Matthew Baskott

Therapist Directory Listing Category: Psychotherapists and Counsellors

About the Therapist

About the therapist:

A famous writer (William Faulkner, to be more specific) once wrote that "the only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself". His statement also applies to good therapy. Conflict, whether manifesting internally through experiences such as bodily tensions or externally in our relationships, is not the only thing worth discussing, but it often provokes us to seek help.

We are divided in pain. The pain itself longs to be addressed and soothed in the presence of an understanding other, yet many of us have learnt to ignore our pain by minimising or distracting ourselves from it because this is what was done to us. While this is normal, our pain does not disappear. It lies dormant in our bodies and unconscious, where it joins the other forgotten-about pains, all waiting for an opportunity to be heard.

Chances are, you want something to change, and facilitating change is what I do. I don't pretend it will be easy. I take seriously the Gestalt concept of dialogue being a vibrant dance between support and challenge. Something new emerges when we push ourselves to our limits and stay with our discomfort. This venture into the unknown together is what I love about therapy. It's an open invitation to redefine who we think we are.

Through my decade-long experience within the mental health field and my work as a therapist with organisations supporting marginalised groups, including LGBTQIA+ people with London Friend, those with severe mental health conditions with Mind in Camden, and the homeless population with Providence Row, I have seen first-hand the relief that is possible when we come out of hiding.

While accepting our self-limiting traits as anything other than horrors to be extinguished can be daunting, there is ancient wisdom in respecting what dwells in the shadows. We will harness the forces within you that are eager for change while giving space to your fears. Accepting and validating both will not eradicate pain, but you will be able to bear your pain long enough to feel it transform.

Sexual identity:

Gay
Queer

Gender identity: Male

Gender history: As assigned at birth

Non-monogamy: Yes

Intersex: No

Neurodivergent: No

Personal pronouns: He/His/Him

Qualifications - Links to websites:

https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/therapist/Matthew-Baskott-n6x3xAAA

Qualifications - Additional:

Award	Awarding body	Year of award
Psychotherapy Practitioner Diploma	The Gestalt Centre	2024
MA in Gestalt Psychotherapy	London Metropolitan University / The Gestalt Centre	2023
Postgraduate Diploma in Gestalt Therapy	London Metropolitan University / The Gestalt Centre	2022
Postgraduate Certificate in Gestalt Therapy	London Metropolitan University / The Gestalt Centre	2021

Experience and approach:

We will begin with what you already know. We will sketch a picture of the situation you were born into and explore those key developmental relationships. Context is crucial for understanding our current circumstances because our inner conflicts and struggles don't appear out of nowhere. They have a history and are always formed in the presence or absence of relationships. What you are in conflict with is often an adaptive response to a lack of support or unmet needs, which you may have normalised into habitual patterns of behaviour.

Every moment builds on all our previous experiences, meaning we continually and often unconsciously reconstruct the past in the present moment. When we encounter uncertainty (e.g. break ups, endings, life's transitions), we tend to imprint past situations onto current events as a way to manage our anxiety. One of our tasks is to facilitate the emergence of your complex patterns in the room together, to make them available for us to explore from multiple angles and, ultimately, discover their unelaborated origins. Your active participation in this process is integral, as you are the expert on your experiences.

We will utilise our inherent human creativity through metaphor, fantasy, imagination, and dream work to aid us in your discovery. We will also pay attention to the professional relationship we create together, as often, the things that bring us to therapy will also emerge in the therapeutic relationship between us. I respond to your feedback and tailor my approach to each individual, couple, or organisation I work with. This adaptability is not just a feature of my practice, it's a commitment to ensuring that your unique needs and circumstances are always at the forefront of our work together.

As a kid, I was preoccupied with mysteries and the unexplainable. I am fascinated with the myriad of creative ways we employ to make meaning out of the strangeness sitting at the heart of our experience, the stuff for which there are no words. Therapy is a collaborative art form whereby two or more partners, each with separate perspectives and tasks, create meaning together. It is an open invitation to delve into the unknowable and redefine who we think we are.

Approaches: