Counselling & Psychotherapy · London, Guildford, Online
Nobody gets through life without challenges.
When times are tough, talking is a way to figure things out.
Hi, I’m Athar
I've been on the other side of this…
I first came to therapy many years ago when I was experiencing challenges and difficulties in my personal life. I felt lost, anxious, and was struggling with overwhelming feelings that were preventing me from living my life in a meaningful way. I tried different types of therapy with various therapists and found that I didn't just get through the immediate difficulty - I began to understand myself in ways I hadn't expected. This was the beginning of my journey of understanding where patterns came from, my motivations and drivers, and what I was actually responding to when I thought I was responding to something else.
That's what eventually led me to studying and practicing therapy.
I've lived and been a part of many cultures both personally and professionally, and before retraining as a therapist I spent many years in the corporate world. I know about the pressure to perform continuously, and to present a version of oneself that doesn't quite match what's happening inside. These personal and professional experiences shape how I work with my clients.
I am now a practising counsellor under clinical supervision, completing my postgraduate training in integrative psychotherapy at a prestigious specialised college. Although I am already highly experienced with client work, I am in the advanced stages of my training, and my fees reflect where I am in that journey.
How I work, my core beliefs
Not everyone who comes to therapy knows exactly why. Sometimes there's a specific difficulty, other times it's something harder to articulate. Either way, we spend time exploring all of the things that feel important.
There are many things that shape our lives, with relationships having a significant impact on us one way or another, and hence a big part of why people come to therapy. We also live in increasingly challenging environments, with the pressures of day-to-day life leading us to have little time or space for deeper connections both within ourselves and our outside world.
All these factors can directly cause or contribute to feelings of unhappiness, frustration or discontent. In our work, we find ways to understand what is happening, why, what the underlying reasons are, and and how life moves forward from here.
I work with, and have experience working with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, life transitions, work-related stress, grief, identity, anger amongst other challenges.
How we work together, our process
I work both in person and online, and both have the same structure.
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We speak briefly for a few minutes, with no obligations. You can ask whatever you need to, and I will ask about what's brought you here. The point is to see whether it feels like a useful fit, for both of us, and if so, what sort of scheduling might work.
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Once we’ve found a time that works, the early sessions are about getting clarity and figuring out how we get along. We will use our time to explore what you're carrying, what you're hoping for, and what kind of help you actually want – so there's no pressure to have this worked out before we meet.
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Sessions are 50 minutes, weekly, ideally at the same time and day, but we can be flexible. From time to time we review how things are going, and what we can do differently if need be.
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When you're ready to stop, we plan for it. Endings matter in therapy so that they form part of the work, not just a postscript to it.
Getting in touch, and my fees
How to get in touch, and my fees.
If something here resonates, send me a message. You don't need to have everything figured out - a brief note about what's brought you here is enough to begin.
Email:hello@athar.care, and I aim to respond within 48 hours, including weekends.
My fees are £60 for a single session of 50 minutes for ongoing work, with discounts available for blocks of sessions.
You are not tied to a minimum number of sessions – we work at your pace and until you are ready to stop.
