About

I am a qualified, experienced, and UKCP registered Integrative Psychotherapist and Counsellor, working in Stoke Newington, N16.

Talking therapies can have a reputation for being aloof, or even seen as an indulgence. They are also often misrepresented in the media. There are so many types, it can be overwhelming. You might feel worried about what will happen in therapy, or unsure which approach will work best for you. I hope to de-mystify what takes place in therapy so you can think about whether it is what you are looking for.

If you've made it this far, perhaps you are feeling something that is getting in the way of things. Maybe you are sad, angry, anxious, low or struggling to like yourself. Maybe you are feeling ok, but you would like to improve how you relate to other people, face life's challenges, or parent your children. You may be in a relationship that is struggling and needs help to get back on track.

My experience has convinced me that talking about your concerns with someone trained to hear them, and respond to them, in a particular way, can be very helpful. It won't "cure" you, or delete a painful past, but it can equip you to move on with greater ease, and perhaps pave the way for further positive change.

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are
(ee cummings)

If a way to the better there be, it exacts a full look at the worst
(Thomas Hardy)

Therapy

I don't distinguish between counselling or psychotherapy unless I have to. Many feel counselling refers to shorter-term goal-oriented work, while psychotherapy involves longer-term work that explores issues in greater depth. I work with individuals and couples using both models.

As an 'Integrative' psychotherapist, I draw upon a range of thinking, ideas and techniques, including those of attachment, psychodynamic and CBT theories. I'm drawn to mindfulness and compassionate focused therapy too. I'm very happy to discuss and explain these further. I hope our initial meeting would allow you (you both) to talk freely about what brought you to me, along with any goals you may wish to achieve and questions about therapy. Importantly, you will have a chance to experience what I'm like and how I work. In turn, I would explain my policy on confidentiality, fees, cancellations and appointment times.

If we agree to work together, we may then work out for how long - it may be just a few sessions or on an open-ended basis. It helps to work out a time-frame together from the outset, but nothing is set in stone, and we can always review the work as it unfolds. I don't expect you to lie down on a couch (although you are welcome to), nor do I sit in silence. I hope to be in dialogue with you, and I welcome any material that may be useful for you to share - drawings, dreams, journals, a meditation practice included. I aim to increase your understanding of distress, but also to resource you to make changes - either in thinking or behaviour. I'm happy to work on the phone or Skype if it becomes the most convenient option.

Supervision

I am a UKCP registered supervisor offering clinical supervision to counsellors and psychotherapists. I believe that effective supervision involves offering a space that feels safe enough to explore all aspects of work with clients – which may include the trickier ones as well as the easier ones. I hope to provide an opportunity to grow as a practitioner. I may explore our own relationship in supervision as a clue to any parallel process going on, as well as other transference dynamics. My integrative model allows for more than one theory and modality to be thought about, and I make every effort to respect each model of working presented to me.

I charge £65 per hour, and offer concessions.

You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it
(GK Chesterton)

It is never too late to become the person you might have been
(George Eliot)

Qualifications

I have an Advanced Diploma and a Masters Degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Diploma in Supervision. I am registered with the UKCP, which means I follow their code of ethics and am subject to their complaints procedure. This also means I am on a voluntary register that has been accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. I have previously worked in Higher Education, the NHS and for charities, which means I have had the privilege of working with a number of presenting issues with people from many walks of life.

I contribute features and book reviews to journals and blogs to welldoing.org, as well as frequent quotes to the print media about talking therapies. I co-founded the London Psychotherapy Network.

Many moons ago I began my professional life teaching and practising law. I have a BA Hons Juris from Oxford University and an LLM from London University. Via some detours, I was led to psychotherapy. I have been a Trustee of the Miscarriage Association, and have a particular interest and experience in working with women who have experienced a loss in pregnancy or struggle with fertility. I was also a Trustee of the Minster Centre, a training organisation for psychotherapists.

I continue my training to improve my practice and development and began a Doctorate in Psychotherapy in November 2015 (my research field is pregnancy loss). I have practised mindfulness for over 15 years.

I am currently writing a book about the experience of miscarriage for Virago Press/Penguin USA for publication in Spring 2019

It would be so nice if something made sense for a change
(Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland)

Then the time came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom
(Anais Nin)

Location

I work from 91 Manor Road, London N16 5PA. There are various and easy ways to find it, including buses 73, 476, 243, 149, 67, 76 and 106. Stoke Newington rail station and Finsbury Park/Manor House tube stations are also nearby. There is free parking on Manor Road (and nearby pay & display).

I am available at various times, so please ask what suits you best, and we can take it from there. I also work with VSee if meeting in person is impossible.

Fees

Individual fees:
£65 a session (50 mins) - including our initial meeting.

Couple fees:
£85 a session (1hr) - including our initial meeting.

Health Insurance:
I am registered with BUPA, WPA, Vitality Health, CIGNA and AVIVA.

Cancellations:
I charge £10 for any missed session, unless it is cancelled within 24 hours when the full fee is payable.

I have concessionary places, so please ask if one would mean you could get the support you need.

Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment -
the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.
(Jorge Luis Borges)

Contact

Please email me at: julia@juliabueno.co.uk,

or, feel free to text or 'phone me on: 07956 476 808.

I even do Twitter: @JBueno_UKCP

Latest Tweet:

If you are interested in my thoughts on electronic communications and how it may affect our work please see here.

Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.
(George Bernard Shaw)