Cara Mackley

My standard session fee is £160 for a 50-minute session.

I appreciate that this may not be affordable for everyone, so I offer a limited number of reduced-fee sessions, starting from £135.

My clinical working days are Tuesday and Thursday 

***Vacancies – Online Therapy - I currently have limited daytime availability on Thursday ***

I work online via Zoom with couples and individuals aged 16+.

I am a qualified, experienced and accredited couple and individual psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist. I completed my specialist relationship training at the internationally renowned Tavistock Relationships (TR) in London, where I continue to work as a Senior Clinician and Training Tutor.

I have over 14 years’ clinical experience, including working with individuals and couples experiencing relationship difficulties, separation and divorce, infidelity, conflict, loss and significant life transitions.

Previously, I have worked as a couples counsellor with Relate and as a psychotherapist at The School of Life. I was also part of a specialist counselling programme developed with Imperial College London supporting people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Research from this work was subsequently published in 2025.

Earlier in my career, I worked extensively with young people, both within schools and with young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). This experience continues to inform my understanding of relationships, family dynamics and the impact our earliest relationships can have throughout adult life.

I work with clients funded by AXA, Bupa and Aviva.

Therapy – I work psychodynamically, which means we think together about what may lie beneath patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings. We may explore how earlier experiences and relationships have shaped the way you relate to yourself and to others in the present. The aim is not to judge or assign blame, but to develop a deeper understanding of yourself and the patterns that may be keeping you stuck.

Couples therapy – I work with couples who want to better understand their relationship and what happens between them. Couples come to therapy for many different reasons: recurring conflict, difficulties communicating, infidelity, cultural differences, contemplating separation, becoming parents, fertility issues, empty-nest transitions or simply feeling that they have lost some of their connection.

Some couples are in crisis; others are not. You may simply want a relationship ‘MOT’ – an opportunity to think about your relationship, understand one another better and strengthen what you already have. Therapy can help you recognise patterns of relating, understand what sits beneath them and begin to change the dynamics between you.

Individual therapy – I work with individuals aged 16+ who want to understand themselves and their relationships more deeply. You may notice recurring patterns in romantic, family or work relationships; find yourself repeatedly choosing unavailable or unsuitable partners; struggle to let go of a relationship; or simply feel that something in your relationships isn't working in the way you would like.

Psychodynamic therapy gives us space to explore these patterns and consider how your earliest relationships and experiences may continue to influence the way you relate to others today.

I will initially invite you to meet with me for two 50-minute consultation sessions. This gives us an opportunity to think together about ‘why now?’, what has brought you to therapy and what you would like to understand or change.

During these sessions, I will ask about your current circumstances, important relationships, childhood experiences and significant life events. This helps me begin to understand you in the context of your life and relationships, rather than simply focusing on the difficulty that has brought you to therapy.

The consultation process also gives us both an opportunity to consider whether working together feels right. If we agree to proceed, we will arrange a regular weekly day and time which is reserved for you.