Gareth Prosser
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist
Attachment-based
About
My name is Gareth. My pronouns are he / him.
I am a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, with a focus on attachment. I am full clinical member of the College for Psychoanalysis and Jungian Analysis (CPJA) a college with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
In addition, I hold an accreditation with Pink Therapy as a Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) therapist.
I have two busy practices, HQ Therapy Rooms in Haggerston, E8 and my private practice in Stoke Newington, N16.
My work includes one day for the NHS, as an Honorary Parent and Infant Psychotherapist (PIT), at The Maudsley Hospital, Demark Hill. South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust.
As a gay cisgender male, I have a particular interest working within the LGBTQi+ community. Inparticular, supporting men who find themselves curious, asking questions, or are openly gay or are generally wanting to work through the finer elements of sexuality, gender and relationship diversity in an affirming way.
Attachment-based psychotherapy can be helpful if you find yourself wondering about how we got to where we are today. It can offer support facing up to some of the feelings and fears we may have hidden from ourselves. If relationships went awry in childhood or adulthood, or we feel alone, our ability to manage daily life can feel quite disrupted, even throwing us into a crisis. Attachment-based psychotherapy at it's core, appreciates the importance that relationships offer to our human growth and individual development throughout life, regardless of how one may choose to identify.
The disruptions we experience, can leave profound consequences on our ability to create, maintain and feel safe, autonomous and respected within relationships. Not only with ourselves but also intimate partners, family and friends. These feelings can impact the way we think about our identity or how we relate to other people, reducing our self esteem, attacking our confidence even leaving us feeling brittle, fragile or depressed.
Please contact me should you have any specific questions relating to GSRD or how gay affirmative therapy might feel supportive for you and your future growth or if you would like to arrange an inital consultation to discuss things further.
Aims of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy can include
improving our ability to make and maintain relationships with others and ourselves
developing a deeper understanding of oneself,
having insights as to why we do the things we do, the way we might think about situations and our responses
gaining greater pleasure from life and work
to think about or consider healthier ways of coping with anxiety and stress
space to think about why we feel critical, punishing or destructive regarding our relationship with self
perhaps to feel less overwhelmed or weighed down
introduce or become more spontaneous
Please note these are not targets, simply aspects to reflect upon.
My Approach
I provide an empathic and confidential space, that is safe, free from judgement and always gay affirming. A space in which trust can be cultivated. I will openly invite you to talk about all aspects of yourself when you feel ready and safe enough. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is 'open-ended' therefore, your therapy will continue for months or several years, depending on your individual needs.
Where to begin...?
It can be helpful to think and talk about past experiences as well as our present-day lives. Current and past relationships, future ambitions, sexual life, functioning, desire and attraction, emotional life, values, beliefs, politics and even your dreams. In truth, nothing is off-limits...
What I offer you is a safe space each week to understand yourself in the context of a therapeutic relationship so that you can explore! The hope we will hold in mind is that as the relationship between us begins to develop, deepen and strengthen, that this in itself becomes an important part of your therapy which can assist explorations in the outer world.
Attachment is a very special emotional relationship unique to us all. As an attachment-based psychoanalytic psychotherapist, I am interested in how parents and caregivers respond to their infant/s, create safety, support exploration and develop autonomy. It is these responses that develop and guide the child’s feelings, thoughts and expectations of an adult in future relationships. Early life with our primary caregivers do provide essential insights to our mental functioning in our own adult life. Expect to think about early life, not as an adult looking back but from what your child self would have seen, thought and felt; a developmental perspective. The child's view of a situation will often be very different to the adult's reflections of the same period of time.
Therapy at times will feel difficult and at times even uncomfortable. Balance is always important though, "not too hot.... not too cold... and equally not too comfortable." We constantly experience and feel at a bodily level a wide range of sensations which can be confusing or even disturbing. You might be curious or frustrated by their presence, especially if you notice repetitions in your own behaviour or experiences. Anxiety, excitement, erotic, depressive, aggressive, low and pleasurable feelings might be aspects of yourself you want to understand in more depth, or have struggled with in the past.
Consultation
Prior to agreeing our work, you will be invited to a attend a no-obligation consultation lasting 100 minutes.
The extended time will enable us both to meet me face to face, for you to ask any questions regarding therapy or my approach and to expand upon what brings you to this point. The consultation is an essential space for us both as we both need to feel that we could work together.
Deciding who to trust is a very personal experience.
Weekly Sessions
Sessions of 50 minutes (unless otherwise agreed) will be arranged on a specific day and time each week.
Sessions can be arranged once, twice or three times a week. For me, it is important that you are seen and heard as an individual person.
Covid 19 Pandemic ~ At present therapy sessions are taking place virtually until further notice. I use the online platform ZOOM.
Please contact me directly if you would like to meet me for an initial consultation or you if have any questions.
Where and Contact
If you would like to arrange an initial no obligation consultation or you have any questions regarding my fees, availability or approach, please drop me an email at garethprosserpsychotherapy@gmail.com
If you prefer, you can call or text 07546 680358.
I practice from HQ Therapy, Haggerston E8 & Stoke Newington N16.
Both are a short walking distance from London Overground stations of Stoke Newington Haggerston, Dalston Kingsland or Dalston Junction.
Additionally, Stoke Newington is easily accessible via Seven Sisters underground station (Victoria line) in just 4mins.
Hackney Downs, Stratford and Highbury & Islington are helpful interchanges.
Bus routes 73, 476, 149, 106, 67, 76, 243 all stop at the Stoke Newington Overground Station which requires a 2 minute walk.
