Psychodynamic Therapy at Heathwell
ABOUT PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY
Psychodynamic therapy is a talking therapy that looks at how your history and your relationships have shaped the way you feel about yourself and the way you relate to others. Some of these influences are fairly easy to see. Others are harder to reach, sitting outside ordinary awareness in what is often called the unconscious. A person may know perfectly well that they struggle to trust people, for instance, while having very little sense of why that struggle continues even with someone who has given them no reason for doubt.
The work involves noticing links between what happened earlier in your life and what you are finding difficult now. You and your therapist look at the feelings, expectations and ways of protecting yourself that have built up over time, and at what they are doing in your life at present.
HOW THE PAST STAYS WITH US
Much of what we know about relationships we learned from the people around us when we were young. Those early experiences tend to shape whether we feel able to ask for what we need, how we handle conflict, and what we expect to happen when we let someone close. If showing anger was met with withdrawal or disapproval, a child may learn that it is safer to keep quiet, and that habit can carry on well into adulthood, so that disagreements are avoided even when something important is at stake and resentment builds without an obvious way to voice it.
Looking at how a pattern like this took shape, and at the moments when it shows up now, can loosen its hold. Once you can see it more clearly, there is usually more choice about how you respond.
Meet our Psychodynamic Therapists
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Ricardo da Costa
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Approach: Psychodynamic
Availability: In person & Online
Specialisms: Attachment, Adolescent Therapy, Parent work, Addictions, Childhood Trauma, Anxiety and Depression
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Sarah Bastianello
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Approach: Psychodynamic
Availability: In person & Online
Specialisms: Early Attachment, Adolescent Therapy, Relational Difficulties, Infidelity & Betrayal Trauma, Low mood, Childhood trauma, Supporting parents with children who have additional needs.
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Dr. George Samoilis
PSYCHOLOGIST
Approach: Integrative, Relational
Availability: In person
Specialisms: Male mental health, LGBTQI+, Neurodiversity (Autism & ADHD), Anxiety, Depression
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Kellie High
ART THERAPIST & PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Approach: Art therapy, Psychodynamic, Psychoanalytical
Availability: In person & Online
Specialisms: Trauma and Emotional Wellbeing, Children’s Mental Health, Learning difficulties, Life transitions
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Poppy Oldham
ART THERAPIST, PSYCHOTHERAPIST & SUPERVISOR
Approach: Art therapy, Psychodynamic
Availability: In person & Online
Specialisms: Teen counselling, Neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ Identities, Individuals who hear voices, see visions and hold unusual beliefs
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Dr. Funmi Deinde
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Approach: Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT)
Availability: In person & Online
Specialisms: Autism, Relationship Problems, Depression, Anxiety, Low Mood, Older Adults’ Mental Health, Women’s Mental Health, Global Majority Communities’ Mental Health
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Kelly Andrews
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Approach: Psychodynamic and trauma informedAvailability: Online
Specialisms: Narcissistic abuse, Narcissistic parenting, Relational trauma, Emotional neglect, Low self worth
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Charisse Peters
COUPLES & PSYCHOSEXUAL THERAPIST, ADHD COACH
Approach: Integrative, Psychodynamic, Attachment Based
Availability: Online
Specialisms: Communication, Neurodiverse and Mixed Neurotype Relationships, ADHD, LGBTQI+ and Gender Diverse Relationships, Cross-cultural & Interracial Couples
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Anita Jacob
PSYCHOTHERAPIST & COUPLES THERAPIST, EMDR THERAPIST
Approach: Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Attachment Based, EMDR
Availability: Online
Specialisms: Infidelity and Affair Recovery, Relational Trauma, Family Estrangement and Reconciliation, Cross-Cultural Relationships and Christian Couples
What can psychodynamic therapy help with?
Psychodynamic therapy can help with a wide range of emotional and relationship difficulties, including:
Anxiety and a persistent sense of unease
Low mood, depression or feelings of emptiness
Low self-esteem, shame and self-criticism
Relationship patterns that keep repeating
Difficulties with trust, fear of rejection or discomfort with closeness
Grief, loss and separation
The continuing effects of difficult childhood experiences
Questions about identity, belonging and what you want from life
You don’t need a diagnosis or a clearly defined problem to begin. It is enough to feel that something isn’t right, that you have lost touch with yourself, or that you want to understand your emotional life more fully.
Psychodynamic therapy at Heathwell
Our psychodynamic therapists see clients in person at our practice in Blackheath Village, within easy reach of Greenwich and Lewisham, and online for clients elsewhere in London, across the UK and abroad. Some practise primarily as psychodynamic therapists, while others bring psychodynamic understanding together with other approaches, depending on their training and what suits the person they are working with.
Each therapist’s profile describes their background, experience and way of working, which may help you get a sense of who feels like the right fit. You can arrange an initial consultation directly through their profile, or get in touch with Heathwell and we will help you find a therapist suited to what you are looking for.
