About me

Before becoming a psychotherapist, I lived and worked across Europe and the Gulf, and I bring this rich experience into my practice. Having spent many years in the corporate world, I understand the impact of cultural, societal, and professional pressures on one’s sense of self.

I have subsequently re-trained at the British Psychotherapy Foundation and the WPF Therapy. I am registered full member of

I worked as an Honorary Counsellor at the NHS, specifically with the Community Living Well service under the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. This role has provided me with valuable experience in delivering psychological therapies to a diverse client base, further enriching my practice.

You will also find me on Psychology Today and the Counselling Directory.

I adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Volunteering experience:

Volunteering is the thread that weaves service, social justice and personal growth into a single practice. Whether offering weekly emotional-and-practical support to blind and partially sighted Londoners through BlindAid, or working in the camps of Lesbos at the height of the European refugee crisis, I have witnessed how even brief acts of solidarity can restore dignity on both sides of the helping relationship. Those months on Lesbos also led me to spend two years producing the feature-length documentary Citizen Xenos, which follows Syrian families, local residents and international volunteers as they navigate the upheavals of displacement and welcome during one of the most significant humanitarian challenges of our time. The insights forged in these settings now inform and enliven my therapeutic perspective, reminding me every day that resilience, hope and the longing to be truly seen transcend all borders.

Paraglider soaring over a shimmering ocean with hills in the foreground, as a metaphor for the work of psychodynamic psychotherapy that often may resemble a deep dive into the unknown.

Contact form

valia.psychotherapy@gmail.com

Talking Therapy Room in Central London, for individual and couples therapy, as well as psychoanalytic therapy on the couch.