Robert Leake

I practice in person in Greenwich, south-east London. I can offer day-time and evening availability.

My approach is oriented by psychoanalysis. This means that the difficulties you bring will not be treated as errors to be corrected, but rather as points of personal significance to be considered. Through careful discussion of the history, logic and context of your problems, it can become possible to learn something of the underlying role they play and the place they hold for you.

You may wish to speak because something important to you - work, a relationship, identity, sexuality - has become troubling or uncertain. I work without preconceptions about what constitutes ‘normal’ or ‘usual’ ways of suffering, and we will pay close attention to the words and terms you use to describe what does not feel manageable in your life. The work is guided by your speech and by your own understanding, while remaining attentive to the limits of this.

The way the work develops will depend much on your own curiosity and on how you relate to your difficulties. Rather than offer advice, guidance or rely on standards, I invite you to speak about the texture and detail of your distress. With time and careful listening, new ways of relating to your difficulties can emerge, along with a lessening of the pain and tension they carry.

I hold a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Psychoanalysis and a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling. Since 2019 I have been in continued psychoanalytic training with the Lacanian clinical institute, the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research (CFAR).

Alongside my private practice, I have several years of experience working as a therapist within a low-cost counselling centre, as well as providing therapeutic support within university, mental health, neurodiversity and bereavement services.

I abide by the code of ethics of CFAR and the code of professional conduct of the BACP.

This approach is exploratory, so sessions usually take place in an open-ended manner at a regular frequency of at least once a week. There are no strict rules around this however, and some people may find that shorter-term work offers them enough relief.

The way I practice allows some flexibility around session length. Rather than strictly condensing speech into a fixed time limit, sessions are shaped by what is said. At times it may feel useful to end earlier if something particularly significant has emerged, and return to it later. At other moments, sessions may run slightly longer when it seems that something important would be lost by stopping abruptly. These points are never arbitrary, but rather guided by the work we do together and the context of what has been discussed. As a general guide, sessions usually last between 30 and 60 minutes.

My average session fee ranges between £50-£70 to reflect individual means. I hold some further flexibility around fees depending on circumstances. Missed sessions are charged when less than 48 hours’ notice is given. I work in person in Greenwich, south-east London. Virtual or telephone sessions may be possible once a working relationship has been established, however this would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

What is said in sessions remains private and confidential. Any identifiable data such as emails or telephone numbers are kept within password protected devices and are never shared with third parties without explicit permission. 

I offer an initial discussion to address your reasons for seeking therapy and to see whether my approach suits your needs. There is no charge for this discussion if we choose not to continue.