SOPHIE WATERHOUSE MA MBACP
Counselling • Psychotherapy • Expressive Arts Therapy

Counselling & Psychotherapy in West Hampstead, North West London NW6

I am a psychotherapist based in West Hampstead. I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and offer counselling and psychotherapy to adult individuals and groups.


My Approach

My approach is humanistic, which means that I see people as having innate resources and potential. Through counselling and psychotherapy we can learn how better to tap into those resources to cope with the difficulties we are experiencing, to overcome patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be undermining us, and to experience greater fulfilment in our lives and relationships.

I work with people to develop awareness that is both of immediate practical use in everyday life and supports long-term personal development.

In addition to offering talk counselling and psychotherapy, I have a specialist training in the therapeutic use of the arts and can draw on visual arts, drama, poetry, creative writing and sandplay techniques where appropriate. Using the arts in sessions can be helpful in expressing feelings that are difficult to talk about. It can also help us to unlock creative energy and find solutions to problems that we might not have found otherwise. There is no pressure, however, to engage with the arts if you prefer simply to talk.

Why Seek Counselling or Psychotherapy?

Too often we become disconnected from our deepest sense of ourselves, and what brings us fulfilment, through work or social pressures. Counselling and psychotherapy provide time and space in which to explore our thoughts and feelings in a confidential, non-judgmental environment. In my own experience it is the therapist's ability to listen deeply that is vital. In being more fully seen and heard we become more aware of who we truly are, what matters to us, and what we sense as the meaning and purpose of our lives.

There are also times when, though we may be content in ourselves, external events create crisis. Job loss, bereavement, the breakdown of a relationship, can shatter our equilibrium. Even welcome changes such as moving to a new location for work or study, getting married, deciding to start a family, are life transitions that can create stress and anxiety.

Talking over situations in depth with friends and loved ones is not always possible or enough. When talking through what is going on for us with a psychotherapist there is no risk of causing hurt or creating a rift by disclosing what we feel. A trained observer can also help us find fresh insight and perspective, and can help us develop new strategies for coping with the challenges we face.

What Next?

If you think you might want to begin counselling or psychotherapy, please telephone me on (07877) 453 477 or e-mail me at sw@sw-psychotherapy.co.uk. We can then schedule a time to meet. For more information on location and fees, click on practice details. My practice is convenient for North and North West London and easily accessible from West and central London.

For a WORKSHOP - CROSSING THE DIVIDE - and a NEW GROUP - ONGOING THERAPY GROUP FOR WOMEN - please click on practice details, groups and workshops and scroll down.