Greenwich · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Trauma therapy for Greenwich
If something frightening, last month or long ago, still reaches into your days in Greenwich, trauma counselling offers a steady place to work with it. You decide what's said and when, and you won't be pressed for details. From Greenwich we'd meet by secure video, since my only room is in Hove, about 87 minutes' drive away.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 999 or the Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night. More urgent help is on this page.
The practical facts for Greenwich
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Greenwich by car
- About 87 minutes with clear roads (67.7 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Greenwich, change at London Bridge for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- Greenwich Time to Talk, 020 3260 1100
- 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.
When the body stays on guard after the danger has gone
In Greenwich, trauma might belong to someone who works at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich and has carried home more emergencies than they've ever spoken about.
It might follow an assault, a bad night on the way back through London, a crowd that suddenly felt unsafe, or an accident on the road. It might be years of growing up in a house where you had to read every mood, or a relationship you've only recently left. Afterwards, the everyday noise of a busy riverside town, a siren, a slammed door, a packed DLR carriage, can set off an alarm before you know why. You might sleep badly, startle easily, keep so busy that nothing surfaces, or feel oddly numb with people you love. These are the reactions of a nervous system still trying to protect you from something that has already happened, and they say nothing about weakness.
Steadiness first, then the memory, at your pace
Trauma work with me starts with the present rather than the past. Early sessions build stability: learning to spot when a memory is starting to pull you under, and finding what anchors you in the room, such as your feet on the floor, the sounds outside the window or a slower out-breath. Only once that feels reliable do we turn towards what happened, in small pieces, and pausing is always allowed, with no explanation needed. You never need to tell the story in full. The Rewind Technique, for example, lets a memory be worked with while the details stay private to you. The ways you've coped, such as staying on high alert or shutting down, are respected here as forms of protection. Each session has a planned ending, and we think ahead about the half hour after it as well, so a difficult memory isn't followed straight by emails or the school run. If what happened was part of your work, on a ward or in an emergency, it deserves the same care as anything else. If you're already receiving NHS care for it, our sessions can run alongside, and we'd agree at the start how that works.
Support around trauma work in Greenwich
Women affected by domestic abuse
Woman's Trust offers free counselling to women affected by domestic abuse. It's worth asking them directly how soon they could see you.
After shifts at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Staff at the borough's acute hospital in Woolwich can be left shaken by emergencies, aggression or a death on shift. What happened at work still counts as trauma.
A message when speaking is too hard
Oxleas lists a south London crisis WhatsApp service that takes messages on 0303 330 1511 when saying things out loud feels impossible.
A local Samaritans branch
Lewisham, Greenwich and Southwark Samaritans have their branch at New Cross, and the line on 116 123 is free day and night, including when you're not sure it's bad enough to call.
Free and low-cost support for Greenwich
Private trauma counselling can sit beside free support. Cruse Bereavement Support - Greenwich helps after a death, which matters when a loss was sudden or shocking. South East London Mind's free counselling at Ormiston Road in Westcombe Park is another route, and Greenwich Time to Talk takes self-referrals where anxiety or low mood came in the wake of what happened.
- Free NHS talking therapyGreenwich Time to Talk020 3260 1100Free NHS talking therapy for anxiety, low mood and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You can refer yourself, with no GP referral needed.
- If drinking or drug use is part of itVia Greenwich0300 303 4552Free and confidential.
- Local organisationLewisham, Greenwich and Southwark SamaritansLocal Samaritans branch.
- Local organisationSouth East London Mind Greenwich - Monday Social Group (peer support)
- Local organisationWoman's TrustFree counselling charity for women affected by domestic.
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 have experienced rape or sexual abuse, at any time in your life, the Rape Crisis 24/7 Support Line is free on 0808 500 2222 for anyone aged 16 or over in England and Wales.
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 WhatsApp Service is another option: WhatsApp 0303 330 1511.
What people in Greenwich ask before starting
Will you want me to go over the details of what happened?
Only if and when you choose to. For the free call, it's enough to say there is something from the past you'd like help with. Early sessions are about feeling steadier. Further on, some methods let us work with a memory without you ever describing it aloud. You can decline any question at any point, and you never owe me a reason.
Is there free trauma counselling in Greenwich?
There isn't a general trauma service I can name in the borough. For women whose trauma comes from domestic abuse, Woman's Trust provides counselling free of charge. If anxiety or low mood followed a frightening experience, Greenwich Time to Talk, on 020 3260 1100, accepts self-referrals. Private trauma counselling with me can run beside either.
Is it safe to do trauma work by video from my home in Greenwich?
It can be, if home feels private and secure. Every session closes in a way we've agreed, with a few minutes to settle, and we plan your first hour afterwards. Keeping something comforting within reach can help. If someone at home could overhear, or home is connected to what happened, tell me first and we'll look at other options.
What if starting trauma counselling from Greenwich makes me feel worse for a while?
Feeling unsettled for a day or two after early sessions can happen, and we plan for it together, slowing down whenever you need. If it becomes too much, Samaritans are on 116 123, the south London crisis WhatsApp line takes messages on 0303 330 1511, and 999 is for immediate danger. Once we've had the free call, you'll hear plainly when I have space for a first video session.
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.
Begin gently, from a room you trust
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.