Hampstead Therapy Practice

While we believe a sound theoretical structure to be essential for the ethic therapist, we strive to deliver not a theory-driven but a relationship-driven therapy. Psychotherapy is a gradual unfolding process, where the therapist gets to know the person and assists them in untangling the features of their current reality.

One of the most important tasks of therapy is to create a space where you can meet yourself – to discover who you are. The meaning of your existence, the phenomenology of your experience, taking ownership of your way of being in the world, the observation of the everydayness and the wholeness of your humanity, in the frame of authenticity, freedom and responsibility, are explored in the therapeutic space, in a spirit of acceptance, dialogue and openness.

Eleonora: I have graduated from Regent's University London with a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy, after completing my certificate in psychotherapy – also at Regent's. I have trained as an existential psychoanalyst at the New School for Existential Psychoanalysis in San Francisco. I am a member of the SEA (Society for Existential Analysis) and a registered member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – membership number: 395409), and I am bound by their code of conduct and ethics. I have two previous master's degrees, one in history of art from Université Lyon 2 (France) and one in journalism from Luiss University, Rome.

I am influenced in my work by a range of modalities, especially existential philosophy, psychodynamic theory and Jungian analytic psychology. The existential approach of depth psychotherapy, which is at the structural core of my work, draws from multiple sources: psychoanalysis and psychiatry, as well as philosophy and literature.

David: I have worked for over 30 years with people who have struggled with a range of internal, relational, & environmental challenges. This includes: difficult thoughts & experiences of madness; stuck behaviour patterns (such as addictions); persistent sadness & depression; drastic mood swings; relationship and family difficulties; loneliness; thoughts of life-and-death; trauma; identity and sexuality questions; and other difficult life situations. I focus on working with adults, including young adults (18-25) and their questions about the world-as-it-is. I also work with men of all ages on questions of masculinity and manhood.

My style is rooted in the psychoanalytic & client-centred therapies, approaches that embody: Authenticity, Deep Reflection, and Accurate Empathy. My work and personal experiences have helped me develop a sensitivity to, and a comfort with, the myriad of ways that people express their pain, their questions, and their desires.

I believe the most important aspects of a helpful therapist are: someone that listens deeply and reflectively; refrains from giving too much advice or information; helps patients speak themselves more clearly and more deeply; listens to others' pain without trying to solve anything or fix them; and makes effective use of the therapy relationship.