Meet our Therapists
INDIVIDUALS , COUPLES
Elena Miari
Elena is the founder of Heathwell Therapies and an experienced Psychotherapist and Counsellor, working full-time in private practice. Qualified in 2008, Elena has worked with various charities in the area of Children's Rights, and as a psychotherapist.
Elena specialises in ADHD and narcissistic abuse and has extensive experience working with binge eating, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and life transitions.
Professional registration: BACP
Languages spoken: English, Greek
Availability: Blackheath, Online
Fee: Individuals - £90, Couples - £120, Single session therapy £135
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Elena's approach is primarily Existential and Humanistic. The starting point of Existential Psychotherapy is the client's experience; Elena focuses on the individual's unique experience of themselves and the world, along with their meaning-making processes. We all have a natural inclination to find connections and make sense of life, but sometimes, in this process, connections are made between things that aren’t truly linked. These can become 'obstructive meanings' or 'knots.' In therapy, Elena works with clients to identify these knots, deconstruct them, and create healthier connections.
Elena's goal is to help clients craft a personal narrative that feels authentic and meaningful. She actively engages in the therapeutic process, offering fresh perspectives to guide clients in shifting their focus and exploring new ways of being.
When appropriate, Elena incorporates bodywork to facilitate trauma healing and utilises inner child work to help clients become aware of their internal dialogues, fostering healthier self-relationships.
Narcissistic Abuse:
Elena specialises in working with survivors of narcissistic abuse and coercive control.
She has been supporting survivors in understanding the dynamics and mechanisms of narcissistic relationships, processing the trauma, rebuilding their sense of reality and self, and moving toward empowerment.
Working with Elena means that you will work with someone who truly understands the difficult dilemmas, confusion, and challenges of making sense and/or leaving narcissistic dynamics. This therapeutic relationship aims to be a safe place where clients can experiment with new ways of being, voice their needs and wants, validate their feelings, and express their thoughts without fear of judgment or disapproval.
Elena believes that while relationships can traumatise us, they also have the power to heal us, with the therapeutic relationship being a key example.
ADHD:
Whether self-diagnosed, seeking guidance through the diagnostic process, or already diagnosed, Elena works with individuals with ADHD to help them understand their experiences of how ADHD shapes their lives. She explores the impact of growing up with (often undiagnosed) ADHD, and the ways it manifests in daily life. Alongside this exploratory work, Elena collaborates with clients to develop personalised strategies for managing symptoms, making sense of their experiences, and understanding the role ADHD has played in their life stories.
Couples:
Elena works with couples by providing a supportive and open space where both partners can express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns.
Elena sees her role as a couples therapy as that of a facilitator who will help couples ensure that the other hears what they actually say and not what their defences make them hear and respond to. She uses practical communication techniques to ensure that the couples hear and respond to what has actually been said and she fosters clear, transparent communication in her sessions.
Qualifications
MA in Psychosocial Studies - University of East London
PgDip in Counselling - University of West London
Foundation in Psychotherapy and Counselling - NSPC
BSc Psychology - Middlesex University
YOUNG PEOPLE, PARENTS, ADULTS
Ricardo Da Costa
Ricardo is an accredited psychodynamic psychotherapist.
He holds two master’s degrees from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, focusing on psychological therapies and psychodynamic approaches and he is an accredited member of the British Psychoanalytic Society.
With over a decade of experience, Ricardo has worked in various settings, including the NHS, youth services, and higher education. His experience spans mental health issues like childhood trauma, behavioural addictions, attachment issues and complex emotional challenges.
Professional registration: BACP, BPC, TSP
Languages spoken: English, Portuguese
Availability: Blackheath, Online
Fee: £90 individuals
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Ricardo's psychodynamic approach focuses on exploring how unconscious conflicts, early life experiences, and emotional patterns have shaped present behaviours and emotional challenges. He places particular emphasis on relational and attachment issues, recognising that early-life bonds profoundly influence our capacity for intimacy, trust, and emotional regulation.
By addressing the root of his clients' issues, Ricardo helps them understand themselves and their narratives while developing strategies to overcome anxieties and behaviours that hinder emotional and psychological growth. Through a reparative therapeutic experience, he supports clients in rebuilding trust and forming healthier, more fulfilling relationships with others.
