Amina Somers

I have some availability at the moment.

Welcome to my profile and practice.

It is not easy to decide on the type of therapy or therapist. You can find details of two books that may help with this important choice at the end.

My practice is psychoanalytically informed. This is a very particular way of working, the very opposite of the new culture of on demand, consumer or commoditised therapy. It is aimed at addressing deeply the questions about your life and your way of being that concern and interest you.

People come to see me with a range of problems; nothing is off limits. It is more a question of whether something is bothering you enough. Sometimes the problems people have are so intolerable that they are driven to therapy. Other times it may be less acute, like wondering if there is a better way of relating to the world and themselves. There is however a commonality in the issues people bring. Something is not working for them in their lives. They can’t resolve these problems on their own and they would like to do something about them. 

Further reading: Are you considering Therapy? By Anouchka Grose

                             How does Analysis Work? edited by Berjanet Jazani 

Your problems may be very specific, OCD, ADHD, social anxiety, bereavement, relationship issues, anger, eating disorders etc or less specific like depression, anxiety or dissatisfaction with life or work or a general feeling of unease in the world. All these issues can be addressed through a psychoanalytically informed approach, an approach that is non-judgemental, and importantly, particular to you. I will speak about this more when we meet and I will be happy to answer your questions.

This way of working is focused on discovering what you don’t know, your blindside, what lies behind conscious rational thinking and ideas. It is a theoretical approach that considers the effect of unconscious ideas on your way of relating to yourself and others, the difficulties that you experience and that have brought you to therapy and how you make sense of situations you encounter in the present. 

Finding a therapist to work with can be daunting. Initially, I will suggest we meet for several assessment sessions to discuss the issues that bring you to therapy and for you to experience the way I work. We can then decide whether to work together and if so on what basis. You are under no obligation to attend more than one assessment session if after the first you decide my way of working is not for you.

A psychoanalytic approach is complex and cannot be reduced to a soundbite. These preliminary sessions will give you an idea of how I work.

Fees

It is preferable to discuss and agree fees during assessment; this enables me, amongst other matters, to consider what you can afford. However, fees for assessment sessions start from £75.00 per session (with an average of £90 per session).

Fees for ongoing work will be agreed with you during the assessment process. They may be less, more or the same as the assessment fee per session, again dependent on circumstances and how we decide to work.

I also offer a limited number of places at a concessionary rates less than £75.00.

You can also call or email me for more information or if you wish to discuss the fee before we meet.