Philippa Debort

I am a BACP Registered psychodynamic psychotherapist providing an empathetic, confidential and non-judgemental space to explore the challenges you may be facing.

I started my psychotherapy training in 2017, leading to an MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy qualification from Birkbeck, University of London. I continue to undertake regular professional development to ensure my practice remains up to date.

I work with adults aged 18 and upwards and have developed my counselling experience in a range of sectors. I currently work part-time for the University of Cambridge as a Staff Counsellor, and I have also worked for Anglia Ruskin University, Cogwheel Counselling and Mind Hertfordshire Network. I have always had a keen interest in psychology, and before retraining as a therapist, I worked in higher and further education, specialising in market research, customer behaviour and curriculum development.

My psychodynamic approach forms the foundation of my therapeutic practice, which I adapt to the unique needs of each individual. The clients I work with typically present with anxiety, depression, negative thinking, bereavement, loneliness, anger, relationship issues, work issues, past trauma and abuse. I have worked with clients from different backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and ages. 

Psychotherapy is not about giving advice; it is a talking therapy in which you discuss issues you may currently be facing. Psychotherapists are trained to understand the different layers of the mental inner world, much of which lies outside conscious awareness, helping you to recognise how this affects your day-to-day life.

Many of the people I work with find therapy a healthy way to understand themselves better, improve their emotional health and feel more positive about their lives. Over time, working with a therapist can support you to change and show up differently in personal and work relationships, in ways that are more aligned to the person you want to be.

Therapy is also a healthy way to process your emotional reactions to specific life events. These could include divorce, parenting, bereavement, infertility, and redundancy.

Perhaps you have become overwhelmed or frustrated with your emotional responses to particular people in your life, whether at work or at home. Or maybe you feel stuck in habits that are no longer beneficial to you or are making your life more difficult.

We can discuss this and work together to understand how these patterns may have become established and how you can make positive changes in your life.

The first session is often called an initial consultation or assessment. It is slightly different to subsequent sessions as you may need to complete a form, and we will discuss your responses, your expectations for therapy and how I work.

This first session gives you a brief introduction to therapy and whether you feel it will be suitable for you at this moment in time. If we both agree to work together, we will find a day and time to meet each week, either in person or online.

Typically, I work with clients for 8 to 20 weeks, and longer-term therapy can also be arranged. Each weekly therapy session lasts 50 minutes, and 48 hours' notice is required to cancel a session without being charged.