Smriti Rai

I currently have availability on Tuesdays and Wednesdays afternoon from 1pm

I am a Person-Centred counsellor, which means our sessions are led by you. I work with whatever you bring, trusting that you are the expert in your own life.

I grew up in Nepal and trained in the UK. This shapes how I work, with a culturally responsive lens that holds identity, belonging, and the 'third space' of the diasporic experience at the centre.

My foundation is Person-Centred, but I adapt to fit you. I lean towards expressive therapies when words feel difficult. My ongoing MSc Advanced Counselling and Psychotherapy training also includes: 

• Expressive therapy – creative ways to work when words feel difficult (no art skills needed)

• Compassion Focused Therapy – gently working with self-criticism and shame
• Trauma-Responsive Mindfulness – paying attention to how stress lives in the body, working at your pace
• Bereavement and Loss – especially disenfranchised grief: the losses that aren't always socially recognised

I bring all of this together to walk alongside you, in a way that feels right for you.

I am a Nepal-born, UK-trained counsellor, offering culturally responsive therapy online. My practice, The Third Space, is for anyone navigating identity, belonging, and the experiences that live in the grey areas.

What "Culturally Responsive" Really Means?

As Headstrong Counselling (where I completed my placement) puts it:

"True cultural competence involves recognising that it's impossible to be an expert on someone else's culture, even when sharing a similar background. Culture, like identity, is dynamic and ever-evolving."

This is exactly how I work.

Being culturally responsive means:

• I don't assume even if we share aspects of culture, I'll listen and learn from you
• You don't have to educate me. I come with curiosity and lived experience
• Your whole identity is welcome race, ethnicity, migrational grief, cultural memory all have a place

My Training

I completed my placement at Headstrong Counselling, a specialist service that has delivered culturally responsive therapy to over 10,000 clients. There, I received additional training and supervision in culturally responsive skills. 

This sits alongside my MSc, CPD in Cultural Competence, and my own lived experience as a Nepali-British person navigating the third space.

I offer a free 20-minute introductory phone or video call. This is simply a chance for you to tell me a little about what brings you to therapy, and for us both to get a sense of whether we might work well together. If it feels like a good fit, we can book your first full session. If not, I'm happy to help you think about what else might suit you.