Alexandra Pacher PhD, DipCouns, MBACP
Counselling and Psychotherapy in Teddington, London
"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination."
(Carl Rogers)
Hello, and a warm welcome to my website
Are you feeling low, worried, or hopeless? Are you facing significant life changes or ongoing stress, which keeps you up at night?
All these challenges can impact your sense of who you are, your self-esteem, your relationships, and other aspects of your life. I am here to create a warm and confidential space where you can explore your feelings and thoughts and gain insights into what may be distressing you.
I firmly believe that each individual has the ability to discover their own unique path to overcoming life's challenges. My role is to listen and reflect by walking alongside you and to facilitate our therapeutic relationship as a container for your healing.
My background is in medical research, and before I trained as a psychotherapist, I spent many years in the corporate industry, gaining firsthand experience of the challenges most of us encounter in today’s fast-paced world. Mental health is becoming a major concern, and the pressure to meet deadlines, handle a lot of work and, at the same time, keep a healthy work-life balance and deal with personal relationships and life events can be really challenging. If you don’t manage that stress, it can lead to anxiety and depression.
My qualification and professional memberships
I hold a Diploma in Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling, which encompasses Person-centred therapy, Gestalt therapy and Transactional Analysis. As a member of both BACP and UKCP, I adhere to the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
How I can help you
My practice
Based in Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond, I work with adults who face emotional challenges such as stress, burnout, depression, or anxiety, which can be caused by trauma and other life experiences.
My therapeutic approach is rooted in empathy, acceptance without judgement, and a holistic view of you as a unique human being. As a humanistic counsellor, I respect your individuality and support you in exploring your relationship with yourself and the world around you.
To help you understand yourself better in the light of the challenges you are facing, I have integrated various techniques from several schools of humanistic psychotherapy. Together, we will look at your experiences from different angles so you gain more awareness of yourself, and help you make sense of what has been going on and how it has been affecting you. We will tailor our sessions to meet your specific needs and develop strategies to manage your challenges. Increasing your self-awareness will empower you to recognise your choices and make positive life changes.
I specialise in stress & anxiety, depression, trauma & PTSD, and living with adult ADHD.
Trauma therapy
If you think that you may be experiencing early trauma or PTSD symptoms, we will explore various aspects of your personal history to identify potential triggers that could be contributing to your current challenges. Recognising the depth of your distress and any emotions you may have repressed in the past, we will proceed cautiously and at a pace that allows you to confront and work through these feelings effectively before advancing to the next stage of exploration. Many clients I work with start to feel better after a short period of time, and typically, their emotional wellbeing keeps improving as they continue their therapeutic journey.
Living with adult ADHD
Getting an ADHD diagnosis as an adult can be challenging.
You may experience a shift in your self-perception, which can cause you confusion or doubt about your capabilities and past behaviours. Or you may struggle with the stigma attached to ADHD, which can lead to a sense of shame or embarrassment. Your usual coping mechanisms might be questioned, disrupting your life, and you may need support during this adjustment period to develop more effective strategies for self-management.
I am here to help you deal with these challenges and explore your personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. With the right support, a diagnosis can eventually provide a sense of validation, explain past difficulties and offer clarity and a framework for understanding yourself better.
How counselling can help
Speak in confidence
Counselling takes place in a safe space in the Wellbeing Centre Teddington, where I will listen to your story with sensitivity, empathy and without judgement. In the therapy space you can express your thoughts and feelings freely and in confidence.
A problem shared...
Many people face difficulties in their everyday lives that can be hard to get on top of. Counselling gives me a set of tools I can use to help you gain a better understanding of what is causing these problems, and how you can move towards managing or resolving them.
Make better, healthier new choices
Working together, I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and explore your options to make better, healthier choices moving forward.
What issues can I help you with?
Clients come to me for support for a wide range of issues:
Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety & Stress
ADHD
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Relationship conflict and divorce
Borderline Personality Disorder
Self Esteem
Self-Harming
Codependency
Narcissistic Abuse
Suicidal Ideation
Women's Issues
Depression
Domestic Abuse
Emotional Disturbance
Family Conflict
Life Transitions
Mood Disorders
Burnout
Work-Related Stress
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Recommendations
Sessions & fees
I offer counselling in both English and German language.
Sessions typically take place on a weekly basis and last 50 minutes, with a cost of £65 per session.
If you are interested in online therapy, I can offer sessions via Zoom.
I am registered as a provider with private insurers Cigna, Vitality and General&Medical.
Please contact me if you would like to learn more or to arrange your first session.
Location
My sessions take place at the Wellbeing Centre Teddington, Station Rd, TW11 9AA. I work with clients from nearby areas including Hampton Hill, Isleworth, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, and Twickenham.
Get in touch
Please send me an email if you have any questions about how counselling works or to arrange an initial chat. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on +44 7555654430 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first.
I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required
On work days, I aim to respond to your enquiries within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between counselling and therapy?
Counselling is usually a good way to help with a current problem; something that can be discussed and - hopefully - resolved within a limited number of sessions. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and away forward becomes clear. Therapy often describes work that goes a bit deeper, towards more substantial life issues and problems having a deeper effect on the client’s life. Therapy often requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open ended.
Which option is most suitable depends on the client and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling works well as an ongoing, longer-term option, or therapy can manage to resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
How long will I need to have counselling?
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depends on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on an initial number of sessions, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange the counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availability. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availability of that free ‘slot’.
Will everything I say be kept confidential?
Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find that the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.
Please note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others. In such cases the law requires that I notify an authority, which means that I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.
Can I bring a friend or relative with me?
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. Having someone else with you, who can be connected those issues, makes this opening up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.