Pepita Diamand

I am not a blank-screen therapist, and I do not believe therapy should be vague, polite or endlessly circular. Instead, I practise the kind of therapy I found most helpful myself: thoughtful, direct and human.

I’m interested in what may have shaped the way you protect yourself, manage emotion, build relationships and respond under pressure. Many of the patterns that cause us problems as adults began as intelligent ways of adapting to what came before. Understanding where these patterns came from matters. So does deciding whether they are still serving you now.

My way of working is relational and engaged, with plenty of room for laughter as well as tears. I’ll listen carefully, ask the questions that matter, notice the patterns keeping you stuck and challenge you when needed.

My approach is integrative, which means I draw on different ways of thinking rather than trying to fit you into a particular therapeutic model. At the heart of my work is the relationship we build together. I believe that feeling genuinely seen and understood makes it possible to look more honestly at the parts of ourselves that are harder to face.

I work with adults and couples from discreet consulting rooms in Knightsbridge and online via Zoom.

Individual counselling provides support and direction through a crisis or difficult period in your life.  At other times, the work may be about understanding the patterns shaping your life and relationships — perhaps around anxiety, low mood, shame, self-criticism, people-pleasing or boundaries — and finding different ways to respond.

Couples counselling offers a place to address a rupture or betrayal, a breakdown in communication, or the same painful dynamic playing out again and again. We look at what gets triggered, how each of you protect yourselves, and how those strategies may be affecting trust, intimacy and communication. My couples work is informed by Relational Life Therapy and is active, practical and direct.

I also offer a Relationship Check-In — a relational MOT for couples who want to invest in their relationship before problems become entrenched. A structured pre-session relationship inventory helps us identify your strengths, pressure points and recurring patterns. We then use a focused session to explore these together, with tailored tools and recommendations to help you communicate more clearly, repair more quickly and navigate life together more consciously.

My core training is Humanistic Integrative, with advanced training in Relational Life Therapy. I am currently undertaking specialist COSRT-accredited training in psychosexual and relationship therapy.

Before booking a first session, I offer a free 20-minute introductory call by Zoom. It gives us a chance to talk briefly about what brings you to therapy, what you are hoping for and whether my way of working feels right for you.

If we decide to work together, I will send you a short assessment form and counselling agreement to complete beforehand.

For individuals, the first session is 50 minutes. We will talk more fully about what is happening in your life, what you would like to change and some of the history that may help us understand it.

For couples, I work slightly differently. The first session is 100 minutes, giving us enough time to hear from both of you and begin identifying the dynamic between you. Subsequent couples sessions are either 50 or 100 minutes.

There is no expectation that you arrive knowing exactly what the problem is. Figuring that out can be part of the work.