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Offers

• Face-to-face consultations
• Video and telephone consultations

About me

Can you tell me about your background?
I am a South African psychologist from Cape Town who works with individuals of all ages, genders/sexes, identities, heritages, and cultures. I trained at a network of NHS-equivalent hospitals in South Africa, before moving to work at a prestigious private mental health hospital in London.

Some of my clinical experience is listed below:

Specialist Children's Hospital: Children, adolescents, and families with young people struggling with depression, anxiety, panic, struggles related to school, neurodiversity, traumatic stress, complex trauma, social disadvantage, self-harm, and eating disorders. I also conducted Learning and Scholastic assessments.

Specialist Medical Hospital: Adults with acute challenges including trauma, severe depression and bipolar mood disorder, psychosis, eating disorders, as well as co-occurring medical and mental health conditions, and medically unexplained illness.

Specialist Adult Mental Health Hospital: I provided neuropsychological assessments and worked with adults and elderly people experiencing personality challenges, traumatic stress, complex trauma, mood problems and psychosis, self-harm, anxiety and panic, bereavement and loss, obsessive-compulsive conditions, and relationship challenges.

Various Community Clinics: Outpatient clinics where I saw both adults and young people after traumatic events, or struggling with depression, bipolar mood disorder, psychosis, anxiety, panic, or having been in inpatient care.

Private Specialist Mental Health Hospital: Adult outpatients, in the adult acute ward and the young person's ward. I supported patients with traumatic stress, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, panic, learning difficulties, bipolar mood disorder, chronic pain, bereavement and loss, obsessive-compulsive conditions, relationship challenges, co-occurring medical and mental health diagnoses, and neurodiversity. I also provided adult autism assessments.

What will it be like when I meet you?
In our first session, I will ask you some questions to help us understand what has brought you to therapy and what you are hoping to gain from it. Together, we will decide what to focus on and what type of therapy will work best for you. I have a relaxed, gentle, and easy going manner and will help you feel as comfortable as possible.

What therapies do you use and what kind of difficulties do you help people with?
I offer a range of therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, as well psychodynamic psychotherapy and eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing. I work openly and transparently and will always let you know what your individual treatment plan is.

I have a special interest in working with trauma and complex trauma. I currently see both adults and young people struggling with their mood, anxiety and panic, work- or school-related stress, as well as co-occurring physical and mental health conditions.

If you are a young person dealing with challenges related to school, self-harm, friendships, self-esteem or an eating disorder, and want to find some solutions, I've supported many young people with similar struggles.

I facilitate autism assessments for adults and can support you in making sense of your diagnosis.

What are your interests outside of psychology?
When I am not doing that, I love being outdoors and you can often find me near the closest ocean or mountain. I enjoy traveling to remote places. I always have several books on my 'to-read' (or listen to) list, some pens, paints, and drawing paper nearby, and sport events playing in the background. I am an avid swimmer.

Areas of interest

Anxiety; Depression; Stress; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Bipolar Disorder; Panic Disorder; Social Anxiety; Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD); Phobias; Autism; Eating Disorders; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Schizophrenia; Borderline Personality Disorder; Insomnia; Grief and Loss; Addiction; Low Self-Esteem; Anger Management Issues; Relationship Problems. This list is not exhaustive.

Medical secretaries

• Mrs Larisa Popa
• 020 8936 7666
• contact@theoaktreepractice.com