Matthew Deaves (Central)

My professional journey began in 2009 when I completed a certificate in counselling skills, before going on to study a Diploma in Social Science and Psychology. I later graduated with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Counselling from the University of East London, a degree accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), where I am a registered member (reg no. 400162).

Since then, I have gone on to pursue a Postgraduate Diploma in Sexology and Relationship Psychotherapy at the Contemporary Institute for Clinical Sexology (CICS), a course accredited by the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT).

Alongside my private practice, I have also worked with 56 Dean Street, London’s largest NHS sexual health clinic, further strengthening my experience in psychosexual and relationship-focused work.

Over the years I have come to realise that each therapeutic relationship becomes its own unique, co-created version of therapy, with its own theory, philosophy, language, ways of being, and sense of humour. To me, this is exactly what pluralism is all about. I see therapy as a collaborative journey, with our relationship at the heart of what makes it effective.

I’m particularly drawn to the often uncomfortable questions that existential psychotherapy dares us to ask: How am I really doing in my life? What have I said ‘yes’ to, and where do I need to say ‘no’? How do I show up with others? Where do I feel connected, and where do I feel alone? What truly matters to me, and how do I live in a way that honours that?

In relationship work, these questions can take on a different shape: What kind of relationship are we actually in? What have we silently agreed to over time? What do we want this relationship to become? Can we choose each other again, and if so, how?