Gemma Routledge (my pronouns are she/her)

Some of us have always lived with some kind of background feeling that something's not ok; others, with the knowledge that we have repeating patterns of self-sabotage or missing out on things. Many people can go through life just fine and suddenly realise one day that coping mechanisms aren't working anymore, and something needs to change. Can you be curious about yourself? If so, then psychodynamic psychotherapy may work for you. By using the unique therapeutic relationship to explore links between past and present, inexplicable difficulties with everyday life, relationships, work or transitions can often be understood by revealing the influence of previous experiences. Speaking about these in a safe place with a trained professional can offer short-term relief, as well as a foundation for lasting change. 

I am a qualified Forensic Psychotherapist, meaning that I'm trained to work with some of the most disturbed minds and difficult behaviours encountered in the criminal justice system. This work is carried out in specialist NHS and secure settings, but I bring these skills and knowledge to my practice with private clients, which means I can offer both compassion and challenge where it's most helpful. It also means I have experience working with traumatic histories and the darkest of thoughts. And through my voluntary work, I regularly speak with people who feel overwhelmed, tending to self-harm and having suicidal thoughts. 

Qualifications 

My university degree, MSc Psychotherapy, and specialist clinical training at the Tavistock & Portman Clinic means that my practice meets the highest standards of psychodynamic psychotherapy, as accredited by the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), where I am a full registrant. I'm also a member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists; an accredited member of the United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists (UKCP); and a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). This essentially means you can be sure of the quality of my work and that I adhere to the ethical codes of practice required by all these professional bodies. Most importantly, this means that I've spent several years in therapy myself, as is required by all formal psychotherapy trainings. I have learned how therapy can give freedom, promote balance and help realise true potential. 

Shall we meet? 

You might be looking for a new therapy relationship or wanting to experience psychoanalytic psychotherapy for the first time. For some people, 10-12 sessions is enough to gain valuable insights, for others it is the beginning of a therapeutic journey that can be weeks, months or years. For this reason, my work is open-ended, so that I can work with you for as long as is helpful to you. If you'd like to meet for an initial consultation, I currently have availability on Mondays in Greenwich, and I also offer online sessions by Zoom. Each session is 50 minutes at a rate of £85. However, I also have some limited availability for low cost online therapy for students and those on low incomes.