Paul Carslake

My practice hours are weekdays from 7.30am, with the last session of the day starting at 6pm.

I generally have good availability each day from mid-morning through to late afternoon, with more restricted availability for the early and later slots. Best to get in touch for an up-to-date picture.

ABOUT ME: I am a psychodynamic therapist based in London, where I have been working both in private practice and in a community setting for the last five years. A major field of interest for me are issues around family, relationships, career, independence, self-worth, commitment, expectations, satisfaction... and more.

WHAT IS PSYCHODYNAMIC? The therapy I offer falls broadly into the ‘psychodynamic’ category. This means we can think about your past and explore how things might be getting repeated in the present. And it also means we can use aspects of the therapy room conversation to provide clues about patterns of relating in the world outside. By observing how we feel, behave and react in response to certain situations, we can ask whether it has to be like this, every time. Experience shows us that nothing in our lives is fixed forever. Our capacity for change can surprise us.

MY APPROACH: I aim to deliver this psychodynamic work with a mix of empathy, warmth, and, sometimes, just a bit of gentle humour. There is science behind this too: most clinical evidence on the effectiveness of talking therapies shows that the relationship between therapist and client is the biggest single factor in bringing about change – whatever ‘brand’ of therapy is being used.

WHERE IT IS: My therapy practice is based at two locations (in Clapham and Battersea) in South West London, with most of my current patients opting for face-to-face sessions. Zoom sessions are also available. The therapy rooms are all recently and freshly decorated, with air conditioning, waiting areas, toilet facilities and refreshments, and are close to bus, tube and train lines.

GETTING STARTED: Once you get in contact, we can fix up a free 40-minute Zoom (or phone) session. It’s a chance for you to talk about what’s prompted you to seek counselling, get a sense of who I am, and whether you’d like to work together. 

HOW MANY SESSIONS? It is possible to do good, focussed and meaningful work over just eight sessions. But the full benefit of psychodynamic therapy tends to play out over a longer time-frame. A set of 16 sessions, with the opportunity to extend and continue, is a popular option. Some patients then choose to shift to an 'open-ended' contract with no specific end date. Others select 'batches' of 8 weekly therapy sessions followed by a break in between. So there are plenty of options. You can of course choose to end your sessions at any time.

PAYMENT: No advance payments are needed. You pay for your session before the start of the following session - via an easy-to-use payment link.

FEES: Zoom sessions cost £58, with a reduction to £55 after 10am and before 4pm. The standard face-to-face therapy fee is £71 per session, reducing to £68 during the 10am-4pm period.

The first conversation we have is the free introductory Zoom (or phone) call, where you will be able to sketch out what's got you thinking about getting counselling sessions. If we decide to go ahead, I will then send you our counselling agreement (detailing the session times, fees, location, confidentiality and so forth) along with a brief questionnaire to complete. Following that, the first actual session is usually an opportunity for you to talk about your own family history - about your parents, your wider family, and what it was like for you growing up (not always completed in one session). And of course, if there are more immediate and pressing issues you want to talk about in session 1, we will hold off on the family history until the following session.