Kennington · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Counselling and therapy for Kennington
Perhaps something has been sitting heavily on you in Kennington for a while and you can't yet put a name to it. That is a fine reason to get in touch. I see people individually, and since my only room is 87 minutes' drive away in Hove, we would usually meet by secure video, with the odd visit south whenever you'd like one.
The practical facts for Kennington
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Kennington by car
- About 87 minutes with clear roads (51.0 miles); longer at busy times.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- Lambeth Talking Therapies, 020 3228 6747
- Fees
- £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90, £120 for 120. The first 15-minute call is free.
- Registration
- BACP registered member, no. 109340 (check the register); UKCP student member in advanced psychotherapy training.
A Northern line junction a mile and a half from Charing Cross
Kennington sits barely a mile and a half from Charing Cross, and the tube station where the Charing Cross and Bank branches meet makes it an easy base for anyone working in the West End or the City.
Georgian terraces around Cleaver Square and Kennington Cross stand a short walk from large council estates, and neighbours on either side can live very different lives. Lambeth's own analysis of the 2025 Indices of Deprivation puts Kennington ward top of the borough for barriers to housing and services, and sixth of 25 wards overall. So a Kennington week can mean a crowded commute, a cramped or insecure home, or both. At the end of each summer the final Test match comes to the Oval, and Kennington Park is never far away. None of that stops a person feeling alone with something they haven't told anyone.
Starting from a vague sense that things have slipped
General counselling suits the moment before you've worked out what kind of help you need. It could be something definite: a bereavement, a relationship falling apart, or a housing worry keeping you up for months. Equally, you might only know that you've stopped enjoying things, that small setbacks floor you, or that your evenings now end with more drinks than they used to. Any of those is enough to start with. Over our opening sessions we sort through what weighs on you most and what tends to feed it, and whether it belongs to the present or to something older. From there we agree a focus, and I'll tell you honestly if another kind of support would sit better alongside or instead of our work. I've been a counsellor for over 25 years, and because I know recovery from the inside, drinking, shame, family history or anger can all be said out loud here. My work is integrative, with Internal Family Systems one thread in it, and the page about how I work goes further.
What a Kennington life can press on you
Close to the centre, short of room
Kennington ward leads Lambeth for barriers to housing and services, and living cramped, overpriced or on a waiting list wears away at sleep and patience.
The junction that never switches off
Two Northern line branches put the City and the West End minutes away, which is convenient until work starts following you home on the tube every night.
Neighbours who live very differently
Georgian squares and big estates side by side can make it easy to feel you don't fit in either, or to compare yourself constantly with the people next door.
Free wellbeing activities nearby
The Black Prince Trust runs a Community Living Room wellbeing programme and wellness walks from its Kennington hub, which can sit comfortably beside weekly sessions with me.
Public health figures for the area
These are local authority figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The figures describe a whole population over a period, not any one person.
Free and low-cost support for Kennington
Free help exists close by and works well alongside private sessions. South London and Maudsley runs Lambeth Talking Therapies, which you can contact yourself for anxiety and low mood. In the borough, the Lambeth Single Point of Access is how adults reach NHS mental health care, and South East London Mind also works locally. For people aged 14 to 35, OASIS Outreach and Support works from 190 Kennington Lane, and the Black Prince Trust runs free wellbeing activities.
- Free NHS talking therapyLambeth Talking Therapies020 3228 6747Free NHS talking therapy for anxiety, low mood and related difficulties. You can refer yourself, with no GP referral needed.
- If drinking or drug use is part of itLambeth Drug and Alcohol Service020 3228 1500Free and confidential.
- Local organisationLambeth HarbourRecovery community.
- Local organisationCarers' Hub Lambeth: Substance Misuse Carers service
- Local organisationSouth East London Suicide Bereavement Support (SEL Mind with South London and Maudsley)
- Local organisationAge UK Lambeth Magnolia Club (204 Kennington Lane group)Free weekly drop-in group for people affected by dementia.
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
If someone at home is hurting, threatening or controlling you, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 2000 247.
If you need urgent help now
If you need help right now, please don't wait for a session.
The South London NHS Mental Health Crisis Text Service (SLaM) is another option: WhatsApp 0303 330 1511 or text 80991.
If you drink heavily every day, or take drugs such as benzodiazepines or GHB daily, do not stop suddenly without medical advice. Withdrawal can cause seizures and can be dangerous. Your GP or the local drug and alcohol service can arrange medically assisted withdrawal. Call 999 or go to A&E if someone in withdrawal is shaking visibly, unusually restless or agitated, confused, seeing or hearing things that are not there, or has a fit. For milder symptoms, such as a slight tremor or sweating, contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day (NHS guidance). Counselling works alongside medical support, not instead of it.
What people in Kennington ask before starting
Could we ever sit in the same room if I live near Kennington Cross?
My one counselling room is in Hove, 87 minutes' drive from Kennington, or a tube ride to London Bridge or Victoria followed by a train south. So SE11 sessions are normally held on secure video, at a regular weekly hour, minus the travel. Now and then a Hove session can be planned, if in-person contact matters.
Is there a wait to see a counsellor from Kennington or Oval?
It opens with a free 15-minute chat on the phone or by video, wherever you are in Lambeth. Should we both want to continue, you choose from my real free slots, so there's no lengthy queue. You can also refer yourself to Lambeth Talking Therapies on 020 3228 6747 for anxiety or low mood, and many people use that NHS service alongside private sessions.
Where can I get help in Kennington if I'm in crisis tonight?
For Lambeth, South London and Maudsley's crisis text line answers on 80991, or by WhatsApp on 0303 330 1511. Where someone is in immediate danger in Kennington, ring 999 straight away. The urgent help box on this page lists further crisis contacts for Kennington and the rest of Lambeth.
My flat is small and shared. Can video counselling still work from Kennington?
It can, as long as you can find somewhere you won't be overheard for the hour. Some people sit in a parked car, a bedroom with music playing outside the door, or a quiet corner of Kennington Park on a mild day with headphones in. We can pick a time when your home is emptier, and change it if your situation shifts.
How much do sessions cost, and is the first call free?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, the same in person in Hove or by video. The first 15-minute call is free, with no obligation to book. There is no NHS referral needed to see me privately.
Talk it through first, from Kennington or Oval
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.