Working with teenagers and young people
Ricardo specialises in working with young people and teenagers. He helps his young clients understand themselves and their present and past experiences, make sense of their often confusing emotions and thoughts, and build a more secure, integrated sense of self. By addressing both the internal and relational aspects of their experiences, he supports them in navigating key developmental milestones, enhancing resilience, and preparing for a more balanced and fulfilling adulthood. His expertise extends to working with neurodivergent young people and those facing childhood attachment issues stemming from trauma such as parental divorce and loss.
Addictive behaviours
When working with addictions, Ricardo focuses on the underlying emotional and psychological factors contributing to the addictive behaviours. By understanding the deeper meaning behind the addiction, clients can gain insight into their behaviour and begin to employ effective copying strategies . Ricardo specialises in Behavioural Addictions, such as shopping, gambling, food, internet, social media, work and exercise addiction.
Parent work
Ricardo works relationally with both individuals and their families, recognising that the family system plays a key role in the adolescent’s and child’s development.
He prides himself on the capacity to develop positive therapeutic relationships with initially ambivalent clients. He does this through a deep consideration for the client’s sense of safety and works at creating a supportive environment where the often-turbulent dynamics of adolescence, including identity formation, peer relationships, and family tensions, can be expressed and made sense, to promote healthier familial interactions.
Qualifications
MA in Psychological Therapies with Children, Young People and Families - Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust and University of Essex
MA in Psychodynamic Approaches to Working with Adolescents - -Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust and East London University
PgDip in Drugs and Alcohol: Policy and Intervention- University of London
BSc Psychology - Middlesex University
ADULTS, TEENAGERS, FAMILIES
Sarah Bastianello
Sarah is an accredited psychodynamic psychotherapist with two master’s degrees in psychology and psychodynamic approaches. She has extensive experience across diverse sectors, including inpatient NHS hospitals, community settings, schools, and mental health charities.
Specialising in early attachment and relational difficulties, Sarah has a strong focus on helping young people and adults who face challenges such as low mood, childhood trauma, and social isolation. She also specialises in working with families of children with additional needs, from complex physical needs to autism.
Professional registration: BPC, TSP
Languages spoken: English, Italian
Availability: Blackheath, Online
Fee: Individuals - £90, Families - £120
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Sarah’s approach focuses on exploring the deeper, often unconscious patterns that influence behaviour, emotions, and relationships. She aims to help clients gain insight into how past experiences, particularly from childhood, affect their current lives.
Attachment issues
Specialising in attachment issues that stem from early relationships with caregivers, Sarah helps clients explore how these formative experiences shape their current relationships. By examining the impact of the past, she supports clients in addressing struggles with emotional regulation, intimacy, trust, and relational dynamics. She believes that understanding our life trajectory—and how childhood experiences and attachment shape us—is essential for making sense of where we are now in life. By gaining this insight, we can identify and break old patterns, paving the way for healing, growth, and lasting recovery.
Working with parents
Sarah has a particular interest in working with parents and caregivers, providing a supportive space to explore the challenges of parenting. This includes addressing practical aspects such as boundary setting and communication. Parenthood can often bring unresolved past experiences to the surface, and Sarah offers a space for parents to process these feelings, helping them navigate this complex stage of life with greater self-awareness and confidence.
Families of children with additional needs
With extensive experience supporting families of children with additional needs, particularly those under five, Sarah also provides tailored support for parents at the beginning of their journey with diagnosis. She helps parents navigate the practical aspects of the system—such as funding and educational settings—while offering an emotional space to process the transition into parenthood, helping parents build meaningful connections with their children and fostering effective communication within the family.
Young people
When working with young people, Sarah creates a safe and supportive environment where teenagers can express their thoughts and emotions freely. Recognising that young people may struggle to articulate complex feelings, she incorporates creative techniques to help them process their experiences in a non-threatening way. Whether addressing anxiety, low mood, behavioural challenges, school-related stress, or childhood trauma, Sarah supports young people in navigating the unique challenges of adolescence, including identity formation, peer relationships, and family dynamics.
QualificationsMA in Psychological Therapies with Children, Young People and Families - Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust and University of Essex
PGCert Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Well-being - Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust and University of Essex
CertHE Counselling and Counselling Skills - University of London
MS Psychology - Greenwich University
BSc Cognitive Psychology - Trento University (Italy)
ADULTS, COUPLES
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Jacqueline offers bespoke Sex and Relationship Therapy tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. Her Pluralistic approach draws on a range of therapeutic methods, emphasising flexibility, client choice, and a strong therapist-client relationship.
