Aishling Partridge

I am an experienced qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist  (BA Psych, HDip Ed, PG Dip Psychotherapy) registered as a member with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the British Psychoanalytic Council and the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register.

I offer in-depth and short-term therapeutic treatment to adults with a range of mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, self-harm tendencies and feelings of isolation.

My London Bridge practice is located in close proximity to the mainline and underground station (Northern and Jubilee line) and nearby Borough Market.

Embarking on a therapeutic relationship is an important step towards self care. As a therapist, I abide by a professional code of ethics to act with honesty and integrity to protect you and your boundaries. I provide a confidential, safe environment, listening with tolerance and empathy and providing challenge when it’s needed.

Therapy is a collaboration. We work together to create a relationship that enables you to experience being understood which, in itself, generates a sense of security from which to explore your emotions more freely and confidently – moving towards a more satisfying, contented and fulfilling life.

Although we all consciously and unconsciously disown unpleasant inner feelings - for each of us the way we do this will differ. This is normal and the experience of conflict and contradiction can be positive, learning to adapt and compromise encourages personal development and progress.

Feeling conflicts are often managed with defence mechanisms, like denial or avoidance. When defences are used excessively and to extremes, it can lead to a range of problems including depression, anxiety, self-harm and bodily symptoms.

Psychological difficulties are common and are likely to have originated at an early life stage. Some understanding of the relationship between early developmental experiences in the context of current life mental health challenges can help you. Identifying recurring patterns of behaviour and relationship supports you to change them if you want to.

Psychotherapy aims to free up the bonds to past experiences, helping you live more fully in the present.

Most psychological difficulties were once adaptive solutions to life challenges which over time and changes in circumstances have become self-defeating.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a modality of therapy which is rooted in the concept of exploring unconscious mental processes and recurring patterns of behaving and relating which may be causing emotional and physical symptoms.

It is a talking therapy with the aim of developing awareness and understanding of unknown aspects of the self which feel vulnerable and which need care and expression.

Habits of relating might be repeated in the relationship with the therapist and this can be thought about together. This is known as transference. Experiencing and reflecting on transference patterns in the therapy allows increased awareness to open up and brings a ‘here and now’ dimension to the experience of therapy and the search for self-awareness and acceptance. 

Therapy sessions last for 50 minutes and take place at the same time each week.

Before beginning therapeutic treatment, there is an initial consultation. The time allowed for this consultation is 90 minutes with normal weekly therapy sessions lasting for 50 minutes thereafter. The experience of the consultation should give you a better understanding of whether the psychodynamic approach is suited to your current needs, how I work and how we might work together.

It is useful to consider why you are seeking therapy before attending the initial consultation, which areas of your life you are grappling with and what your desired outcome for therapy would be - how things can be different from how they have been.

Towards the end of the consultation we will discuss how to move forward. If we find that this type of therapy is not best suited to your present needs, I will endeavour to recommend alternative routes to seeking help if these seem more appropriate (including group therapy, CBT, addiction-focused therapy).