Saky Otten

Therapist Directory Listing Category: Psychotherapists and Counsellors

About the Therapist

About the therapist:

There is no one reason that leads people to therapy. You might be feeling overwhelmed by stress at work, struggling with loneliness, facing challenges in intimate relationships, or carrying experiences from the past that continue to impact your present. Perhaps things feel difficult, and you’re not sure why.

Therapy can offer a space to make sense of your emotions and experiences. It’s a place to explore whether you’d like to make changes and reflect on what might help life feel more fulfilling, less confusing, and perhaps a little brighter.

Something I bear in mind with everyone I work with, is their unique identity and how this shapes their experience in the world. What pressures do you experience because of who you are? How does this show up in challenges day-to-day? How might you have been treated or (mis)understood by those around you?

I am particularly interested in relationships. I believe that our well-being and sense of self are strongly linked to our relationship to the world around us and the other people in it. This includes our parents or the people who raised us, our intimate partners, friends and perhaps the relationships we long for.

Sexual identity:

Gay
Lesbian
Queer

Gender identity: Female

Gender history: As assigned at birth

Non-monogamy: No

Intersex: No

Neurodivergent: No

Personal pronouns: She/Her

Qualifications - Links to websites:

Level 7 Diploma in Integrative Counselling from the Minster Centre

Registered Member of the BACP Registration Number: 408676

Enhanced DBS Certificate

Qualifications - Additional:

Award	Awarding body	Year of award

Experience and approach:

Therapy is a space to explore and understand your experiences and emotions. It’s a place where you can reflect on what you might want to change, and consider what could make life feel clearer, more fulfilling, and perhaps a little brighter

I trained as a relational integrative therapist at the Minster Centre in London. I draw on a variety of therapeutic approaches and theories, tailoring them to what feels most relevant and supportive for you.

I also believe that “It is the relationship that heals”. The right relationship between therapist and client will lead to a positive and meaningful therapeutic experience

I have experience working for a leading mental health charity, a bereavement service, a low-cost therapy service, and over 10 years as a helpline volunteer with Switchboard, an LGBTQ+ charity. This diverse background has given me a broad understanding of the challenges people face in different areas of life.

I work with a range of issues, including:

Depression, anxiety, and loneliness
Bereavement
Relationship difficulties, including those related to coming out, intimacy, and navigating sexual identity in relationships
Sex and sexual health
Experiences of discrimination related to identity, including homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and internalised stigma
Gender identity and gender dysphoria
Early life experiences including experiences of rejection, bullying related to sexuality, gender identity, or other aspects of self
The impact of intersecting identities, and the unique challenges faced by those who navigate multiple aspects of difference and marginalisation
Experiences of family rejection or conflict related to LGBTQ+ identity
Stress at work
Childhood trauma

Before retraining as a therapist, I spent 15 years working in business, so I also have a strong understanding of the pressures that come with high-stress careers and demanding work environments.

I am currently studying towards a Maters where I am researching the experience of multiracial individuals and identity formation.

Approaches: