City Psychotherapy London
City Psychotherapy London
Your Therapist
About Diane Griffiths, BA (HONS), MA, Dip Counselling, PG Dip Psychotherapy Studies,
Dip Psychosexual Therapy, Dip Supervision, MBACP (Reg)
Person Centred Counsellor
I am an experienced and established Person Centred Counsellor, qualified in sex and relationship therapy, and psychotherapy for boarding school issues. I have worked with individuals since 1996, and with couples since 2011.
I have based the majority of my counselling practice in the City of London from rooms in Fleet Street, EC4 since 2004, and I have therefore acquired a fair understanding of the culture and of the pressures of working within the professions associated with the City, At the moment I continue to offer solely online appointments.
Fleet Street, EC4 London
A Safe and Confidential Space
I offer a respectful, sensitive, honest, empathic and collaborative approach. I am committed to supporting people to tap back in to their own resources in order to solve problems or make changes in their lives. Please note, I am offering solely online appointments at the present time.
Online sessions
I offer online video sessions (Zoom or Skype) for individuals and couples.
My Main Areas of Experience
Individuals and Couples
I work with both individuals and couples on either a long or short-term basis, bearing in mind your own particular wishes or need. The fee for individual appointments is £70 and for couples; is £90.
The list below covers a number of the most common presenting issues, but if you do not find your particular concern or worry identified here, please do not assume that it is not something that can be addressed. You are free to discuss anything with me that concerns or worries you. Feel free to contact me for a brief initial discussion via phone or email.
Couple counselling
I work with couples on a long and short term basis at any stage of their relationship to improve communication, negotiation and compromise, to develop intimacy, throughout separation and divorce, recovery from affairs and betrayals, sexual differences and difficulties. I also work with couples to understand and resolve the impact on the relationship of bereavement, trauma, childhood related issues, addiction, depression, work related stress, infertility, family related issues and cultural differences. I see couples of every sexual and gender orientation.
Relationship difficulties
If your relationship issue is with your partner, it can be helpful for you to attend couple counselling together. However, sometimes it maybe that the issues are due to conflict or other difficulties in relation to friends or family, work colleagues or your boss, or with your children. You might be feeling lonely, or find it hard to make or keep friends, or perhaps you are single, and don’t wish to be. If you would like support and understanding to help address the issue, feel free to contact me.
Boarding School issues
If you are an ex-boarder it may be that you feel affected by your time at boarding school and wishes to explore your experience.
Depression
Symptoms can vary and include feeling low, difficulty with sleeping, irritability, negative thoughts, a sense of hopelessness and, sometimes, thoughts about not wanting to live any more. The causes can vary and can arise out of a situation of ongoing and unmanageable stress, perhaps at work, or maybe as a result of a series of rapid personal changes and/or losses, for instance, the end of a relationship, or as a result of a bereavement. The roots of depression can also reside in a person’s early years. Your GP can prescribe medication to alleviate the worst of the symptoms, if you wish. Therapy can also help alleviate symptoms, and can help understand and address underlying causes, as well as offer an opportunity to make changes in order to avoid relapse in the future.
Stress and Anxiety
Perhaps you are feeling constantly nervous or on edge, irritable, with physical symptoms of a dry mouth, sweatiness, or maybe you are having panic attacks. Your GP can prescribe medication to alleviate the worst of the symptoms, if you wish, whilst therapy can help understand and address the underlying causes, as well as make changes to avoid relapse in the future.
Low Self-Esteem Self-Confidence
Do you find yourself holding a low opinion of yourself, constantly comparing yourself to others, with a tendency to self-criticism, and a belief that nothing you do is ever good enough? Perhaps you find yourself frequently attempting to please others, finding it hard to say ‘No’, and too often ending up feeling worthless and resentful.
Bereavement and Loss
You may be suffering painful and confusing feelings of loss due to a recent bereavement, or it may be that the loss was years ago, and you nevertheless struggle to move on. Other losses may not be due to bereavement, but may involve loss through divorce, or the ending of a relationship, financial loss, redundancy or ill health
Trauma
Trauma involves experiencing an extremely difficult, potentially overwhelming, or life-threatening event, or series of events. If you are struggling to cope, and are feeling affected by what has happened, whether it is in the recent or more distant past, I can help.
Concerns with regard to alcohol use
Perhaps you are concerned about the amount of alcohol you are using, or would like to feel more in control of what you drink, or drink less often. Feel free to contact me if you would like to talk to me about this,
About Diane
Experience
Independent Practice , NHS, Voluntary, Clinical Supervision
I have worked primarily in independent practice, although I have had some experience working within the NHS (GP Surgery/Primary Care) and within the voluntary sector (bereavement and alcohol counselling, as well as supporting survivors of sexual abuse and their families via individual counselling and a telephone helpline. I offer clinical supervision to experienced and trainee counsellors on an individual basis and within group settings.
I am a member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and abide by the Ethical Framework for Good Practice.
As a requirement of membership of the above associations, I consult on a monthly basis and in absolute confidence with a counselling supervisor regarding my work in order to support and maintain best practice.
I hold Professional Indemnity Insurance.
I have Advanced Disclosure & Barring clearance (DBS).
