Claudia Battel

I am a pluralistic person-centred therapist in private practice, and have worked in counselling services in Kent and London. My practice supports clients with a wide range of issues and is shaped by my background working in the arts and separately with children. Through these experiences, I came to believe that personal wellbeing and the wider systems we are part of are deeply linked. Furthermore, creative reimagining of these relationships – to society, to our past, to our sense of who we are, is vital for healing and personal development.

I live in London, where I have been settled for many years. I was born and raised in Italy, with roots in the north and south. Having lived and worked in various parts of the world, I bring a deep understanding of intercultural life experiences, as well as of questions around identity and belonging.

I offer sessions in English and Italian.

My practice is informed primarily by my person-centred training. Also known as client-centred, this is a humanistic approach that prioritises how individuals perceive themselves consciously, rather than how a counsellor can interpret their unconscious thoughts or ideas. Simply, I start with a non-judgmental space of empathy and curiosity to create what Carl Rogers called "unconditional positive regard" for what you bring and where you're at.

Slowly, I encourage you to confront things you might have bottled up, working together to help identify their root causes. This can often involve exploring past experiences, from the safety of the here-and-now. Using psychodynamic ideas like attachment theory can be very helpful to understand why painful patterns are affecting you today.

Representing these patterns as earlier versions or 'parts' of yourself that still need attention is the cornerstone of Internal Family Systems. I am very influenced by this approach as a useful way to bring much-needed empathy and integration to them.

I remain profoundly guided by my research in existential therapy, which helps consider questions about the meaning of life in relation to our mortality. Understanding the whole of you should allow such dimensions , also thought of as spiritual or transpersonal, to be welcomed for their healing potential.

Our first full, 50-minute session will be a chance for you to tell me about yourself and what you would like to get out of therapy, to get to know me and ask questions. This will help you decide if we are a good match and from there, we can agree to work together.