Valentina Hamilton

I currently work on Monday evenings and Tuesdays. From July I will be extending my practice to Wednesdays.

Please see my website for current vacancies.

Hi, my name is Valentina. I am a fully qualified and experienced therapist with many years work as a therapist and historically in related fields. I have developed my own style in working with individuals which puts the relationships at the heart of the work, I have absorbed many different practice styles into my thinking, although mainly drawing on relational, psycho dynamic and systemic ideas.

Life can be hard and we all struggle from time to time. Most of us know how invaluable a good friend can be during these times. However they may feel too close and we often don’t want to complicate these relationships. A therapist is not a friend or a part of your life, this distance can make it feel safer and easier.

Counselling/ therapy is not magical, I do not hold all of the answers and cannot change a difficult past. However, the process of sharing hidden, messy thoughts can be surprisingly powerful. It can begin to help you to disentangle them intellectually and emotionally and put them into perspective. This can lead to changes - greater confidence and greater resilience in managing difficult situations and generally lead to a more fulfilling life.

I aim to provide a safe space where it is possible to talk, and get to know you, about the things that cause worry and stress as well as those things you enjoy and give a sense of well-being and fun.

I am a BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist. I qualified at Birkbeck College in 2004 and have over 40 years of related work. During this time I have had experience with many different people from diverse backgrounds, as well as with a wide range of issues, see below. I have particular understanding of issues around adjustment and loss, bereavement, disability and chronic illness. 

For further information please see my website: 

http://www.valentinahamiltontherapy.co.uk/

I generally work face to face with clients in consutling rooms in Hackney. However, I have found working that zoom and phone contact has been surprisingly effective for some people during the pandemic. I will continue to work in what medium suits each individual.

I usually suggest that we meet (in person, by zoom or phone) for an initial session. If it feels right to continue, then I usually suggest 6 further sessions. This may have been enough to make a difference or you may wish to commit to longer term therapy.

The continuity of weekly sessions helps to build a relationship where it feels safer to talk about some of the important, but difficult things which allows more significant change to take place.

I aim to provide a space which helps you to feel safe to be yourself, which means getting to know your strengths and the things you enjoy as well as the more troubling worries. It helps to hear about your earlier life, the present as well as hopes for the future.