About Me - Léann Lavery UKCP, MBACP and MBPsS
I have a warm and down to earth approach as a therapist. I encourage open dialogue between us where I am fully engaged in our work to see what it is that brings you to therapy. This openness helps trust to develop so that over time, and when you are ready, you can speak about all the things you need to in a safe and confidential space.
Working in this collaborative way will help you understand the connections and disconnections in your life. Without bias or judgement, I will really listen to you as we work together to help you connect with yourself - your feelings, thoughts, behaviours and desires - and with the people you are closest to.
Using a range of practical techniques and theories, I will support you to identify ways in which you can deal with the areas that cause you distress to help you make healthy changes, while not forgetting the things you enjoy doing so that you can live your life more fully.
Mental health is not just about the problems you are living with, it’s also about wellness – just like physical health.
How I will work with you
I believe that we all need connection. These connections are in every part of our lives - with the people around us, the places we live, our work environment, our wider community and fundamentally, with ourselves. Life is full of complexities and every time we turn a corner, new challenges come up.
From my own experience of dealing with personal issues, I recognise that it is often necessary to draw on different skills and techniques to work through them so that some balance is restored. A one-size-fits-all approach does not allow for people’s diversity and the different situations we all have to face. This is why I practice as an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist.
So, what could this look like in our work together? I will listen to you as you describe the areas you want to work on, and I will tailor how I support you depending on this and what your aims and wishes are for therapy.
The most important aspect of our work however, is how you feel with me and if you think you can open up and discuss all that you feel you need to. Therefore, the development of our therapeutic relationship is a central part of our work.
Very briefly, here are some of the theories and techniques I may incorporate into our work to suit you:
- Person Centred or Humanistic Approaches: To focus on developing a stronger sense of self in the present moment.
- Body Psychotherapy Techniques: There is a lot of research about the body-mind connection. Have you ever noticed that your breath can become shallow and your muscles tense when you feel stressed or anxious? Body awareness provides practical ways to identify your feelings and alleviate their negative symptoms.
- Psychodynamic Theories: To help you understand your past, your relationships with your family and how they affect you today.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): To help you identify unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours to find applied solutions and change patterns.
- Existential or Transpersonal Approaches: You may have broader questions about life, death and spirituality to further develop your self-awareness.
- Mindfulness: Such as breathing exercises and visualisations.
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): Processing technique to support people with anxiety, trauma, phobias and more. Read here for further information.
- Daily Practicalities and Habits: What you eat, your sleeping habits, your home and how you live your life day-to-day affects your mental health. We can discuss these elements together to see what else beyond therapy might support you in your life.
Of course, I won’t use these approaches all the time, but this gives you an idea of what our work could look like.
My Experience and Training
I am a fully qualified psychotherapist with many years’ of experience working with people in a variety of settings including the NHS, low-cost counselling services, private practice and charities.
For many years I worked in public relations and communications within a number of sectors including media, charity and higher education. I therefore understand what corporate life is like, and all the pressures that go with it.
My qualifications include:
- Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy, The Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) - accredited EMDR practitioner
- Clinical Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy, The Metanoia Institute
- Clinical Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Psychodynamic Counselling
- CPD in Healing Traumatic Stress: Helping Mind, Brain & Body To Let Go Of The Past, with Dr Bessel van der Kolk
- CPD in Risk Assessments
- Certificates in Counselling Skills, City & Islington College
- BA (Hons) in Psychology, University College Dublin
I hold full DBS clearance - this is a criminal records check which means that I can work with adults and children. I also have professional indemnity insurance.
View my profile on The School of Life's website, Counselling Directory and on Psychology Today.
