Welcome, and thank you for visiting Ben Ockrent Psychotherapy.
About Me
Psychotherapist in Crouch End
I am a fully qualified counsellor and psychotherapist, and a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists. I have an undergraduate degree from Leeds University, a postgraduate masters degree from the University of East Anglia, and a diploma in Counselling from Regents University London, where I am also completing my second postgraduate masters degree.
I have three core values as a psychotherapist:
The first is confidentiality. This means that whatever you share with me will be held in the strictest confidence. Your trust in me and the process which we will undertake is paramount and it is vitally important that you feel safe sharing whatever is coming up.
The second is ethics. This means that I will endeavour to always put your needs first and to be continuously self-reflexive about my role in the psychotherapeutic relationship which we will create together.
The third is difference. This means that I understand that everyone's experience of being in the world is unique and can not be fully known by the other. I try to remain vigilant to the differences in our backgrounds and ways of experiencing the world and to resist making assumptions about what you are going through or projecting my own ways of thinking about things on to you.
My Approach
The three core values outlined above influence my broader approach to working as a psychotherapist. Whilst I think we are all likely to encounter emotional challenges at various points throughout our lives, it is my view that the specific nature of those challenges, and the way in which we experience them, will be different for each of us. That is why any attempt to overcome your own challenges must place you, and the unique set of factors which have influenced your current situation, at the very centre of the approach.
A myriad of reasons could have brought you in search of help. Some people seek therapy because they're struggling to process an isolated incident, such as a bereavement, a break down in a relationship, or a recent medical development. Others arrive in search of a way to explore more long term struggles, such as a difficult childhood, a challenging relationship, or general loss of meaning in life. And then there are those who can not yet even identify the causes of their distress. Whatever your reasons for seeking out therapy, it is my belief that exploring your situation with an experienced, well-trained and highly-qualified psychotherapist might not just be life-changing but life-saving.
My approach to working with you will draw on my integrative training. That means that I am able to incorporate a wide range of theoretical models as I work with you, as required by the specificities of your needs. I also have a specialism in existential-phenomenology, which pays particular attention to what it feels like to be you in the present moment. This includes an exploration of everything that has informed this person who you have become; and considers all of the new possibilities which might still lie ahead of you.
Above all else, my approach will involve us co-creating a unique relationship together, in which you can feel safe, respected and supported by me. Our sessions will be strictly confidential, non-judgmental, and sensitively challenging enough for meaningful change to become possible for you.
Specialisms
I can and do work with clients from all walks of life. Your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and reasons for coming to therapy are all welcome in my practice room. Everyone is different and I can think of no factor which might prevent me from working with you.
I am particularly experienced at working with clients who have been affected by cancer. I understand how difficult it can feel to speak to friends or family members about frightening health developments. But however scary, or lonely, your situation might feel, psychotherapy with me can offer a safe space for you to explore all of your complex feelings, without fear that I might emotionally collapse in response to what you share, or will attempt to diminish or control your experience of what you are going through.
I also have a particular specialism for working with men.
As we know from research, men are less likely to reach out for emotional support from mental health practitioners, and often struggle to explore their feelings on their own or with friends.
Many men prefer to tell themselves that they’re “fine”, or believe they have to deal with things on their own, for fear of feeling or looking “weak” or vulnerable. But avoiding uncomfortable feelings can often result in us becoming withdrawn, or cause those unwanted feelings (such as shame, anger, or sadness) to manifest in self-destructive behaviours. It can also prevent us from developing a more authentic sense of self, and impact negatively on our relationships.
Men often resist trying therapy because they feel they don’t know how to talk about their feelings. But working with me does not require you to have a skillset in communication - and does not even have to require talking at all! What I offer is a collaborative, non-judgemental, and adaptive process, in which we work together to explore what it’s like to be you and the challenges you’re facing.
Next Steps
Our first session is a chance for me to hear a bit more about you and your reasons for coming to therapy. It is also a chance for you to get a sense of who I am and how I work. You’ll hear about my policies on confidentiality; the importance of safe and respectful boundaries; and how our psychotherapeutic relationship might be able to help you explore your current situation.
From that point onwards, no two sessions are necessarily the same. Everyone uses therapy differently and I will always defer to your sense of what it is you need to explore in each appointment.
It might be that to begin with you need to talk a lot, to get things off your chest. Or it might be that you feel more apprehensive about opening up, and we instead move forwards more slowly. I will adapt my approach to the specificities of your needs as we explore what’s coming up, in a way which feels most helpful to you.
It might be helpful to consider that therapy is not something which I do to you. It is something we do together. At times the way we work might need to be gentle and containing. At other times you might benefit from me being more direct and challenging. Either way, the process will involve us co-creating a unique relationship together, in which you can feel safe, respected and supported by me as you explore what you are going through and who you might yet still become.
What issues can psychotherapy help with?
Some of the many issues which I can help you explore include:
Abuse, ADD / ADHD, Addictions, Adoption, AIDS/HIV, Anger management, Anxiety, Autism spectrum, Bereavement, Cancer, Child related issues, Chronic fatigue syndrome / ME, Coercive control, Cultural issues, Depression, Disability, Eating disorders, Health related issues, Identity issues, Infertility, LGBTQ+ counselling, Loss, Menopause, Men's issues, Mood disorder
Narcissism, Neurodiversity, Obsessions, OCD, Phobias, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy related issues, Redundancy, Relationships, Self esteem, Self-harm, Sensory impairment, Service veterans, Sex-related issues, Sexual identity, Sexuality, Spirituality, Stress, Substance Dependency, Trauma, Vegan allied, Women's issues, Work related issues
In Person Counselling in Crouch End
Sessions take place either online or in person, in my discreet and comfortable psychotherapy room in central Crouch End, North London. This is easily accessible from the surrounding areas of Haringey, Hornsey, Highgate, Muswell Hill, Archway, Stroud Green, Finsbury Park, Turnpike Lane, Highbury and Islington, Holloway and more.
Online counselling and psychotherapy sessions are also available via Microsoft Teams.
Sessions and Fees
I offer an initial online appointment of 50 minutes to explore our compatibility before committing to long term work together. This is offered at the reduced rate of £50.
Should we choose to move forwards, weekly 50 minute sessions are offered. These take place either online or in person. In my experience, the benefits of psychotherapy are derived from the relationship which we co-create and this can take time. As such, I work on an open-ended basis. This requires that you commit to a fixed time for your weekly session, for which payment will be required, even if you are unable to attend.
I charge £75 per session, though offer concessionary rates for those facing financial difficulties.
"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes"
Carl Jung
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards"
Soren Kierkegaard
"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship"
Louisa May Alcott
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services. Find out more by reading my Privacy Policy.