Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis in East Village, Stratford, West Hampstead and Archway, London

Therapy Rooted in Psychoanalysis, Spoken in Everyday Language

Available in Stratford (E20), West Hampstead (NW6) and Archway (N19)

Times of uncertainty are part of life. But when disquiet persists, whether as anxiety, dissatisfaction or a sense that something isn't quite right, it may call for deeper listening. I offer a private and confidential setting in London's East Village, West Hampstead and Archway, where you can speak freely and think more fully about your experience.

You may arrive with a particular concern, a recurring difficulty, or perhaps a quieter wish for something to shift. In-depth therapy offers a starting point to engage with these experiences in a thoughtful and sustained way. Psychoanalysis doesn't focus on symptom relief alone. Instead, it invites a slower, more considered exploration of the unconscious dynamics that shape how you relate, think and feel.

This is not a quick-fix approach, but a long-term process that offers the possibility of more lasting change. Not trough prescribed solutions, but through sustained inquiry into the patterns and meanings that move beneath the surface of daily life.

Each analytic pricess is unique, singular. The analytic work unfolds in a way that is specific to you, creating a space where new possibilities can emerge. With time, it may open a different kind of engagement with yourself and with others.

"The only thing that matters is to take a step forward. But you must not think that it is a mere act of will. There is a great deal of confusion, a great deal of uncertainty, which we must allow. There is also the feeling of time moving, the perception of time slipping away."

Virginia Wolf in "The Lighthouse" (1927)

Mapping Towards Therapy

This quote speaks to the quiet struggle many people may bring to therapy, the sense that something must change, but without a clear path forward that may bring all sorts of discomforting feelings and uncertainty.

A Psychoanalytic Approach to Listening

I work psychoanalytically, which means I listen not only to what is said, but what slips past in the silence, the contradictions, the repetition. Change, in this work, is rarely a matter of willpower alone. It comes slowly through sustained reflection, and by giving space to uncertainty rather than resisting it.

The Silence Between Words in Psychoanalysis

Have you ever felt that words fail to capture the full complexity of what you're feeling? In this in-depth therapeutic work, speech becomes something more than explanation. It is a way of tracing what lies beneath, uncovering meanings that may be hidden in the everyday, or even in the act of speaking itself.

Revisiting the Past, Differently

This process is not as much about simply revising the memories from the past but rethinking its significance in the present. It opens a space where new possibilities may emerge, not by providing solutions, but by questioning the very assumptions that limit how you see yourself and the world.

About me: In-Depth Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis in London

I'm a psychoanalytic candidate with the Association for Group and Individual Psychotherapy (AGIP) currently in the final stage of qualification, working under senior clinical supervision and registered with the UKCP-CPJA (trainee number: 2011185432). My approach is shaped by a strong commitment to ethical practice, ongloing development and the complexities of psychoanalytic thinking. Codes of ethical practice I adhere to: AGIP Code of Ethics and the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice)

Academic and Applied Background in Psychology

My academic background includes a five-year Master's degree in psychology from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. This training encompassed both theoretical and applied aspects of psychological practice and is recognised by The British Psychological Society (MBPsS 261881). Additionally, I am a member of the BPS Special Group for Independent Practitioners and Psychotherapy Section.

Clinical Work: Psychoanalytic Therapy in East Village, West Hampstead and Archway

In private practice, I offer specialised psychotherapy based on psychoanalytic principles in East London (E20), North-West London (NW6) and Archway (N19). In addition to my practice, I carry out psychotherapy assessments at Strides Highbury Counselling Centre and contribute to Samata Health, a workplace wellbeing service and the charity Rise Above the Disorder (RAD). My previous role at Psychosis Therapy Project gave me the skills and experience to work with complex clinical presentations.

Experience in Mnetal Health and Social Care

Before training as a psychotherapist, I worked in various mental health and social care settings; with adults navigating psychiatric care, survivors of domestic abuse and young people affected by gang involvement.

Managing a day support unit for autistic adults gave me invaluable insight into how a tailored, person-centred approach, attention to different forms of language, and enduring therapeutic and personal relationships can significantly improve quality of life. Collaborating with therapists who adapted their methods to meet the specific needs of the service users continues to shape my sensitivity to unconscious dynamics within the therapeutic relationship.

Additional Professional Roles: Recruitment, Training and Employment Support

My background also includes recruitment and training, with experience in training social care teams in person-centred therapeutic approach to support and designing employment support and training programmes with a tech startup environment - merging my interests in creativity, mental health and meaningful, sustainable change.

Sessions and fees

My practice primarily offers in-person psychoanalytic psychotherapy, with hybrid and online options available upon consultation.

