Stephanie Bushell
About the Therapist
I am a highly qualified, experienced and compassionate psychotherapist who has worked for almost 15 years therapeutically with clients from age 5 to 79, from all around the world. I combine a robust theoretical training with warmth, kindness and insight and I work with both individuals and relationships. I am trained to work with full spectrum of gender, sex and relationship diversity. I am particularly interested in supporting people dealing with sexual issues, whether alone or partnered. Sex can be an important part of any relationship. It can also be hard to resolve such private problems at times, when the impression we get from the media is that everyone else finds it easy. I understand that sex can be hard to talk about for some people. I offer a space free from judgement and with a deeply compassionate understanding of shame. Specific issues I work with include (but are not limited to):
- Loss of desire
- Mismatched desire
- Difficulty with orgasm
- Sexual compulsions
- Painful sex
- Kinks & fetishes
- Problematic porn use
- Erection problems
- Ejaculation problems
- Sexual shame
Psychosexual therapy was part of my core couples training, but I am now deepening my skills and knowledge by completing a specialist sex and relationship training at the Contemporary Institute for Clinical Sexology. This is a COSRT accredited course which is also Pink Therapy endorsed. This means that the full diversity of gender, sexuality and relationship type, are included on an equal basis on the curriculum.
- Lesbian
- Queer
My Qualifications I have spent over 10 years in total undergoing therapy training, the vast majority of which was at a postgraduate level. This means that it involved the study of in-depth and complex theory, deep thinking and reflection. It also involved critically supervised practice and ongoing critique and feedback on my integrity and the personal qualities required to be a competent practicing therapist. I have an MSc in Therapeutic Counselling for which I gained a merit.  I was awarded the MSc after four years of academically rigorous and experiential study, as well as hands on experience working face to face with clients while having my work examined and critiqued by peers and tutors. I have a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Couple and Individual Counselling and Psychotherapy from Tavistock Relationships, known internationally for offering the highest of standards in couple psychotherapy training. I am currently completing a Diploma in Sex & Relationship Therapy at the Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology, a COSRT accredited and Pink Therapy endorsed training. I also have a Certificate in Counselling for Addicted Gamblers from the University of Salford and I have worked with this client group and their families for over five years. I have a Certificate in Using Video Conferencing to Conduct Online Therapy from the Online Therapy Institute which ensures that I practice ethically and competently while working via Zoom. This is in addition to a Certificate in Online Counselling Skills. I'm qualified to supervise the work of other counsellors and psychotherapists too, since I have a Diploma in Integrative Supervision from the Minster Centre. Professional Body The role of a professional body is to set standards of practice and provide accountability. So membership indicates that I have had to prove a certain level of experience and competence, and it gives you as the client somewhere to go if you were to feel that I was working in a way that was not ethical. I am a registered, Senior Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and abide by their Ethical Framework. Here is a link to my entry on the BACP register: https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/36602/stephanie-bushell/peckham-se15 The register to which I belong is vetted and approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care and has been accredited under a scheme set up by the Department of Health and administered by an independent body, accountable to Parliament. In order to become a Senior Accredited member I had to give extensive evidence that I have reached a certain level of competence and experience through having completed hundreds of hours of practice and continuing professional development, have this verified by other professionals, and prove that I have a clear understanding in theory and practice of the ethical and professional standards held by the BACP. I am also a member of the Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists Online (ACTO) who ensure the highest standards for people conducting therapeutic work online. I am currently a student member of CORST, the professional body for sex and relationship therapists.
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My Approach I am trained integratively which means that I have been taught to make use of a number of different approaches to counselling and therapy. Since completing my training however, I have gradually specialised more and more in the direction of psychodynamic therapy. This is a complex approach, but it can be summarised in two main ways: Firstly, it's an approach which aims to help you to understand how your past has impacted the way that you are today. Understanding the 'whys' of your life can help you to have compassion for yourself. This in turn can enable you to make choices that are for your good, instead of ones that might be self destructive. Secondly, psychodynamic therapy seeks to make you more conscious of things that are outside of your awareness, but may nevertheless be having a powerful impact on your life. For example, you may 'find yourself' always having relationships with the same kind of pattern, without fully understanding why. Psychodynamic therapy can help you to become aware of the unconscious motivations that lead you into repeated patterns. This awareness then empowers you to make different choices. All of this is underpinned by a Person Centred approach, also part of my original training. This is a way of working which focusses on your inherent value as a person and the belief that each individual has the internal resources needed to grow. Person Centred counselling has three core conditions at its foundation: Unconditional Positive Regard - my stance of accepting you just as you are, unconditionally and without judgement; Empathic Understanding - my skills in putting myself in your shoes, seeing the world through your eyes and communicating that to you; and Congruence - my authenticity and genuineness. You will be sitting opposite a human being with a beating heart, not a cold professional facade. My primary training also included the use of cognitive behavioural skills. I use this to work with phobias and with some psychosexual presentations. In addition to the above, I have also received extensive training in relationship psychotherapy, which is a primary interest of mine. I hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Couple Psychotherapy. I work with couples of all sexualities, including open and polyamorous relationships. I am further deepening my knowledge and skills in sex therapy through further training in this area, too, via a Diploma in Sex & Relationships Therapy from the Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology - a CORST accredited and Pink Therapy endorsed course. In the past I have worked as a Play Therapist for primary aged children. Though I no longer do this work, I find that these ways of working are very transferable to adults and are particularly useful when it's hard to put things into words. Creative ways of working like these (such as drawing, painting, drama, visualisation, clay work and sand tray) are not for everyone though, and I would never insist on a client using them if they didn't feel comfortable. Experience I have been working as a qualified therapist since 2009. During that time I have worked as a therapist in primary schools, universities and various charities. I have also worked as a lecturer for counselling degree courses in various London universities and colleges.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Couple therapy
- Integrative
- Person-Centred
- Psychodynamic
- Relationship therapy
- Ace | Asexual
- Bi- | Pansexual
- Consensual non-monogamy
- Cross-dresser
- Intersex
- Lesbian
- Non-binary | Genderqueer
- Queer
- Questioning
- Survivors of attempted conversion therapy
- Trans
- One to one
- Two people
- Three or more people
- No adaptation
- Adults
- Seniors (60+)
- Online
- In Person
Individual sessions £85 Couples/relationships £105 Sessions are available online or face to face. Assessment sessions are the same prices as regular sessions.
Concession slots are currently all taken.Â
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