recover from cancer treatment, as well as working within various counselling services across Sussex. I also hold a PhD in Clinical Psychology, where my research focused on understanding and working with people who experience distressing voices.

Alongside my clinical work, I am also an artist. Creativity is important to me, and I often bring this into therapy — whether through finding new ways of thinking about difficulties, exploring meaning, or uncovering the deeper feelings that lie beneath the surface.

Services and Fees

I offer both time-limited and open-ended psychodynamic counselling, with sessions lasting 50 minutes once a week.

50-minute sessions

Weekdays (9am-8pm)
Saturdays (9am-12pm)

£60

Open-ended counselling

Open-ended counselling provides space to work at your own pace for as long as you need. We will continue meeting weekly until you feel ready to end, and when the time is right, we will agree on a planned ending together.

Time-limited counselling

Time-limited counselling is usually agreed in advance for a set number of weeks, often around 12 sessions, and focuses on a specific area you’d like to explore

FAQs

  • The first meeting isn’t a counselling session, but a chance for us to get to know each other—to see whether I might be the right counsellor for you. It’s also an opportunity for me to understand what has brought you to counselling, the experiences or difficulties you’d like to explore, and what you hope to gain from the process.

    The session lasts 30 minutes and takes place online. You’ll have space to ask any questions and get a sense of how I work, and I’ll ask some questions to learn a little more about you.

    At the end, I will encourage you to take some time to reflect on whether you’d like to continue. If you decide to go ahead, we’ll agree on a regular weekly time to meet—your own space for reflection and growth.

  • Face-to-face sessions take place at counselling rooms in either Hove or Brighton (what is most convenient for you). I also offer online sessions using Teams.

  • Psychodynamic counselling is about gently exploring the unconscious. How your past experiences, often outside of your awareness, might be shaping how you feel and respond in the present. Together, we look at repeating patterns in your relationships, emotions, and thoughts, creating a safe space for you to reflect and understand yourself more deeply. This process can help you uncover new perspectives, heal old wounds, and feel more in control of how you move forward in life.

  • Each session lasts for 50 minutes and usually takes place on a weekly basis. Psychodynamic counselling is a talking therapy, offering you time and space to explore the thoughts and feelings that may feel difficult or overwhelming. Together, we’ll build a supportive therapeutic relationship where you can reflect, make sense of inner conflicts, and gain a deeper understanding of yourself. This process can help shine a light on patterns or challenges, opening the way for personal growth and change.

  • Yes, everything you share in counselling is treated with the utmost confidentiality. The only exception is if I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or to someone else. In such rare circumstances, I may need to share information with an appropriate professional or service, such as your GP, to ensure safety. Wherever possible, I would always discuss this with you first and aim to reach an agreement together before taking any action.

Contact me

If you would like to have an introductory conversation, please either email me at enquire@lbjtherapy.com or use the contact form provided.