Victoria O'Callaghan
About the Therapist
My background researching how we understand our genders, sexualities and communicate these to the world around us through our bodies and identities continues to influence my clinical work.
The ideas we hold regarding change and transition - what we think is possible for ourselves - are central to my practice. I work with people from all walks of life who are experiencing difficulties and feelings of anxiety, confusion, and loss that can colour times of transition in our lives.
I specialise in working with gender, sexuality and relationship diversity GSRD, and with LGBTQIA+ individuals. I am experienced in supporting individuals through gender and sexuality-oriented life transitions.
I am experienced in being alongside creative professionals and young adults navigating the challenges and opportunities for growth accompanying the complex changes involved in moving into adulthood. These can be confusing times in life where the consistent support of a therapeutic relationship can provide a moment to pause, reflect on what is taking place and think about how to move forward. I have a special interest in working with diagnoses of chronic illness and experiences of pain, particularly the complex shifts in our sense of identity that can arise in these times.
I am also experienced in fertility-oriented health issues including infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, perimenopause and menopause, as well as supporting expectant and new parents as they adjust to their new identities and responsibilities.
- Bi- | Pansexual
My path to practice
I am qualified as a psychodynamic psychotherapist. I trained at Birkbeck University on the MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy. I attended Goldsmiths University to complete my foundation training. I am a fully registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and comply to their ethical framework.
I am currently training in the Foundation in Group Analysis (group therapy) with the Institute of Group Analysis. I am also training in Mentalisation-Based Therapy (MBT) with the Anna Freud Centre in London.
I have an MA in History of Medicine from University College London in collaboration with the Wellcome Collection. I specialised in examining intersections between international healthcare policy and social activist responses to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. I received my BA from Edinburgh University, studying History and specialising in gender, sexuality, and medieval healthcare practices.
In my previous career as I service designer I was the UK Health and Wellbeing Lead for a global design consultancy. I worked as part of a small team providing 1-to-1 support, listening services and small group workshops for individuals requiring mental health support for a variety of reasons.
We also created training materials and interactive sessions on different aspects of mental health and wellbeing intended reduce stigma related to mental health issues in the workplace. This included establishing mental health ‘speakeasies’ where participants shared psychosocially-rooted experiences in a non-judgemental setting.
Award | Awarding body | Year of award |
---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Everyone needs support
It might relate to a diagnosis like anxiety, depression or an eating disorder. Perhaps a bereavement, break-up or job loss has left you feeling lost and low. You might have feelings you don't understand or are struggling to manage day to day living. Perhaps you need someone warm and compassionate to help you make sense of past traumatic experiences and mental pain.
Whether you seek support for feelings of anxiety, depression, stress, help with experiences of trauma or the losses shading our lives, I offer a therapeutic service that can help you cultivate the self-awareness needed for lasting change. I can help you make sense of your experiences and develop new ways of living well.
An opportunity to know yourself more deeply
I believe therapy gives us a space to put aside the demands of life and reflect on what matters most to us. Working with me is an invitation to explore current difficulties, past experiences and longings to live more authentically. We think together about how you feel, any patterns and feelings of stuckness, and how these might be protecting you from pain.
While there is no one-size fits all approach to feelings of stuckness or distress, more multidisciplinary research evidences how psychological problems can have roots in early experiences. We will spend time exploring these together, potentially making links between past experiences and present challenges, developing a therapeutic relationship suited to your needs.
Working together
As a psychodynamic and psychoanalytically-oriented practitioner, I have deep respect and compassion for the unconscious patterns, narratives and beliefs we develop in early life. Working psychodynamically means respecting the unique and unexpected influences these have on our lives. With curiosity we can understand how these attempts at protecting ourselves might be blocking our efforts to live creative, fulfilling lives.
Learning how to live
My practice involves being alongside you as you discover your capacity for living fully as yourself. I provide a safe, reflective space where you can become curious about what this means for you.
My practice is based on three values:
Curiosity: Being open-minded, non-judgemental and inquisitive about our experiences.
Connection: Recognising the bonds we have to others and how interrelatedness affects us all.
Courage: Appreciating the strength it takes to explore difficult experiences in the hope of freeing ourselves from their influence.
I hope that our work together will help you cultivate these, learning to use them when grappling with the complex challenges and joys of being alive in a rich and diverse world.
Ways of working together
Psychological issues are common and there are different ways to approach them. Some can benefit significantly from shorter-term therapy (30 sessions or so) while others may be better suited to longer term, open-ended work.
I work online and in-person. We will meet either once or twice a week, at the same time, for 50 minutes. I have clinics in London Bridge and central Brighton.
- Attachment theory (Psychodynamic)
- Body psychotherapy
- Existential
- Group Analytic Therapy
- Psychodynamic
- Psychodynamic (Freudian)
- Psychodynamic (Kleinian)
- Relational
- Ace | Asexual
- BDSM | Kink
- Bi- | Pansexual
- Consensual non-monogamy
- Cross-dresser
- Gay
- Intersex
- Lesbian
- Non-binary | Genderqueer
- Queer
- Questioning
- Trans
- One to one
- No adaptation
- Adults
- Online
- In Person
I offer a sliding scale of fees based on your circumstances. I have a small number of concessions available for low-cost clients.
My initial consultation is £60. We will discuss a suitable fee during this first meeting.
During this session, we can get an understanding of what it might be like to work together. If, after this session, we both feel you would benefit from working with a different therapist or support service, I will make sure to connect you.
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.
![Headshot](https://pinktherapycomupmedia991.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2024/02/Headshot.jpg)