Kristina Ikonomova

I am currently accepting new clients for online and telephone counselling.

I offer flexible appointments and will try to accommodate different schedules where possible.

Please contact me to discuss current availability and suitable appointment times.

I also offer a free initial session, with no obligation to continue, giving us an opportunity to meet and consider whether working together feels right for you.

My way of working is integrative, person-centred and trauma-informed. This means I draw on different therapeutic approaches depending on you as an individual, what has brought you to counselling and what you would like to gain from our work together.

I don't believe that one approach fits everyone. Some people come to counselling knowing exactly what they want to explore, while others simply know that something doesn't feel right. Our work can begin wherever you are.

Counselling is collaborative, so we can talk about what style of therapy feels most suitable for you. You may prefer a more structured and goal-focused approach, drawing on CBT to explore patterns in thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This can include agreed exercises or things to reflect on between sessions if you find this helpful.

Alternatively, you may prefer more relaxed, less structured sessions where you have space to talk, reflect and explore your experiences at your own pace, without pressure to complete tasks or work towards specific goals. I can also draw on solution-focused approaches when you would like to identify strengths, consider possible changes and work towards practical goals.

Rather than telling you what you should do, I am interested in understanding your experiences, recognising patterns that may be affecting you and exploring what feels important to you.

My background in psychology and mental health also influences my practice. I understand that difficulties rarely exist in isolation from relationships, past experiences, physical health, identity, finances and everyday life.

You don't need to know which therapeutic approach is right for you before starting counselling. We can decide together what feels most helpful and adapt our work as your needs change. My aim is for the therapy to fit you, rather than expecting you to fit one particular model of therapy.

People come to counselling for many different reasons. You may be struggling with anxiety or depression, grieving someone or something important to you, living with the impact of trauma, finding relationships difficult, experiencing low self-esteem, or trying to understand yourself following an ADHD diagnosis.

I have counselling experience supporting people with bereavement and loss, anxiety, depression, ADHD, low self-esteem, sexual abuse, trauma and a range of emotional difficulties.

I have a particular professional interest in eating disorders, body image and our relationship with food. Alongside experience supporting people affected by eating disorders within mental health services, I have studied eating disorders extensively at postgraduate level. I am particularly interested in continuing to develop my practice in this area.

Although I am relatively new to private practice, I am not new to mental health work. I have many years of experience across mental health, healthcare and support services and currently work within an NHS mental health service in a recovery-focused role, supporting women experiencing mental health difficulties and periods of crisis.

I also believe that financial circumstances should not automatically prevent someone from accessing counselling. For this reason, I have chosen to keep my session fee at £28. This is particularly important to me for people who may experience financial barriers to accessing therapy, including students, disabled people, carers, parents and those living on a lower income. You do not need to belong to one of these groups to access my £28 fee.

My experience has taught me that there is rarely a simple explanation for why somebody is struggling. I am interested in the person behind the symptoms and in understanding what has happened in their life, what is happening now and what they would like to be different.

I offer a free initial session so that you can meet me before deciding whether you would like to begin counselling.

The first conversation is an opportunity for me to understand a little about what has brought you to counselling, what you may be struggling with and what you would like support with.

It is also your opportunity to ask me questions and get a sense of whether I am someone you would feel comfortable working with.

There is no obligation to continue with counselling after this session. Finding the right counsellor is important, and I want you to be able to make that decision without feeling pressured to book further sessions.

If we decide to work together, we can discuss what you would like to focus on, practical arrangements and how we might approach our work together.