My private practice is based three London locations:

Stratford (E20)- close to Hackney, Leyton and Dalston. I practice from a private and quiet consulting room in the East Village, a vibrant part of the Olympic Park.
West Hampstead (NW6)- Close to Belsize park and Kilburn. The consulting room is located within a secure office setting, conveniently, only two minute walk from the main stations of West Hampstead.
Archway (N19)- Close to Highgate and Crouch End. Sessions take place at Fairbridge clinic, Agip House- a recognised centre for psychoanalytic training and practice.

contact me to schedule an initial 1-hour consultation to provide the space for us to think together about your reasons for seeking therapy and whether ongoing work might be helpful. It's also an opportunity to ask questions and get a sense of how I work.

ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT

FAQs

Q: How does psychoanalysis work? What is in-depth psychotherapy?

A: In-depth psychotherapy provides a space to begin exploring emotional difficulties that may not be easily put into words. Often, people come to therapy because they’re struggling with specific symptoms, repeating patterns, or an overall sense that something isn’t quite right. In-depth psychotherapy allows us to explore these experiences at a deeper level, gradually uncovering how unconscious processes shape the way we relate to ourselves and others.

As the work develops, it may take on a more explicitly psychoanalytic form, where speaking freely, attending to associations, and exploring the transference become central. Psychoanalysis doesn’t aim to offer quick fixes but opens the possibility of lasting change by engaging with what lies beneath the surface. Each analytic process unfolds at its own pace, depending on what the person brings and the desire to continue. You can read more about my approach in this blog post.

Q: What are your fees and availability?

A: My fee is disucssed during the initial consultation and varies depending on the frequency and nature of work. I offer sessions on weekdays from both Stratford (E20), West Hampstead (NW6) and Archway (N19), as well as online. If we decide to work together we'll agree on a regular time that works for both of us. See sessions and fees page.

Q: What is your clinical training?

A: My clinical training as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist requires long years of academic study, clinical practice, and personal analysis. It includes working with clients under regular supervision to ensure my practice is ethical and reflective. Additionally, I continuously engage with psychoanalytic literature and ongoing professional development to deepen my understanding and refine my work as a psychotherapist. See about me page.

Q: How long does psychoanalysis take?

A: Psychoanalysis is not time-limited. Unlike short-term counselling, it isn’t about reaching a specific goal within fixed number of sessions. Instead, it offers a space for long-term exploration of unconscious patterns. Some people work psychoanalytically for several years; others may continue longer. It's natural to feel uncertain about the length at first, and we can talk about this as the work unfolds. You can read some more about psychoanalytic process in one of my blogs .

Q: Do you offer counselling?

A: Many people begin their search for help by looking for counselling, which is often used as a general term for talk therapy. While I don't offer short term or solution focused counselling in the traditional sense, I provide in-depth psychoanalytic work. This involves exploring deeper emotional patterns, unconscious conflicts and long standing difficulties that cannot be addressed in a short term, brief talk therapy.

Q: What kinds of issues can psychoanalysis help with?

A: Psychoanalysis is suited to a wide range of emotional and relational difficulties, incluiding anxiety, depression, identitiy questions, relationship patterns, work burnout, creative blocks and questions of meaning and purpose. Such issues are often interconnected, and cannot usually be approached in isolation from the broader context of a person’s life and history. Often, people seek in-depth thserapy or psychoanalysis to help them when they feel stuck, conflicted, or disconnected from themselves or others. To find out more, here is my blog entry or a video commissioned by the Freud Museum.

Q: How is psychoanalysis relevant in today’s contemporary world, given that it was created at the end of the 19th century?

A: Psychoanalysis remains highly relevant today because it explores the unconscious forces that shape human thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. While modern life has changed, fundamental human struggles, such as identity, desire, anxiety, and relationships remain. Contemporary analysts continue to engage with and develop erly psychoanalytic ideas, integrating them with new insights from culture, neuroscience, and social change. In a fast-paced world that often prioritises quick solutions, psychoanalysis provides a space for reflection, helping patients to understand themselves beyond surface-level symptoms and engage with the deeper dimensions of their experience. To find out more see this animation.

How about the relevance of psychoanalysis in the age of AI?

Psychoanalysis addresses the deeply personal and subjective aspects of the human experience that AI cannot replicate. While AI can process data and simulate interactions, it cannot (yet?) engage with the complexities of the unconscious, emotional dynamics, or the nuances of human relationships.

Get in touch

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how psychotherapy works, or to arrange an appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to therapy, whether it could be helpful for you, and whether I am the right therapist to help.

You can also call me on 075 8530 8917 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.

All enquires are usually answered within 48 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.

Anna M. A. Sergent