Kingston upon Thames · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Counselling and therapy for Kingston upon Thames
This page is for people in Kingston upon Thames who want to talk to a therapist and aren't sure where to begin. I work one to one, and with couples, mostly by secure video for anyone this far from my room in Hove. The first conversation is a free call, with no pressure to carry on.
The practical facts for Kingston upon Thames
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Kingston upon Thames by car
- About 74 minutes with clear roads (52.9 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Kingston, change at Clapham Junction for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- Kingston Talking Therapies, 020 3513 4440
- 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.
Behind the tills, the lecture halls and the bridge
Kingston is one of the biggest retail centres in the UK, drawing about 18 million visitors a year, and somebody has to staff all of that.
If you work at the Bentall Centre, John Lewis or one of the shops and restaurants in the town centre, your weekends are probably other people's leisure time. Kingston University and Kingston College add a large student population, and if you're one of those students you may be fitting study around a job in those same shops. South Western Railway trains run up through Wimbledon to Waterloo, and at the end of the day the town thins out into quieter streets in Norbiton, Coombe Hill and along the river by Canbury Gardens. You can spend the whole day surrounded by shoppers and still go home with nobody to talk to about how you really are.
One to one, or the two of you together
You might be coming because of anxiety, low mood, a bereavement, burnout, or a drinking habit you'd like to understand better. You might also be coming because your relationship is the thing that hurts, and you'd like help talking without it turning into the same old row. I see individuals and couples, and I don't work from a script. If you're weighing up the options in the borough, the differences are mostly practical. Kingston Talking Therapies costs nothing, and anxiety or low mood is reason enough to contact it directly. The Mind in Kingston Counselling Service needs no referral either, but it is fee-paying, runs to up to 12 sessions after an assessment, and currently works by phone or online. Private work with me has no fixed end point, you choose who you see, and the two of you can come together. If your hours at the Bentall Centre, John Lewis or a town centre restaurant change with the rota, we'd use the first call to look for a time that can survive a changing shift pattern. Students at Kingston University or Kingston College can fit a video hour between lectures and part-time work. For couples, a 90 or 120-minute session gives each of you more time to be heard. I've been in practice for over 25 years and I bring lived experience of recovery.
Some starting points
Weekends that belong to customers
Retail and hospitality hours in one of the UK's biggest retail centres, leaving you tired, short of time with friends, and dreading the busiest weeks of the year.
Study stacked on shifts
Deadlines at Kingston University or Kingston College piled on top of part-time work, money worries and too little sleep.
Two rotas, one relationship
When one or both of you work weekends in the town centre, time together shrinks and rows fill the gap. Couples sessions give each of you room to be heard.
Grief that hasn't softened
A loss that still sits heavily months or years later. Kingston Bereavement Support is a local charity, and private sessions can run alongside it or after it.
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 Kingston upon Thames
There's free and charity help in the borough too. Mind in Kingston runs drop-in cafes at the Alfriston Day Centre in Surbiton, with no booking needed, and Kingston Carers' Network supports people looking after someone. Kingston Samaritans has been listening locally since 1968, and its 170 volunteers answered more than 26,500 calls in 2024. For drug and alcohol support, the route is Kingston Wellbeing Service, run by Via.
- Free NHS talking therapyKingston Talking Therapies020 3513 4440Free 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 itKingston Wellbeing Service (KWS)0300 303 4614Run by Via. Free and confidential.
- Local organisationKingston Bereavement Support
- Local organisationKingston Carers' Network
- Local organisationMind in Kingston Drop-in CafésMental health drop-in café.
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
Private counselling with me can run alongside any of these; you do not have to choose one or the other.
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 is another option: 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 Kingston upon Thames ask before starting
Do I need a GP referral for counselling in Kingston upon Thames?
No. You can ring Kingston Talking Therapies yourself on 020 3513 4440 about anxiety or low mood, and the Mind in Kingston Counselling Service is open without referral to adults who live, work or study in the borough. With me you simply book the free 15-minute call. Where drugs or alcohol are the main concern, Kingston Wellbeing Service, run by Via, is on 0300 303 4614.
Can my partner and I do couples therapy online from Kingston?
Yes. You sit side by side in front of one screen somewhere private, and the session runs much as it would in a room. A closed door matters more than the equipment. If home feels too tense, the drive to Hove is about 74 minutes, so an occasional in-person session is possible but rarely the weekly answer.
How soon could I start counselling from Kingston?
The free 15-minute call comes first. We talk briefly about what's happening and what you'd like from therapy, and you can ask me anything about how I work. If it feels right on both sides, we set a first session and look for a regular time that fits around your shifts or commute.
What if I'm in crisis tonight in Kingston?
Please don't wait for a counselling appointment. Kingston Hospital on Galsworthy Road has a 24/7 Emergency Department. You can text 80991 for the South London NHS Mental Health Crisis Text Service, and the Kingston Recovery Hub is an out-of-hours crisis cafe at the Alfriston Centre in Surbiton. Samaritans answer on 116 123.
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.
A free call now, a decision later
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.