Anthony Ambrose

PLEASE NOTE:  I currently have limited space - late afternoon on Wed or Thurs only (4:45-5pm start).

For info: my current practice days are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with appointments starting between 11am and 5pm.

I currently offer online sessions only - usually via zoom, and plan to continue on this basis, so can offer UK wide sessions (if online therapy seems suitable/appropriate after initial assessment)  - please see session arrangements below.

I am an Associate Psychotherapist of the Gestalt Centre, London NW1 (UKCP registered 1996-present). 

In my practice I offer a therapeutic relationship that affirms creative renewal, trauma recovery, integration and wholeness - promoting self-compassion and clarity, safe grounding and embodiment. By affirming the stability and felt sense of safety needed to emerge from life-stresses and trauma, we can anchor more fully in the present, become better able to relate to and regulate distress, and identify life / relational needs.  

This kind of therapeutic process can help to cultivate greater clarity, peace, self-connection and acceptance, creative renewal, fulfilment and joy in life.   My relational approach is especially informed by the work of clinicians/authors in the fields of attachment, relational neuroscience and trauma over the last 20-30 years - including Janina Fisher, Bessel van der Kolk, Stephen Porges, Bonnie Badenoch, Allan Schore, Richard Schwartz (originator of Internal Family Systems - I completed a 15 day level 1 IFS training in 2016), Sue Johnson, Daniel Siegel, Tara Brach, Louis Cozolino and Peter Levine, among others.  

Other biography:  Past associate tutor, University of Surrey Psychology Dept (2010-2018), where I facilitated personal/professional development groups for Counselling Psychology doctoral students.  

Past group facilitator/supervisor with the Gestalt Centre London. 

Counselling:  Counsellor (1990-present).  Reg. MBACP.  Co-founder (1999) and counsellor (1999-2004) with The Cancer Counselling Trust.  Counsellor - CancerBackup charity (1997-1999).   Placement bereavement counsellor Trinity Hospice, Clapham (1990-93).

I now work online (usually via zoom) so can offer UK wide sessions when this feels therapeutically appropriate/suitable, and where sufficient speed/stability of internet connection is available.  

Further practice details are in the 'first session' section below.

I first ask clients to complete an initial assessment / consent form, to provide relevant background information for possible therapy/counselling, for risk assessment, and to gauge potential compatibility for working together, and that my training/experience seem a suitable/good match for client therapeutic issues/needs.  The form includes GP details and contact consent, without which I am unable to offer sessions.  I would only propose contacting your GP after discussing this with you (except in an emergency) - in order to uphold duty of care, for risk assessment, and possible referral to/liaison with other/NHS services.  Full details are on the form.

After you complete the initial questionnaire, I assess suitability for online work, and potential compatibility of your needs with my background/experience.  If appropriate I arrange 1-3 initial assessment sessions, to further gauge therapeutic needs/issues and compatibility for working together.  At initial sessions we can discuss further what needs/issues you wish to explore, and I further assess suitability for online sessions (or possible onward/specialist referral).  

If we agree to continue I arrange a follow-up series of 6-8 sessions to begin working together, better assess/clarify needs, and review at session 5-6 re continuation (usually on an ongoing weekly basis, with periodic reviews as needed), or to bring sessions to a close, with possible onward referral/resource suggestions.   

I also provide a GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) form which gives details/terms of all personal client data that I hold, and for clients to provide data retention consent, without which I am unable to proceed with sessions - in order to meet UK GDPR legal requirements.