WELCOME TO

IAMloved Counselling & psychotherapy

Helping you to improve your mental health and to believe in your own power to make changes.

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”

Carl Rogers

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of them all.”

Mulan

About

My mission:

To help my clients to start their journey of self-discovery, find their true voice, and empower themselves to follow their path courageously and meaningfully.

training-qualification-experience

Prince's Trust Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice (UK) (Prof. Dip. PSY. C.)
Prince's Trust Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory (UK)
Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counselling (USA)
Accredited registrant member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (MNPCS)
Working toward registration with BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy)

I have worked as a rehabilitation counsellor in the US with an organisation called Samaritan Village helping people who have gone through alcohol and/or drug addiction rehabilitation aiming to re-enter the workforce and get their lives back on track.

I have completed my therapist training placement with Headstrong Counselling, working online and in-person, with a diverse client base with unique personal goals.

I have coached and mentored countless number of colleagues, team members and associates in my 20+ years as a healthcare market research professional. My psychology background has helped me to understand myself and the people around me throughout the years, guiding me to become the counsellor that I am today.

welcome to my journey

We all have a story to tell, and we have some baggage that sometimes, we carry with us for years without realizing that we could have travelled much “lighter” all along. It takes work, but it’s doable through acknowledgement that we are not alone, forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude and taking one day at a time.

My journey started from West Africa, through Switzerland onto New York and to London.

It’s been a long journey and somewhere along the way, I realised that I was trying to find myself, my meaningful purpose. I always knew that I was a “people” person and helping and empowering others always resonated with me. But it took me a while to realise what I wanted to do that would truly allow me to embrace my gift of giving.

I’ve always been independent, driven, focused and proud of doing things independently without help. Once I accepted having some “baggage” just like everyone else, I gained more clarity, but I thought I had it all under control. I didn’t think I needed to change or even contemplated personal therapy. That was until I started challenging myself about everything through self-reflection and was encouraged in my own therapy sessions to dig deeper and see things from a different perspective to help me grow and discover my potential.

Starting my training as a therapist was an eye-opening experience and I so wish that everyone could go through such a personal journey of self-discovery. Because everyone can benefit from therapy; a safe, neutral and non-judgemental environment to offload and help you gain insightful internal clarity.

My approach:

My counselling modality is predominantly a person-centred based therapy with a pluralistic approach. What this means is that we will work with whatever you bring into each of our sessions and that I am here to help YOU to find solutions and make the decisions that work best for you.

As a pluralistic practitioner, depending on each client’s needs, I may use Psychodynamics and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) along with Person-Centered Therapy (PCT). This helps me get a 360 degrees view of what we are working with, helps my clients understand and connect their past experiences with their present behaviours; bringing more clarity into the changes you want to make in your life.

Iamlovedcounselling can support you with these and more...

Addiction

Anxiety

Career dissatisfaction

Depression

Domestic abuse

Grief & loss

More Info

Insomnia

Identity crisis

Relationship issues

Low self-esteem

Stress

Work-related issues

More Info

methodologies & fees

15-20 minutes initial FREE CONSULTATION

You are not sure what you want to do, or how to go about it or you just want to get some information and see if counselling or long-term therapy is for you.

Contact me to find out more.

50 minutes assessment: £75 per

This initial assessment session conducted online or in-person is to help me evaluate what brings you to therapy. We explore what the presenting issue is, how the problem first started, what goal you expect to achieve in coming to therapy, what support network you have around you if any, what may or may not hinder your progress, your experience growing up, your relationship with your family, friends, and others. This initial session helps me to learn more about you so, I can formulate a treatment plan to fit your individual need. This session also gives you the opportunity to decide if you feel comfortable to continue working with me. There is no obligation to engage in therapy work with me after that assessment session.

Weekly 50 minutes F2F, online or telephone counselling/therapy: £75 per session -

Individual in-person sessions can be arranged if you live close by my therapy room or if you do no mind commuting to meet with me. However, we can have a mix of F2F and online or phone sessions if traveling is not possible some weeks. As for meeting online only, now more than ever before, and because of the Covid-19 pandemic we’ve all suffered from, being able to connect from anywhere to get help is extremely helpful. Everyone deserves to work with the therapist of their choice regardless of where they are located. We would meet online weekly on the same day and at the same time that we agree to after the initial assessment session.

Whether you chose to meet in-person, online or via phone, I do recommend to complete a minimum of 6 sessions to better determine whether to continue or not. During that 6th session we can re-assess what's been learned from when you first started to help you decide how to proceed.

Weekly 50 minutes F2F or online couple's therapy: £90 per session Couple's therapy could be what you need to help you explore and improve your communication style, learn to not only hear, but to better "listen" to each other and work together. Compromising is not weakness, it's negotiation toward an agreement that is a win-win for both parties.

Weekly 90 minutes “closed” ONLINE GROUP counselling: £55 per session - (group runs for 12 sessions)

Research has shown that group therapy is beneficial in helping people grow their self-esteem and confidence level. Sharing with others can be a powerful experience as that can help you to open up and feel more connected with others as you realise first-hand that you are not alone going through whatever experience you may be struggling with. Group therapy also helps you see things from others’ perspectives as we create a safe and non-judgmental space for all participants. Everyone in the group is instructed to keep people’s names and whatever is discussed in the group confidential.

