Daniel Lee

Whether it’s your first time in therapy or you’re thinking of returning, I hope I can help and support you. As a gay/queer man and as someone in long-term recovery myself, I understand that your therapy needs might be as nuanced as the human condition itself. I’ll meet you with warmth, empathy, sensitivity, and respect – regardless of your age, heritage, sexuality, gender identity or neurodiversity.

I work as an integrative therapist and specialise in working with addictions and/or substance misuse, as well as LGBTQ+ mental health. I draw on person-centred/humanistic theories, looking at what’s going on in the here and now, as well as drawing on psychodynamic theories, looking at the past and its impact on the present. 

I’m a compassionate and relational therapist and I use the different facets of the relationship between myself and my clients for the therapy. From my own experience, and listening to the experiences of others, I have come to believe that happiness, connection to self and peace of mind can be achieved when we allow ourselves to heal the wounding from our past. For me, therapy is a journey to the deeper part of ourselves (that some may refer to as the “soul”) – to recover and restore our authentic selves.   If we merely address the surface without looking at what lies underneath, we risk repeating the same painful life patterns over and over again.

I’m a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) and adhere to their ethical framework. I make use of regular supervision and personal therapy for myself.

As we start our journey, I tend to do lots of listening and some asking of questions, to begin to paint a picture of who you are and how life is for you, creating a space that feels non-judgmental and safe for you to share yourself with me. The pace is set by you, by what you bring to the sessions and how you want to use them. We will do regular reviews to see how things are going, and to see if you want to continue working on what brought you to therapy - whether that’e because you’d like to look at other things, or you feel it’s time to work towards an ending.

As someone who may be lesbian/gay, bisexual, trans or queer identifying, you may prefer support with your mental health and wellbeing related to a specific LGBTQ+ aspect or issue.

As someone with an addiction, problematic substance misuse, or compulsive behaviour, it might be difficult to stop on your own, or understand recovery, or you may wish to work with a therapist who understands addiction and recovery.

As a survivor of abuse or childhood trauma, you may remain get stuck in unhealthy or dysfunctional relationships and patterns of behaviour.

Over the last several years I have worked in substance misuse teams in both the community and in two London prisons, as well as in a charitable (12-step) drug and alcohol rehab in South London, and have worked with a mix of LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ clients. My experience includes 1:1 work, group therapy and providing workshops on an array of topics pertinent to mental health and recovery.

Beyond being a therapist, I have made a living over the last 2 decades as an artist (working with different media) and was fortunate to spend 13 years living in San Francisco (I am a US/UK dual citizen), an experience that changed my life in so many ways, and have been in continuous recovery from addiction since 1997.

When I’m not working as a therapist I enjoy knitting, cooking/baking, collecting vintage toys and attending to my own recovery.

I offer a 20-minute complimentary session either on the telephone or online so that you may get a sense of who I am before you book your first session.