Dr. Adrienne Baker PhD BSc CQSW UKCP Reg

To Discuss Therapy Or Request An Appointment -

Consulting Rooms (by appointment) View Map
16 Sheldon Avenue | Highgate | London | N6 4JT

UKCP Registered Psychotherapist

I provide Face to Face Counselling, Psychotherapy from £60.00

Fees: Individuals £60.00, Couples £60.00
Approximate length of one appointment: 50 minutes
Approximate length of therapy: usually months but willing to offer short term therapy where necessary.
Languages: English
Nearest Tube Station: Archway, East Finchley, Golders Green, Highgate.
Nearest Bus Stop: 210 bus from Archway or Golders Green.
I am in easy reach of: Highgate, Golders Green, Hampstead, Kilburn, Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park, Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Crouch End, Muswell Hill, Finchley, Holloway - North London.
Wheelchair access: No

Problems I work with: Addictions, Adolescence, Anxiety, Assertiveness, Confidence issues, Couple relationships, Creativity, Cultural issues, Inhibitions, Loneliness, Midlife crisis, Personal growth, Personal relationships, Self-development, Self-esteem, Stress, Transitions, Unresolved issues, Work issues and relationships

Clinical Experience in Counselling, Psychotherapy

‘It’s not what you tell that makes you vulnerable, it’s the secrets you keep.’ (Isabel Allende, 2008)

Starting therapy is often daunting. Lots of questions arise – ‘Will it help me?’, ‘May I feel even more vulnerable?’, ‘Will I become dependent on it?’

A first meeting when we look at these concerns helps to ‘demystify’ therapy, to explain what it’s all about and how it works. Together we’ll discuss how it helps to unravel the emotional knots that influence behaviour and spoil relationships.

Therapy is a process which facilitates insight into repeated patterns of self-destructive behaviour and of difficult relationships. It’s a joint endeavour between client and therapist and this relationship, which is a safe and trusting one, allows emotional healing and the growth of self-esteem.

The person lacking self-esteem struggles to feel valued. He or she may resort to false ‘solutions’ and self-destructive, often addictive, behaviour such as being a workaholic or succumbing to addictive shopping.

I am particularly interested in the way that people hold themselves back, wanting yet fearing change. Relevant to this are cultural background, the potential impact of change and the fear of destabilizing important relationships.

How I Work

I aim to give the client insight into the influence of the unconscious on relationships and behaviour. This approach helps understanding of the importance of the past and the recognition that what happened in childhood and adolescence has a profound effect on our current emotions and interactions.

I take into account the context of people’s lives – family, culture, religion, ethnicity – and to be respectful of the importance of these aspects of identity.

Clinical Training in Counselling, Psychotherapy

My early professional background was in social work. I also worked as a volunteer with the Samaritans.

I then trained in family therapy, including group therapy, and psychodynamic counselling. After completing the research for my PhD, I was appointed Lecturer and subsequently Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychotherapy & Counselling at Regent’s College, London and have practiced as a clinician and tutor ever since.

Additional Information from Dr. Adrienne Baker

I work at home in my consulting room where quiet and confidentiality are assured. It is a residential street with plenty of parking.

Something About Myself

I am both a keen gardener and an attentive responsive psychotherapist. Just as in a garden there may be dark corners inhibiting growth, so it is sometimes in people’s lives. Psychotherapy helps to cut back the emotional tangles and, within a safe relationship, tries to understand the bad feelings, where they’ve come from and to ask why they’re still lingering. Psychotherapy can begin to lighten the shadows.

Groups

A personal-professional development group for therapists can be arranged, meeting weekly, initially for four weeks. A group for women who shop addictively and who want to understand what underlies their addictive behaviour can also be arranged.

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Articles by Dr. Adrienne Baker

Clinical Supervision in London
I offer clinical supervision, weekly or fortnightly, to practising psychotherapists. My theoretical framework is psychodynamic but also includes insights from family therapy, emphasising the context of a client’s world, the value system...