Online groups:

1. Stress & anxiety

2. Domestic abuse

3. Relationship issues

Click on "More Info" to check for availability and book your spot.

MORE INFO!

Deep Dive Therapy: (Online, telephone or In-person) – 3 x 50 minutes consecutive sessions completed within 1 week. £250

You have a specific issue you want me to help you to understand, work through and explore possible solutions, however, you are not yet ready to engage and commit to weekly therapy sessions long-term. If that the case, then Deep Dive Therapy is for you.

How does Deep Dive Therapy work?

1. Assessment:

We explore what the issue is, to better understand how it first started and how it is hindering you. Then we look at your past experience and the goals you want to achieve.

2. Formulation:

The process in this phase is more of a collaboration between you and me, as we explore together how and what keeps hindering you from moving forward. We will work together to come up with a plan and tools to help you overcome the issue. In an empathic and non-judgemental environment, I will be your soundboard as we Deep Dive into your subjective experience, feelings, and emotions.

3. For the Future:

Now that we have gained some insights into the issue, developed a plan, and gathered some tools, and resources, you’ll now be fully equipped to move forward and achieve your goals. Contact me for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions: FAQs

1. What can I expect to happen in the initial consultation?

The initial consultation is a brief 15 minutes to know a little bit about you and what you need/want to do. This is just a quick introduction where I can answer any questions you have before wanting to start working with me.

2. How long is each session?

The initial assessment session is 75 minutes, online/telephone/in-person weekly sessions are 50 minutes each, but the online group sessions are 60 minutes each.

3. How many sessions will I need?

Individual sessions are packaged in groups of 6 sessions. At the end of which you can decide if you want to continue or not. The online group sessions are a package of 12 sessions. At the end of this most clients decide to continue working with me in private 1-on-1 sessions. There is an ongoing assessment of your progress and checking on how you want to proceed after completing each group of 6 individual sessions, or the 12 Group sessions. This depends on each person’s individual situation and needs.

4. How often should we meet up?

For maximum effectiveness, it is recommended to have weekly sessions, except the Deep Dive package which is 3 x 50-minute sessions within one week.

5. Are my sessions confidential, and is the online meeting platform secure?

As a member of the NCPS and BACP, I am bound by their codes of ethics. Everything discussed in our sessions is confidential and will not be shared with your GP or anyone else without your full consent. I am bound to observe your rights under the GDPR 2018 Data Protection Act. Any notes of our sessions are securely kept under password protection.

FAQs continued -

6. What are the fees for sessions?

There are different fees depending on the type of sessions you are looking for. Please look under “Methodologies & Fees” for additional information or contact me to discuss further.

7. What if I need to cancel a session?

There is a 7-day cancellation policy for all sessions. Any session cancelled in less than 7 days will be charged. However, I understand that there can be emergencies at times and in that case, we can aim to reschedule the cancelled session within the same week.

8. Do you offer a discount on sessions?

Sessions are packaged groups of 6 (individual)or 12 (group), or 3 (Deep Dive), depending on the type of sessions you are looking for. Please contact me to discuss this further.

9. What do I do if I need help outside of my counselling sessions?

If you need help outside of our counselling sessions, please contact:

NHS Urgent Help for Mental Health:

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

NHS 24: 111

Samaritans: 116 123 [if you urgently need to talk to someone]

Your local A & E [if you urgently need to take action].

Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 [if you live in Scotland and urgently need to talk to someone].

10. If needed, can I change the methodology of our meetings?

Yes, if you need to change the methodology of our sessions this can be arranged. However, it will be easier to change in-person sessions to online or phone sessions. For switching online or phone methodology to in-person sessions, we can further discuss the logistics once we connect.

testimonials

“Maggie is a great counsellor, she's professional, warm, and trustworthy. She listens carefully and seems to understand what is really going on. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who is struggling with their mental health or just wants to find direction in their life.”

Sarah

“I have found Maggie to be a genuine and empathetic practitioner. I connected with her immediately, quickly developing trust. She listened to me intently and without judgment. Maggie is patient and insightful and I experienced a positive human-to-human connection when in sessions with her. I would most certainly recommend her to anyone looking for a therapist.”

Marina

“I noticed that I was immediately comfortable around you and that talking became easier with your calm and genuine approach. When needed I noticed you helped me point back in the direction I needed to go, despite my attempts to steer away.

You are a strong calm influence, and this helped me to open up and more importantly, stick to the task when required - your gentle, firm support is ever-present.

Sincere thanks.”

George

“I would like to give Maggie a huge thank you for supporting me at a very difficult time in my life when I felt lost and angry. I didn’t see a clear positive future and found it difficult to accept the way things were at the time. Maggie helped me to get out of my own way and to recognize and stop self-sabotaging some good things in my life that I closed off and didn’t see their value because I felt that I didn’t deserve it. This has been a great weight off my shoulders, I feel much lighter and smiling much more and feel more optimistic moving forward knowing my worth and finding my rekindled love for myself. “

Antonia