Anna M. A. Sergent
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in East London: Stratford, Stratford East Village, and Hackney
Psychotherapy Rooted in Psychoanalysis
Spoken in Everyday Language
Times of uncertainty are part of life. But when unease persists, whether as anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties or a persisting feeling that something isn't quite right, it may call for deeper listening.
I offer a private and confidential setting in East London: Stratford, Stratford East Village and Hackney, 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. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy offers a way of engaging with these experiences in a thoughtful and sustained way.
This work is not limited to symptom relief, though symptoms may indeed shift over time. It is less about searching for fixed explanations and more about engaging with what emerges in the analytic process itself. The sustained form of listening makes it possible for change to occur, not by providing ready-made answers, but by opening up space for a different relation to yourself and others.
This is not a quick-fix approach, but a long-term process that offers the possibility of more lasting change. Not through prescribed solutions, but through sustained inquiry into the patterns and meanings that move beneath the surface of daily life.
Each analytic process 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.
If you would like to explore starting psychotherapy or psychoanalysis in East London, you are welcome to get in touch.
"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)
This quote speaks to the quiet struggle many people may face in therapy, the sense that something must change, but without a clear path forward, often accompanied by anxiety, low mood, or paralizing uncertainty.
A Psychoanalytic Approach to Listening
In psychoanalytic psychotherapy you are invited to speak freely about whatever comes to mind. The focus is on creating a space where your thoughts and associations can unfold at their own pace. Being listened to in this way can open up new perspectives, often in places where you might feel stuck or caught in repetition. Or, places in your mind that might seem new to you. Change is rarely a matter of willpower alone. It comes slowly through sustained reflection and by giving space to uncertainty rather than resisting it. This approach supports emotional wellbeing and helps with anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties.
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 what may be hidden in the everyday, or even in the act of speaking itself. This process helps people gain insight into patterns that affect their mental health and relationships.
Revisiting the Past, Differently
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is not as much about simply revising the memories from the past but about rethinking their significance in the present. It opens a space where lasting change may emerge, not by providing ready-made solutions, but by gently questioning the assumptions that limit how you see yourself and others.
About me: Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in East London
Professional Qualifications and Ethical Practice
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). A strong commitment to ethical practice, ongoing development and the complexities of psychoanalytic thinking shape my approach. I adhere to both AGIP Code of Ethics and the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice)
Academic Background in Psychology
I hold a Master's degree in Psychology from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, which is recognised by the British Psychological Society (MBPsS 261881). I am also a member of the BPS Special Group for Independent Practitioners and Psychotherapy Section, reflecting my commitment to continued learning and professional development.
Clinical experience in East London
In private practice, I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy in East London (E20) primarily serving clients in Stratford, Stratford East Village and Hackney. My work supports individuals with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties and other emotional concerns.
I also carry out psychotherapy assessments at Strides Highbury Counselling Centre and contribute to workplace wellbeing services at Samata Health, as well as 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 Mental 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 person-centred approaches, attention to different forms of language and communication, as well as enduring therapeutic 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
My background also includes recruitment and training, where I designed and delivered person-centred therapeutic training programmes for social care teams. I have also developed employment support and training initiatives in a tech startup environment, combining my interests in creativity, learning and therapeutic practice.
Sessions and fees
My practice primarily offers in-person psychoanalytic psychotherapy, with hybrid and online options available upon consultation.
My primary private practice is based in East London (E20), offering a private and quiet consulting room within the vibrant Stratford East Village, part of the Olympic Park. This location is conveniently close to Hackney and Dalston.
I also offer some mornings and afternoons (until 5 pm) sessions from Finsbury Park Strides Highbury Counselling Centre (HCC). No evening appointments available from there.
contact me to schedule an initial 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.
FAQs
Q: How does psychoanalytic psychotherapy work?
A: Psychoanalytic psychotherapy provides a confidential space to explore emotional difficulties that may not be easily put into words at first - psychotherapy might help with it. People often come to therapy because they’re struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties or a sense of being stuck in repeating patterns. Psychoanalytic 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.
Psychoanalysis does not 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 you bring and your wish to continue.
Q: What are your fees and availability?
A: My fee is discussed during the initial consultation and varies depending on the frequency and nature of work. I offer sessions on weekdays from Stratford, East Village (E20), as well as online. If we decide to work together, we'll agree on a regular time that works for both of us. See the sessions and fees page.
Q: What is your clinical training?
A: My clinical training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy spans many years of academic study, clinical practice, and personal analysis. It includes working with clients under regular supervision to ensure safe and ethical practice. Although I completed the core part of my training, I continue to engage with psychoanalytic literature and ongoing professional development, deepening my understanding and refining my work as a psychotherapist. You can read more on the 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 a fixed number of sessions. Instead, it offers a space for long-term exploration of unconscious patterns. Some people work psychoanalytically for several months or 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 more about the psychoanalytic process in one of my blogs.
Q: What kinds of issues can psychoanalysis help with?
A: Psychoanalysis is suitable for a wide range of emotional and relational difficulties, including anxiety, depression, identity questions, relationship problems, work-related stress, creative blocks and difficulties finding meaning and purpose. These issues are often connected to deeper patterns in a person’s life and history.
Psychoanalytic therapy does not focus only on removing a problem, but on understanding its roots and significance. While this process takes time, it can lead to a lasting change. To find out more, here is my blog entry or a video commissioned by the Freud Museum.
Q: How is psychoanalysis relevant today?
A: Psychoanalysis remains highly relevant today because it explores the unconscious patterns that shape human thoughts, emotions, and relationships. While modern life has changed, fundamental human struggles, such as identity, desire, anxiety, and relationships, remain.
Contemporary psychoanalysts continue to engage with and develop early 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.
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 before arranging an initial appointment.
All enquiries are usually answered within 48 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
©Anna Sergent
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