Dr Lara Lopes de Jesus (CPsychol) Chartered Psychologist- Counselling in Chelmsford, Essex
Welcome to my website.
I am a qualified, chartered and experienced Counselling Psychologist who offers therapy and counselling from my practice in Chelmsford, Essex. I am committed to providing counselling and psychotherapy in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment.
People seek counselling and psychological therapy for a wide number of reasons. It can be natural to believe that you have to keep on struggling with your difficulties alone, and try to effect change by yourself, feeling it would somehow be ‘weak’ or ‘embarrassing’ to ask someone else for help. Talking to an experienced therapist, however, can help you get to the root of whatever it may be that is stopping your life from moving forward and stopping you from feeling happier; and it can also give you extra support in making changes. Whatever your reasons, I can help.
Are you feeling down, as if life is getting on top of you?
Are you finding the challenges of life too difficult?
Are you fed up with the same problems repeating themselves in your life?
Do you want to make changes but aren’t quite sure how to?
If any of these sounds like your life, then perhaps it is time to get some extra help - to make your life happier and to give you back the control you yearn for.
I am a therapist who works with both individuals and couples on an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period, with the aim of enabling you to enhance your life and to live it more fully.
The work consists of a series of regular, confidential counselling psychology sessions in which all of these issues can be talked through. Sometimes the focus is upon current difficulties; at other times we look at the effects that past problems have upon the present.
About Psychological Therapy
We live in a complex, busy, and often very challenging world, in which we encounter many different types of experiences that can be difficult for us to deal with. Most of the time we can get on with life, but sometimes we cannot, and we find ourselves stuck. Often we can find support in friends or family, but sometimes we cannot and sometimes, even with their support, we can feel isolated and alone.
Therapy is a process that can help you to gain a better understanding of your past and present conflicts, to recognise, appreciate and use your own resources, as well as to consider possibilities for dealing with difficult situations. This may involve clarifying choices and opportunities for bringing about change; or, alternatively, may help you come to terms with those aspects of your life that you are unable, or do not wish, to change.
How does it work?
My role, as a therapist, is to provide a safe, non-judgemental and confidential space, to help you to explore your feelings and thoughts in ways that promote insight and self-awareness; and to support you as you work towards greater clarity and understanding of where you are in your life. This might include talking about life events (past and present), feelings, emotions, relationships, and ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour.
Talking about how you feel - and being heard - is at the heart of counselling and psychotherapy and may be enough in itself. In fact, research shows that it is the relationship between the client and the therapist that can have the most impact on change. Beyond this, it may be helpful to consider unhelpful life patterns and gain new insight into habitual ways of thinking and behaving. We can also explore fresh perspectives, different possibilities and strategies for change and growth. Therapy can help you to take stock of where you are now; it can help you to re-evaluate how you live your life, and how you engage in the world and with the people around you. Working together, we can explore the things that matter to you, where you are now, where you would like to be, and how you can work towards getting there.
What issues can I help you with?
There are many issues that I can help with, including:
Anger
Anxiety
Bereavement
Bullying
Depression
Divorce and separation
Family issues
Feeling overwhelmed, not coping
Feeling stuck or trapped
Grief and loss
Irrational thoughts and fears
Life transitions, difficult choices
Low-confidence
Low self-esteem
Love and relationships
Physical health related issues
Pregnancy
Rape and sexual assault
Repeating unhelpful behaviour patterns
Sexuality
Stress
Qualifications and Professional registration
I have a BSc in Psychology and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. I am an accredited member of the BPS (British Psychological Society) and as such abide by their strict ethical framework for good practice, I receive regular clinical supervision for my work and I have a professional indemnity insurance to practice. I am also a registered member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
I am an accredited member of the British Psychological Society (BPS). As a Counselling Psychologist accredited by the BPS I am bound by its ethical framework for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy and subject to the professional conduct procedure therein. I am also a registered member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
In addition I have been Police checked and I have professional indemnity insurance.
Experience and Therapeutic Approach
As a practitioner, I have worked in a variety of settings including the NHS and charity organisations. I work mainly within a psychodynamic framework and I am particularly interested in contemporary psychoanalytic theory and models of practice, specifically mentalization-based therapy, and their application to attachment disorders. Despite my primary interest in psychodynamic psychotherapy, I make use of various models of therapy in my practice that I have been exposed to throughout my training and clinical experience, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Solution Focused, and Systemic.
I work integratively which means I draw from different theoretical approaches. I believe that psychological problems are seldom caused by just one source or situation, and that therefore a variety of strategies may be useful for achieving the desired outcome. I work collaboratively with my clients and I believe the quality of the working relationship is the most important component of counselling. I also believe that counselling is undertaken with a view to you leading a better life.
My Location
My counselling psychology practice is around 10 minutes drive from Chelmsford Railway Station in the new Channels housing development.
Major roads easily accessible from Chelmsford include the A130 (two minutes drive away) and the A12 (eight minutes drive away). The development is served by bus 51 which leaves from Chelmsford Bus Station every half hour.
There is street parking available and with prior arrangement parking is available on the drive outside my house.
Frequently Asked Questions
The length of your therapeutic treatment will very much depend on your unique circumstances and needs, with six sessions often recommended and a review after that.
Keep in mind that once you start therapy sessions, new issues and angles can arise you were not aware existed that you then want to explore. It is of course possible to also see improvement faster than you expected.
Yes, therapy sessions are confidential. The exception would be if you were to pose a danger to yourself or others, in which case the relevant parties would be notified.
Ideally you will attend all sessions together as a couple. In instances where one of you is unable to attend, I will see the person who can attend. The issues that arise in this individual session will then be shared at the next session when both partners are present.
In order to reserve a certain time slot just for you each week there will be a cancellation policy that applies. I will share this cancellation policy with you during your first appointment.
Individual Therapy Session fee £100.00
Couples Therapy Session fee £120.00
Private Medical insurance and corporate fee £100 to £130.00 per session
I will invoice you at the end of each month. Payments can be made by cash or bank transfer.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how psychotherapy works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to therapy, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07583 947233 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
© Lara Lopes de Jesus
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