Therapy for relationships, change and meaning

Psychosynthesis counselling in Farringdon, Streatham and online

We are so much more than our problems, though there are times when that is all we seem to be. Therapy is a brave space we make, where you can meet yourself honestly, without pretence and without shame.

You do not need to have worked out what it is first. The fifteen-minute call is free, and there is no obligation either way.

Book a free 15-minute call Book a session

BACP Registered Member badge, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, membership number 411804.

Sessions £70 for fifty minutes.

Alex Golding photographed in front of a wall of books.

Reasons people get in touch

What brings people here

Usually it is something particular. It might be depression, or anxiety, or the two together. It might be a relationship, or a change that has left you unsteady, or an unresolved trauma.

And sometimes it is not one particular thing, just a sense that life could be better, or a need to say out loud how it feels to be you.

You do not need to have worked out what it is before you come. That is what a first session is for.

There is a longer list of what we work with. If you have never done this before, what to expect the first time. And there is a page for men who have spent a long time not talking about any of it.

Psychosynthesis

Live the life you live

Do we grieve for the unlived life we should be having by now? Or fall short of living our ‘best life’? Worthy goals can leave us constantly reaching for happiness. Chasing ideal versions of ourselves can set us up for the impossible, only to leave us disappointed. So where is the balance between striving and accepting?

‘Live the life you live’ means getting closer to living the life we are actually in, here and now.

We become more able to be who we really are, rather than a composite of who we think we should be. We communicate with a deeper honesty and clarity towards ourselves and others; the quality of our contact becomes more true, and less performed. Our change brings change.

There is great relief in knowing and valuing who we are enough to be who we are, defined from the inside, and bringing more of ourselves into our relationships, freer to live the life we live.

I am a unified or integrated person in that moment, and hence I can be whatever I deeply am.

Carl Rogers, The Carl Rogers Reader, p119

Seagulls circling high overhead with the sun behind them. — Essaouira, Morocco. Photograph by Alex Golding.

Wholeness is to live what is. Acceptance of ourselves, rather than the ideal we are trying to match, is what makes change possible.

More on psychosynthesis and what happens in a session →

We are both Being and Becoming in the same breath.

Diana Whitmore, Psychosynthesis Counselling in Action

Beginning and what to expect

How it works

The free 15-minute call

Free, informal and confidential, and it lasts fifteen minutes. There is no commitment on either side, just a chance to explore the potential of working together, have basic questions answered and share any concerns you may have.

The call is an option, not a step. If you would rather just try a session, book one directly and make a start.

The first session

Fifty minutes, in person or online, a relaxed conversation. Understanding what has brought you to therapy: the underlying feelings, overwhelming thoughts or patterns causing distress. Beginning to tell your story, your hopes or fears, at your own pace and in confidence. By the end, hopefully, a sense of connection. If this is your first time, what to expect.

Type of therapy

Psychosynthesis is a broad and hopeful approach. It starts from the position that who you really are is more than the conflicts and habits currently taking up the room. I also draw on humanistic and integrative psychology, and shape the work around what suits you, within a clear ethical framework. More on psychosynthesis.

How many sessions

How long therapy takes depends on each person: background, needs, budget, consistency, willingness. I can work short term or long term, with an initial commitment of six sessions normally advised. That is not something to judge in advance. We would get a clearer sense once we have met.

Alex Golding sitting in his consulting room, a plant to one side and a deep orange wall behind him.

About Alex

Who you would be talking to

I am a psychosynthesis counsellor, working in Farringdon, Streatham and online. I spent years in the arts before I trained, and I have forty years of putting Buddhist humanism into action.

I have sat in both chairs. I have been the client as well as the therapist, and I have not forgotten what the first of those is like.

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis Counselling, awarded by the Psychosynthesis Trust on a course accredited by the BACP and the UKCP. Registered member of the BACP, no. 411804. DBS certified and in regular supervision.

More about how I work →

“An incredibly warm, empathetic and thought-provoking therapist. Alex’s approach to therapy is incredibly refreshing, and he has made a marked difference to my mental health journey. I highly recommend his services. If you’re hesitant about starting therapy, I’d encourage you to book a session with him - I’m confident it will put any doubts you may have at ease.”

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“Alex was a huge support for me, providing flexibility to me and understanding across all matters of life. When I first reached out to him it was as daunting as ever, however it was the best decision I ever made. Alex has helped me so much along my journey and I am proud to say he will always be considered a friend. I would always recommend anyone to him no matter the severity of their struggles or who they are. Exceptional man.”

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Where we meet