Laura McCarthy

Certified Transational Analyst, Psychotherapist, Counsellor & Specialist Mentor

I am now offering face-to-face work (with some Covid-19 protocols still in place) as well as the option to work online.

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Feeling anxious, angry, depressed? Or having issues in your relationship?

If right now you feel overwhelmed, having a place to be heard and understood may help.

Are you’re having issues in your relationship or marriage and struggling to communicate effectively with your partner? Perhaps a safe place where you can discuss your problems without fighting would be useful.

How can I help?

I offer confidential, non-judgmental therapy in a non-discriminatory practice for both individuals and couples aged 18 and over.

How to get started and what does it cost?

I suggest an initial session, at my standard fee, to meet and talk. This session will allow us both to ask any questions before we decide if we want to proceed. More details on what to expect at the initial session for individuals can be found here and for couples.

At the end of this session, if you feel unable to commit to working weekly or that counselling is not for you, you are not obliged to book any further sessions.

I offer three sessions per week at a concessional rate to survivors of domestic abuse, sexual and gender-based violence, please contact me to discuss further.

Laura McCarthy

MSc (Psych), CTA, Dip., UKCP, MBACP

Individual Counselling

Therapy works best when there is a good ‘therapeutic alliance’ between a therapist and client. I believe it is important that my clients feel happy to work with me, and equally, I feel I have the right skill set to ensure a client gets the best results and value for money out of the work.

This fit is something we can jointly determine in an initial session.

Initial Session

The initial individual session will be 50 minutes long.

I start with some admin questions (including your address, DOB, and the details of your doctor), to ensure I have all the background information to continue working together. I will then ask you about what brings you to therapy.

Towards the end of the session, we will agree together if we are happy to work together, what outcome of the therapy we will concentrate on, and if the work should be short-term (ten sessions), long-term (six months to one year), or open-ended.

Weekly or Fortnightly Sessions

I offer therapy on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Sessions will be held at the same time and date each week and will be 50 minutes long.

Missing or Re-scheduling Sessions

If a session cannot be attended one week’s notice is required. Sessions not attended without one week’s notice will be charged at my usual fee.

I will always try to find an alternative appointment time, however re-scheduled appointments in the same week are not always possible.

Couples Counselling

Sometimes relationships get stuck, or someone gets hurt and it becomes hard to talk without fighting. When working with couples, I offer a safe, impartial space to work through issues, to talk, hear, and be heard.

Couples counselling is not about taking sides, making judgments, or attributing blame. Instead, I make myself available to facilitate conversation and offer both parties an equal opportunity to discuss what is wrong, what brought you to this place, what you will do differently if you decide to move forward and stay together.

Initial Session

In couples work, you will learn to understand and communicate your feelings and needs more clearly, without ending up in arguments. You will learn to listen to your partner and hear how they feel and what they need from you to make the relationship better.

I offer couples the option of on-going counselling in 60-min weekly sessions (usually six to twelve sessions are required) or an intense 120-min recovery session to get to the heart of the issue and kick start change.

There is no one size fits all, if you may prefer to methodically work through your relationship issues then weekly sessions may suit you best (please note: one 60-min session is not enough time to do the work required).

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the issues you are facing, then an intense 120-minute recovery session might be best, followed by some ongoing hourly sessions, although for some just one 120-min session is enough.

Weekly or Fortnighly Sessions

After we have agreed to work together, our weekly or fortnightly sessions will be held at the same time and date each week/fortnight and will be 60 minutes long.

Missing or Re-scheduling Sessions

If a session cannot be attended one week’s notice is required. Regular sessions missed without one week’s notice will be charged at my usual fee. I will always try to find an alternative appointment time but please note, re-scheduled appointments in the same week are not always possible.

Issues Worked With

Abusive Relationships

Bereavement

Bullying

Couples

DID

Lack of Confidence

Heartbreak

OCD

Passive Aggression

Redundancy

Trauma

Separation & Divorce

Affairs / Betrayal

C-PTSD

Domestic Violence

GAD

Identity Issues

Physical Abuse

Relationship Issues

Sexual Abuse

Anxiety

Borderline PD

Childhood Trauma/Abuse

Depression

Infidelity

Panic Attacks

Pre-Marriage Counselling

Social Media Anxiety

Sadness

Anger

Bi – Polar PD

Career Issues

Dissociation

Emotional Abuse

Narcissistic Abuse

Hearing Voices

Low Self-Esteem

Panic Disorder

PTSD

Suicidal Thoughts

My Fees

Individual (50mins)

£ 80

Per Session

Couple (60mins)

£ 90

Per Session

Couples (120mins)

£ 150

Per 120-min Recovery Session

Ramsgate, Kent or Online

(Sun-Tue 1-8pm)

Individual (50mins)

£ 125

Per Session

Couples (60mins)

£ 150

Per Session

Couples (120mins)

£ 250

Per 120-min Recovery Session

Harley Street, London

(Sat 9am-12pm)

My Qualifications

Training & Qualifications

Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA) (EATA).
MSc. in Psychotherapy (Middlesex University).
Clinical Diploma in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy (Metanoia Institute).
Diploma in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapeutic Counselling (Metanoia Institute).
Extensive specialist training in C-PTSD and DID.
Diploma in Life Coaching (New Skills Academy).
Clinical Supervision Certificate/Diploma, viewed through an Intersectional lens (due for completion Nov 2021). (TA East London Institute).

Clinical Experience

Six years of experience in private practice.
Two additional years experience as an Associate Counsellor at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, counselling undergraduate music and dance students.
Two years of specialist mentor experience for undergraduate university music students with mental health issues.
Supervision of other counsellors and psychotherapists.

Complex Mental Health Experience

I have long-term experience of complex work including the following personality disorders:

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Dissociative identity disorder (DID)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).

Domestic, Emotional, and Narcissistic Abuse

I have worked with many clients who have been subjected to various forms of abuse by their partners, both whilst they are still in the abusive relationship and after it has ended. Abuse within a relationship can be difficult to talk about and sometimes difficult to pinpoint for the victim. With validation and empowerment, I aim to help you make sense of your experience. I will help you consider your options to place healthier boundaries within your relationship or to be alongside you if you decide you would like to leave.

Memberships

To demonstrate my competence I am a member of several organisations, each of which requires the fulfilment of particular standards of training and knowledge by its associates.

Full clinical member of the UK Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP)
Registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Member of Metanoia Institute.

As a reflection of my work with child abuse survivors, I have been accepted as a member of:

Ritual Abuse Information Network and Support (RAINS)
European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD)
First Person Plural (FPP)

Ethical Principles

I am deeply committed to, practice and abide by the principles and ethics of EATA.

Leadership Experience

In addition to my psychotherapy work, I have 25 years of business experience and continue to work as a marketing director within high-profile, high-pressured music companies, entertainment venues, and leisure experiences.

Through my leadership experience, I have developed the skills necessary to support all kinds of people to thrive in stressful situations and the ability to successfully mentor and coach them into fulfilling their potential in both academia and business.

My Ramsgate practice is a 1 minute walk from both Waitrose and the seafront. Being 1 mile away from Ramsgate Train Station, I am within easy reach of Margate, Broadstairs, Dumpton, Birchington, Westgate, Pegwell, Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Whitstable and Herne Bay.

My London practice is in Harley Street W1G, making it within easy reach of North London, Islington, Euston, Camden and Central London. – Please note: hours at my London practice are currently very limited.