Psychotherapy in North London
Welcome to my website. My name is Simon Osborne, and I am an accredited psychotherapist working in Islington, N1 and online.
I work with people who both want to look at a particular issue over a limited time and those who want to explore themselves more deeply over a longer period..
If you decided to see me for some sessions I would aim to support you in an exploration of your experience and life situation. My therapy work is informed by various approaches including mindfulness, psychodynamic theory about how our early life might have shaped us, the mind-body connection, trauma theory, and working with more subtle experience including dreams.
I would hope to encourage you to come into a different relationship with yourself, in which what is difficult can be owned and gently transformed within a richer perspective of your life.
I understand it’s important to find someone with whom you might feel comfortable working. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have and also offer an introductory initial session.
I see clients day-time Monday to Friday and evenings Monday to Thursday. Early morning appointments are also possible. I also can offer sessions online on zoom.
I am a professionally trained and accredited psychotherapist; please Click here for more details. I have also trained as an EMDR therapist (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) and offer this approach within my practice. I am a mindfulness trainer and offer one-to-one mindfulness sessions.
Why Consider Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is recognised as an effective source of help for a range of difficulties including depression, anxiety, stress and low self-esteem. A person may feel they lack the resources to cope with day-to-day pressures and have difficulty in managing their moods such as sudden feelings of anger or upset. Others might seek help because of a lack of direction in their lives, perhaps associated with feelings of hopelessness or meaninglessness. Very often, current problems are associated in some way with events or experiences during childhood which might affect one's capacity to form trusting relationships.
How Psychotherapy Can Help
Psychotherapy aims to help someone deal with difficult feelings and find a way to experience greater well-being in their lives. It offers a safe, confidential space in which someone can begin to explore their experience in a deeper way than is normally possible in ordinary life.
I understand psychotherapy as being a form of gentle enquiry where I would encourage the client to have a curiosity and openness towards their experience. The experience of trust and safety within the relationship can enable a client to allow defensive patterns to soften.
Over time a client can begin to experience a deeper inner connection with themselves, more capacity to manage emotions, greater insight into how life experiences have shaped them, and an enhanced well-being.
My work as a psychotherapist is informed by my own personal journey and experiences and mindfulness practice.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR is a therapeutic approach which focuses on traumatic or disturbing memories. These are memories that haven’t been fully processed and continue to influence one’s behaviour in the present.
The aim of EMDR is to process these memories so that they lose their emotional charge and cease to exert an adverse influence on one’s present life.
The theory behind EMDR emphasises our innate capacity to process experience. The aim of EMDR is to mobilise this capacity in relation to past disturbing experiences.
It does this by reactivating the memory in a way that enables it to be processed effectively. T
The method used to do this involves connecting with a memory, but at the same time keeping part of one’s attention in the present. This is achieved through eye movements, tapping or some other form of bilateral stimulation. The maintenance of dual attention limits the degree of disturbance that is experienced.
It’s believed that that both the maintaining of dual attention and the bilateral stimulation are helpful to the desensitisation process.
The reprocessing involves the feelings, body sensations and cognitions associated with the memory. The changes that happen occur naturally and organically. Other than maintaining mindful attention, no other type of conscious effort is involved.
In the context of the psychotherapy I practice, EMDR offers an approach and perspective which can be very fruitful.
Practice Location
I practice in Islington, a few minutes’ walk from the Angel tube on the Northern line. It is accessible from the City and Central London. It is close to bus routes that connect with Central London, the City of London, and areas of North and East London. It is also within walking distance from Highbury and Islington station on the Overground. For cyclists it is near the Regent's canal towpath. Click here for the location map.
Exploring the Possibility of Having Therapy Sessions
If you want to explore having sessions me, I would be happy to have an initial discussion with you, whether by phone or online.
I charge £55 for a one hour session. If you are on a low income or in difficult financial circumstances, I may be able to offer a reduced rate.
If you would like to make contact to find out more, please text or phone me on 07704 677381 or send an email.
