Tolis Marinos

I am a Gestalt and Person Centred trained and registered Psychotherapist and have many years experience in supporting individuaIls in achieving an understanding of their experiences, deciding for themselves what they need and make the changes in their lives that can feel authentic and lasting. I work in a safe, non-judgemental, confidential and sensitive way with clarity and insight.

I have experience in trauma, depression, stress and anxiety, long-term illness and bereavement. I have extensive experience working with addictions. My work is evidence based and informed by neuroscience. I am based in Fitzrovia /Soho area in Central London and in Crystal Palace, South London.

Sometimes we struggle with our past or a situation or relationship and feel stuck in patterns that no longer work for us. This can be frustrating, confusing and self-defeating. Sometimes these lead us to depression, addictions or anxiety.

Our therapeutic alliance can help you to explore and understand your feelings, thoughts and behaviours. 

WHAT IS COUNSELLING

In general counselling’s focus is on helping you with what you are experiencing right now, such as depression or anxiety.

Counselling is often what is called ‘time-limited’ or ‘short-term’. In other words, you decide with your therapist during the first meeting how many sessions you will work together, which can be anywhere from 12 to 24 weeks or more. Because it’s shorter term, counselling can be quite structured, with an agenda laid out in advance.

The issues that counselling most often deals with are the things a client is currently feeling stressed by, whether that is the challenges they are facing on a daily basis at home or work or its a traumatic circumstance such as a breakup, divorce, or bereavement. Counselling can also help with things like confidence issuesand addictions.

Counselling can be done not just as an individual but also as a couple, family, or group.

WHAT IS PSYCHOTHERAPY?

Like counselling, psychotherapy describes different talking therapies where you share what is troubling you and are listened to and supported in finding ways forward. Psychotherapy, too, looks at your behavioural patterns that are causing you distress in your daily life.

But psychotherapy also works to help you have a deep understanding of your emotions by looking at your past. It questions how what you experienced as a child and young adult affected you in ways that might still be causing you issues now.

Psychotherapy aims to find the very roots and beginnings of your issues and challenges, not just how to manage them now.

Some sorts of psychotherapy also dive very deeply into exploration of self, looking at questions of identity and beliefs.

While counselling might have you asking, what can I do and change to feel better, psychotherapy might also find you asking, who am I? How did I become this person? And who do I really want to be, deep inside.

First Contact

Once you have made contact with me, I will send you a client pack to complete and return. This is for you to provide your personal details and reasons for seeking counselling. As soon as I receive this information back I will invite you for a first appointment, known as an assessment session. We can organise this quickly if needed.

Assessment Session

An assessment session lasts for around an hour. During this time, I will ask certain questions about you and your life. This information helps to make an initial assessment of your circumstance.