Understanding the patterns that shape how you relate to yourself and others
I work with young adults and adults experiencing relationship difficulties, questions around identity, challenges with food and body image, or emotional distress. You may be navigating anxiety, low mood, trauma, a long-term health condition or a significant life change, and find yourself wondering why certain feelings or patterns keep returning.
My approach is exploratory, reflective and gently challenging. I’m interested in understanding not only what is difficult for you now, but how your experiences, beliefs and relationships may have shaped the way you see yourself and connect with others. Together, we can begin to make sense of those patterns and explore what change might look like for you.
- 8 years’ relevant professional experience
- UKCP registration number: 2011175797
- Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy – in progress
Could we be a good fit?
You may find my approach useful if:
You find relationships difficult to navigate, whether with family, friends, colleagues or romantic partners, and want to understand the patterns that emerge in those connections.
You’re questioning your identity, sense of self or place in the world, and want space to explore who you are and how you relate to others.
You’re struggling with your relationship with food or your body and want to understand the emotional and psychological experiences surrounding those difficulties.
You’re experiencing anxiety, low mood or other emotional distress and would like to explore what may be contributing to how you feel.
You’ve experienced trauma or abuse, or are navigating a significant life transition, and want a supportive space to make sense of its impact.
You’re living with a chronic health condition and want to explore how it affects your emotional wellbeing, identity or relationships.
What working together can look like
When we first meet, I’ll be interested in understanding what has brought you to therapy and how those difficulties are affecting your life.
We may explore the relationships that matter to you — with family, friends, colleagues, romantic partners and yourself — and begin to notice whether certain feelings, beliefs or ways of relating appear across different situations.
I’m particularly curious about the connections between your present experiences and what Transactional Analysis calls your life script: the beliefs, expectations and patterns that can develop through earlier experiences and continue to influence how you live and relate to others.
A space for curiosity and reflection
My style is exploratory, reflective and gently challenging.
I want therapy to feel like a space where you can speak openly, without judgement, and where curiosity is encouraged.
We can take time to understand what you are experiencing rather than rushing towards an explanation or solution.
At times, I may invite you to look at something from a different perspective or consider whether a familiar belief or response is still helpful.
The intention is not to tell you what you should think or do, but to help you develop a clearer understanding of yourself and the choices available to you.
Understanding patterns that keep returning
When a difficulty keeps appearing, I’m interested in breaking it down together.
We might explore what tends to happen, how you respond, what you feel and think in those moments, and whether the pattern connects with earlier experiences or expectations.
Using concepts from Transactional Analysis (TA), we can develop a shared understanding – sometimes called a formulation – of what may be happening and what could be maintaining the difficulty.
This gives us a way to think about change together.
Rather than simply trying to stop a behaviour or feeling, we can explore what lies beneath it and identify possible ways to respond differently.
Finding an approach that fits you
My work is integrative, drawing on several therapeutic perspectives.
Transactional Analysis (TA) helps us understand recurring patterns, beliefs and ways of relating to ourselves and others.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) offers ways to explore how thoughts, feelings and behaviours may influence one another.
Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) places importance on empathy, acceptance and your experience of being understood within the therapeutic relationship.
Psychodynamic approaches encourage us to consider how earlier experiences and relationships may influence present difficulties, including patterns we may not immediately recognise.
I take a holistic view, considering your emotional experiences alongside your relationships, history, identity and wider circumstances.
Together, we can explore which perspectives are most useful for understanding what you’re going through.
If you’re unsure about beginning
It’s understandable to feel uncertain about speaking to someone you haven’t met before.
We are strangers at first, and feeling comfortable with your therapist matters.
You don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to say or how therapy should work. We can begin by getting to know each other a little.
You can share what you’ve been struggling with, and I can explain how I might approach those difficulties so you have a better sense of what working together could feel like.
Areas of experience
My work has included supporting people with a range of emotional, relational and behavioural difficulties, including:
Relationship difficulties, recurring interpersonal patterns, identity struggles and challenges in how someone relates to themselves and others.
Anxiety, low mood and broader emotional difficulties.
Experiences of trauma and abuse, significant life changes and the emotional challenges associated with transition.
Difficulties with food and body image, and the emotional and relational impact of living with chronic health conditions.
About Akanksha
Akanksha brings eight years of relevant professional experience to her work and is currently completing a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Metanoia Institute.
Her therapeutic approach is integrative, combining Transactional Analysis, CBT, Person-Centred Therapy and psychodynamic perspectives.
A central interest in her work is the relationship between someone’s present difficulties and the patterns that have developed through their experiences.
This may involve exploring how a person relates to themselves, the roles they take within relationships, the beliefs they hold about who they are or the expectations they bring into different situations.
Akanksha takes a holistic approach, recognising that emotional wellbeing cannot always be understood separately from relationships, identity, physical health and life circumstances.
Her work is grounded in curiosity, reflection and collaboration.
Rather than imposing a fixed explanation, she aims to help clients develop a shared understanding of their difficulties and explore possibilities for change and growth.
Qualifications & Professional Credentials
Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy
Metanoia Institute (In progress)
Professional experience
8 years’ relevant professional experience
United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
Registration number: 2011175797
Additional qualifications & training
View additional qualifications & training
- BSc in Psychology
- Counselling and Counselling Skills certificate (Level 4)
- Couples and Family Therapy Diploma
- Grief and Bereavement Counselling Diploma
What happens when you get in touch?
Start with a conversation
Your free 20-minute discovery call is an opportunity to tell us what has brought you to therapy, what you are looking for and ask any questions you may have.
Find the right fit
We’ll consider your needs, preferences and what you would like from therapy, then recommend the practitioner we believe is best placed to support you.
Agree the next step
If you feel comfortable with the recommendation, our team will talk you through availability, fees and how to arrange your first session.
Fees
Akanksha’s session length and current fees were not included in the questionnaire response and should be confirmed before publication.
We’ll confirm current availability and answer any practical questions during your discovery call.
You don’t have to know where to begin
You might know exactly what you want to explore, or simply feel that something in your life or relationships isn’t working as you’d like.
You don’t need to have all the answers before reaching out.
A free 20-minute discovery call is a chance to talk through what’s been happening, ask questions and understand whether Akanksha — or another member of the team — might be the right person to support you.
Confidential – No pressure – Clear next steps