Qualifications
BA (HONS), MA, Dip COUNSELLING, Dip SUPERVISION, MBACP (Reg)
Dip Integrative Psychosexual Therapy, Centre for Psychosexual Health, 2011
Cert Person Centred Couple Counselling, Counselling Works, 2009
Cert Psychosexual Health, Centre for Psychosexual Health, 2007
Cert CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and Mindfulness, 2007
Dip Working with Addiction, CPPD, 2002
Dip Working with Survivors of Abuse, CPPD, 2001
Dip Person Centred Counselling, Metanoia Institute, 2000/
PG Dip Contemporary Person Centred Psychotherapy Studies, 2018
Continuing Professional Development
I have completed the taught-part of a Diploma-level training in Specialist Psychotherapy with Ex-Boarders, 2018
I have completed the taught-part of an Advanced Diploma in Couples Therapy, NAOS, 2019
I am about to embark on a specialist couples therapy training in November 2020 in Imago Relationship Therapy.
I also hold a BA First Class (Hons) in English Literature, and an MA in English Literature: Modern Literary Cultures.
Professional Associations
Connect With Us
Internet Privacy and Cookies Policy Who I am and What I collect and use I, Diane Griffiths, do not collect, use or disseminate any personal information about you via this website. Personal information is restricted to your mobile phone number and email address and only collected once a counselling, psychotherapy or coaching contract is entered into and is not held on this website; these are held using your first name and an initial only on a hand-written contact list which is used solely to contact you using your initials only on my mobile phone and your email address is on my contacts list which is used solely to contact you. I do not use my contact list for research, sale or advertising. This is regulated under the General Data Protection Regulation which applies across the European Union including the United Kingdom and we are responsible as ‘controller’ of that personal information. If a testimonial (for marketing purposes) is offered your name will be changed to protect your confidentiality. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of third parties that I do not own or control. Who I share your personal information with I do not share your personal information with anyone. I make very brief abbreviated hand-written notes after some sessions in order to remind myself of the theme of our discussions. These notes are identified with your initials only and the date of the session. I adhere to a Code of Conduct and ethical requirement under the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists' (BACP) Ethical Framework; the limits to that confidentiality include my legal requirement to report to a relevant authority any current terrorist activity, money laundering, people trafficking, and child abuse (that cannot be resolved within the context of sessions). I receive professional supervision from a qualified and experienced professional, accredited supervisor who is bound by the same code of ethics and conduct; the BACP. How long do I keep your personal data? Once your sessions with me have ended all your personal data is deleted. Your Rights Under the General Data Protection Regulation you have a number of important rights free of charge. In summary, those include rights to: Fair processing of information and transparency over how I use your personal information Access to your personal information and to any other supplementary information that this Privacy Notice is already designed to address Require me to correct any mistakes in your information which I hold Require the erasure of personal information concerning you in certain situations Receive the personal information concerning you which you have provided to me, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit those data to a third party in certain situations Object at any time to processing of personal information concerning you for direct marketing Object in certain other situations to my continued processing of your personal information Otherwise restrict my processing of your personal information in certain circumstances For further information on each of those rights, including the circumstances in which they apply, see the Guidance from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on individuals’ rights under the General Data Protection Regulation. If you would like to exercise any of those rights, please: email me at diane@citypsychotherapy.london Let me have enough information to identify you (e.g. your name and email address), Let me know the information to which your request relates Keeping your personal information secure I have appropriate security measures in place to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost, or used or accessed in an unauthorised way. I limit access to your personal information to those who have a genuine business need to know it which is only to relevant authorities and under legally required circumstances. Those processing your information will do so only in an authorised manner and are subject to a duty of confidentiality. I also have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data security breach. I will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where I am legally required to do so. How to Complain I hope that I can resolve any query or concern you raise about my use of your information. The General Data Protection Regulation also gives you right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in my case that is the BACP, or the European Union (or European Economic Area) state where you work, normally live or where any alleged infringement of data protection laws occurred. The supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner who may be contacted at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ or by telephone: 0303 123 1113. Cookie Policy What Are Cookies? Cookies are bits of information (memory files) stored in your browser by sites you visit. As is common practice with almost all websites, this site uses cookie to improve your experience by remembering your preferences and enable other cookie-based features (e.g. analytics). Our Cookies When you submit data through a form such as those found on contact pages or comment forms, cookies may be set to remember your user details for future correspondence. In order to provide you with a better experience and remember your preferences, we need to set cookies so that this information can be called whenever you interact with a page. Third-Party cookies In special cases, we also use cookies provided by trusted third parties like Google Analytics. Third party analytics are used to track and measure usage of this site so that we can continue to produce engaging content. How To Disable Cookies? Most browsers let you refuse to accept cookies. See your browser Help or Tool for how to do this. Be aware that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of this and many other websites you visit. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not disable cookies. Changes to this Privacy Policy This privacy notice was first published on 25th May 2018. I may change this privacy notice from time to time. You should check this policy occasionally to ensure you are aware of the most recent version. How to Contact me Please contact me if you have any questions about this privacy notice or the information I hold about you. If you wish to contact me, please send an email to diane@citypsychotherapy.london or write to:- The Fleet Street Practice 4th floor 89 Fleet Street London EC4Y 1DH