GEM ALEXANDRA // PSYCHOTHERAPY

WELCOME

I’m Gem, I offer psychotherapy online and in Nottingham NG7

email: gem.alexandra-enquiries@pm.me

MY APPROACH

Often we seek therapy when stuckness persists, frustrating patterns and cycles seem to repeat despite our best efforts; suffering makes life too hard to bear, or blocks our capacity to feel fully alive. Rather than being seen as something to simply manage or get rid of, in therapy these experiences and ‘symptoms’ are attended to as meaningful messages, rich with information about our histories, and about what’s happening under the surface, in hidden parts of ourselves. 

We listen to these messages together, paying close attention to the associations and connections that emerge in the back-and-forth. Through this intimate listening, those hidden parts can be heard. Over time, the hold they have over our lives can loosen its grip and give way to something else, something new.

Instead of listening with a preconceived, fixed idea about the right (‘healthy’ ‘normal’) way to live and giving one-size-fits-all responses based on that, I see my work as creating an experience with you. Through that experience you reveal to yourself your own answers to the questions you bring, as well as uncovering new, more vitalizing questions to ask.

FIND OUT ABOUT FEES, SESSIONS, AND FAQS HERE

INTEGRATIVE & RELATIONAL

Joining the dots where there may be a connection between your past and present

Exploring both conscious and unconscious processes - including how these emerge in our relationship - to shed light on what is shaping the situation that brought you into therapy

A space for us to notice your experience together, non-judgementally and with curiosity, as it unfolds in the moment

CREATIVE + FLEXIBLE

Sessions involve conversation at a pace that works for you, trying out new ways of being and doing, and body-focused or creative approaches if these interest you

Diving straight into difficult conversations can be overwhelming, especially when it feels hard to find words for your experiences. Talking about why you love a particular book / TV show / game / album etc, can be a great way into a conversation that will help me learn more about you

INFORMED BY CONTEXT

Our internal landscape, and the questions and difficulties we bring into therapy are shaped by the world we live in; things beyond our direct control have a powerful influence over our circumstances, our day-to-day experiences and how we feel about life.

I hold this in mind and it informs my approach to therapy

EXPERIENCES I WORK WITH

Below are examples of experiences I work with - to find out whether I’m the right fit for you, email me to ask about a consultation session

depression | feeling stuck | numbness | emptiness | overwhelming feelings | dissociation | trauma

anxiety | rumination | compulsions | lack of pleasure, play, rest | perfectionism | overwork | burnout

confusion | identity | feeling unsatisfied or unfulfilled | loss | change | self-exploration

relationship difficulties | loneliness | boundaries | breakups | friend breakups | difficulty navigating conflict and differences | growing apart | caring roles | grief

race | racism | antiblackness | transgenerational trauma | class

sex | sexuality | asexuality | ambivalence about sex | sex work | GSRD | LGBTQIA+

I work with artists, writers, musicians, and makers of all kinds, as well as those who feel a connection to those words but are tentative about claiming them and more fully inhabiting this part of their lives - read about my approach to exploring creative process + therapy

Sex workers who want a non-judgemental place to bring whatever they feel is relevant to therapy – read about my approach to therapy with sex workers

I work with people whose ancestors lived through collective traumas, where the effects of this - both strengths and losses - are felt to reverberate in the present day of the client’s life

WORKING TOGETHER

  • Initial Consultation // 1 hour // £50

    Full Cost Session // 1 hour // £80 - £120

    There is currently a waiting list for low cost spaces

  • It’s important to make sure there is a good fit between what you are looking for and what I offer. Our first conversation is a chance to ask questions, hear about how I practice, and tell me about what brings you to therapy. Email me to enquire about a consultation session

    • Are weekly for 1 hour

    • Are at the same time, on the same day every week

    • Take place either in-person or on Zoom, or a combination

    • I offer a limited number of more flexible slots to people who do shift work / work on rotation - please enquire for details

  • In open-ended counselling we do not start out with a fixed end date in mind, but regularly discuss the direction of the work, how things are going, and whether it continues to feel useful for you. This approach works well for most people, whether you feel unsure where to start, already have a clear focus in mind, or just want to explore and get to know yourself better

  • Shorter term work or counselling over a fixed number of sessions - this approach isn’t suitable for every situation but can work well if:
    • You have a specific issue you would like to focus on, or would be open to talking together to choose one manageable thing
    • You feel relatively steady and able to hit the ground running to get the most out of a few sessions
    • You want to use a few sessions to jumpstart work you can continue independently after counselling ends
    • You have a limited budget or limited time and need to plan a specific amount to spend on counselling
    • You are unsure if counselling is right for you and would like to try it out before committing to more in-depth work

  • I am an accredited registrant member of the The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (Member No: NCS22-02312)

    I practice in accordance with their code of ethics: NCPS Code of Ethical Practice

  • I only offer sessions on a weekly basis with new clients

  • I don’t ask clients to do homework - the therapy process continues unfolding of its own accord between sessions. However, if desired, we can collaborate on ideas for things to try between sessions, specific to each person’s needs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT

TRAINING

Integrative Psychotherapy - MSc Distinction

A 4-year program of academic study, supervised clinical work, group process, and personal psychotherapy

EXPERIENCE

I see a range of clients in private practice and have worked as a volunteer in the free and low-cost counselling services at Nottingham Women’s Centre, and Rutland House Counselling & Psychotherapy

BACKGROUND

Varied roles in social care and health care since 2007, including working with mental health and illness, dementia, end-of-life and palliative care, brain injury, and drugs and alcohol

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I am in clinical supervision with an experienced Integrative Psychotherapist

I continue to develop my knowledge and skills, through regular training, workshops, and seminars. Examples of events attended include: Freud, Fanon, and the Language of Power || Safety & Stabilisation in Trauma Work || Parapraxis Seminar: The Family Problem || Questioning "Diversity" in Psychoanalysis || BDSM & Trauma || Psychoanalytic Innocence: The Ideological Underpinnings of Theory & Praxis || The “return to Fanon” and the foundations of Decolonial Psychoanalysis

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Our internal landscape, and the questions and difficulties we bring into therapy, are shaped by the world we live in; things beyond our direct control have a powerful influence over our circumstances, our day-to-day experiences and how we feel about life. I am committed to reading widely around themes of power, health, race, class, culture, gender and more, to keep thinking through these connections. Beyond that, a great novel, album, or comedy, can say at least as much about how it feels to be alive and to struggle as any book of theory