Lauren O'Rourke

I am currently on maternity leave and not taking on new clients. I will keep this page updated upon my return to work. 

As a qualified and accredited psychodynamic, relational therapist, I offer a warm, friendly and inclusive space for reflection to help you make sense of the challenges in life. In our sessions, we’ll think about your problems in relation to the past and to your earliest experiences and attachments. We’ll work together to understand the patterns you might be repeating in your life so that you have the freedom to do things differently.

My practice aims to help you gain insight into yourself and what’s going on for you. I’ll encourage you to pay close attention to your thoughts and feelings and make connections between different parts of your life. I believe that therapy can help you know yourself more fully and that you can make changes to your life based on this understanding. 

I’m committed to building trusting and authentic relationships and believe therapy should be compassionate, down-to-earth and approachable. I work with you as an individual, with your own stories and your own needs. There is no predetermined programme for recovery but instead a curious, collaborative space where we work together to understand the issues you are facing. Psychodynamic therapy is a way of understanding yourself, your life and your relationships through the thoughts and feelings that arise during our sessions. I also bring a systemic and social justice lens to my work, and I’m happy to help you think about and consider these wider influences on your life.

I work with individuals who are experiencing a range of issues, but many of my clients have experienced trauma and I work in a way which prioritises safety, transparency and consistency. I’ve worked for many years with survivors of sexual violence and other forms of interpersonal violence and have particular expertise in these areas. Clients often come with long-standing issues related to relationships, trust, identity and self-image, and it’s been my privilege to watch them grow, change and feel more content with their lives.

Having been a client of therapy myself, I know how difficult it can be to take the first steps towards counselling. I’m happy to have an initial no-obligation phone call to help you decide if you think my way of working might be a good fit for you.