Chindilani Andekalithan

Hi, my name is Scarlett, but most people call me Scar. I'm an existential therapist, which means I'm interested in questions about existence: what is it like to be you? What matters to you, and why? How did you get to where you are, and how does it compare to where you'd like to be? 

I work with people long-term, usually for at least two years. I believe that the only way out is through: one of my clients named my style "get in the pit therapy," because I think it's important to face up to the difficult things in our lives and really engage with those feelings we try to avoid. 

This is not easy work, which is why I only work long-term. We need to build up a relationship of trust before we start tackling the really difficult things, so that you don't feel like you're doing it on your own. 

I appreciate that finances can be difficult and I am happy to discuss with you what rate you can afford. The average rate for therapy in W6 is £70-90 per session. I would encourage you to pay something in this region if you can afford it, so that I can continue to offer concessionary spaces to those who cannot. If you can't afford that, let me know and we can work out a rate that suits you.

I work primarily with people who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood. I have been working in roles relating to sexual abuse, both as a volunteer and professionally, since 2004. Since qualifying as a therapist a few years ago, this is the area I have specialised in. I did my training in an NHS clinic which exclusively works with women who have experienced long-term sexual abuse.

If you are queer, ace, enby or trans and have experienced sexual abuse, it can be difficult to find a therapist who won't pathologise your identity. Please know that if you come to see me I will accept you for who you are and will not make assumptions about why you identify in a particular way. I will respect your pronouns (including neopronouns) and am happy to explore as much or as little as you like around your gender or sexual identity. 

As someone who grew up between cultures, I am particularly interested in working with others who come from mixed cultural backgrounds. Before I became a psychotherapist I did research in psychology of religion and I am interested in how the religions of people's families of origin can impact them as adults. 

A lot of my client base comprises people who have grown up in strict religious or cultural backgrounds who are now trying to come to terms with their own identities, wanting to break away from the more restrictive elements of their familial traditions whilst sometimes wanting to retain a sense of spiritual or ancestral connection. This can be especially complex when there is abuse (sexual, religious, physical or otherwise) within the family and is something we can explore together. 

My practice is fully wheelchair accessible. I am a wheelchair user and I sit in my wheelchair during sessions. I am also chronically ill and I work with clients who deal with chronic illnesses too. If you have been dismissed, pathologised or harmed by negative medical interventions in the past, we can work through the impacts of those experiences together.

Most people prefer to come for an initial consultation session to see whether we would be a good fit to work together. The consultation session is free and lasts up to 50 minutes. 

In this session, you can meet me (and the cat!) and see the space, and you can ask me any questions you might have. I will ask you about your reasons for coming to therapy and will ask for a brief introduction to your life. 

If you decide that I am not the right therapist for you, I am happy to try to help you find someone who better suits your requirements. 

Hi, my name is Chindilani (Shin-dill-AH-nee) and I live in West London with my cat, Pangur Bán, who enjoys joining us for therapy sessions. I practice from my home, which is quiet, peaceful and fully wheelchair accessible (I am a wheelchair user and I sit in my wheelchair during sessions).

I am Romani and grew up in a mixture of environments, from caravan sites to refuges and hostels for unhoused people, to council estates in and around the UK. I have lived in the city and the countryside although nowadays I call London home. I am fat and fat-positive, and I work from a HAES perspective.

I am an existential therapist, which means I am interested in questions about existence. What does it mean to be you? What is it like? How do you interact with the world and with others around you?

Most of the people I work with have experienced abuse in childhood and want to find a safe, supportive space where they can talk about what happened and process its meaning in their lives.

I do not believe that therapy is apolitical. I am a member of TACTT (Therapists Against Conversion Therapy and Transphobia) and PCSR (Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility). I believe all of us, not only those from historically marginalised groups, should work towards decolonising our ideas of what 'health' and 'wellbeing' look like, and I consistently try to do this in my practice.

Before starting work together, I offer a free consultation session in which we can meet, talk about what you are looking for from therapy, and see whether we might be a good fit. 

This session usually lasts around 50 minutes. In it, I will ask you about your reasons for coming to therapy and it would also be useful if you could give a brief overview of your life so far: if you were making a movie of your life, what might the key scenes be? 

I work on a 'pay what you can' basis, so in the consultation session we will also discuss what is an affordable rate for you. You can let me know beforehand about any accessibility requirements you might have, and I will always try to meet these. Regrettably, I cannot have guide dogs in the house as I have a severe dog allergy. 

If at the end of the consultation you decide that I am not the right therapist for you, I am happy to try to refer you to someone who could better meet your needs.