Jacqueline believes that “one size does not fit all” in sex positivity and size acceptance. She helps clients identify their goals through practical exercises and client-centred exploration of their lived experiences.
Her approach is compassionate, inclusive, and rooted in creating a safe, non-judgmental environment where clients feel comfortable exploring intimate thoughts and challenges. With a sex-positive stance, Jacqueline supports clients facing issues such as compulsive sexual behaviours and problematic pornography use, offering an open space to discuss these topics freely.
As a COSRT-registered Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist, Jacqueline’s talk-based, client-centred approach addresses a broad range of concerns—from relationship difficulties and low sexual desire to issues related to erectile dysfunction and painful intercourse. Her training with the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists equips her to handle complex challenges like attachment issues and trauma with a holistic, integrative perspective.
Jacqueline’s goal is to empower her clients to navigate their personal journeys with respect, acceptance, and deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships. She emphasises collaboration, supporting clients in exploring and addressing the roots of their concerns. Jacqueline is particularly skilled in helping clients with complex issues around sexual identity, compulsive behaviours, and specific interests such as BDSM, kink, and fetishes.
Her experience and training allow her to guide both individuals and couples toward healthier, more fulfilling relationships and a balanced sense of self.
Qualifications:
Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Sexology and Relationship Therapy Level 7 (COSRT accredited)
Certificate in Counselling Skills and Practice (accredited by the NCIP and COSRT)
Trinity Certificate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
MA Journalism Skills
Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism
BA (Hons) Media Arts with Radio Broadcasting
Jacqueline Jones
Jacqueline is Clinical Sexologist and Relationship Therapist.
She has past experience at Sex Therapy Herts and Relate and she currently works in Private Practice and administratively with Pink Therapy and the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists. Jacqueline is a COSRT Registered Psychosexual and Relationship Psychotherapist and an NCIP Registered Practitioner.
With personal experience in Sex and Relationship Diversity, she honours all orientations, gender identities, and sexual preferences, bringing a kink-knowledgeable, sex-positive approach to challenges such as compulsive sexual behaviours and pornography use.
Some of Jacqueline’s areas of expertise include: erection problems, inability to orgasm, infertility, low sexual desire, painful intercourse, premature/early ejaculation, problematic porn use, relationship problems – couples and poly, sex, gender, erotic and relationship identity concerns, sexual compulsions, specific sexual interests (BDSM, kinks and fetishes) and vaginismus.
As a talk-based therapist, Jaqueline’s sessions are grounded in conversation without physical contact, focusing solely on therapeutic discussion.
Professional registration: COSRT, NCIP
Languages spoken: English
Availability: Online
Fee: £90 - Individuals, £120 - Couples
INDIVIDUALS
Úna McNulty
Una is an experienced Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist, with years of experience supporting adults, children, and young people in therapeutic settings, including CAMHS and currently a Lead Integrative Psychotherapist in a Tier 4 Eating Disorder hospital.
Una specialises in eating disorders, trauma, and childhood attachment issues. She has extensive experience working with individuals presenting with co-morbid conditions such as ASD, PTSD, OCD, and personality disorders.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Una also provides supervision and training to fellow professionals.
Professional registration: NCPS accr.
Languages spoken: English, Gaelic
Availability: Online
Fee: £80 individuals
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Una's approach is grounded in various modalities, ensuring a flexible and personalised approach to each client’s unique needs.
Una places a deep emphasis on understanding and connecting with clients on a meaningful level. She believes that the ultimate gift in therapy is to truly understand another person. With a compassionate and attuned approach, she can walk alongside her clients, helping them build self-awareness and a stronger relationship with themselves.
Her therapeutic approach combines somatic and talking therapies, using an integrative model tailored to individual needs. Specialising in childhood trauma, attachment issues, eating and personality disorders, she brings a wealth of experience, particularly with neurodiverse clients.
Her work is heavily influenced by psychodynamic principles, focusing on how past experiences shape the present. Una draws on knowledge from attachment theory, infant development, neuroscience, and intersubjectivity to foster psychological growth and resilience in her clients.
Qualifications:
BSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy - Middlesex University
Diploma In Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy - Middlesex University
PgDip in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy - Middlesex University
Professional Certificate in Advanced Psychodynamics - PCI College.