What happens in therapy?

Beginning therapy can feel like a big step, particularly when the concern involves something as personal as sex, intimacy or relationships.

Our first step is understanding what has brought you to therapy, what you would like support with, and whether my approach feels like the right fit for you.

Therapy is collaborative and tailored to your individual circumstances. Together, we explore what may be contributing to your experiences and identify meaningful steps towards change.

A biopsychosocial and relational approach

Sexual and relationship concerns are rarely caused by one single factor.

I consider the interaction between:

Your body
Your physical health, medical history, hormones, medication, pain, symptoms and sexual functioning.

Your mind
Your thoughts, emotions, beliefs, experiences, confidence and relationship with yourself.

Your relationships
Communication, intimacy, attachment patterns, relational dynamics and the wider context of your life.

Understanding these different influences helps us build a clearer picture of what is happening and what may help.

A solution-focused approach

My approach is generally solution-focused and goal-oriented, meaning therapy is focused on helping you understand your experiences and identify practical ways forward.

Together, we will explore:

• What you would like to change

• What may be contributing to your current difficulties

• What strengths and resources you already have

• What practical steps may help you move towards your goals

While past experiences may be relevant and explored where helpful, the focus is not on revisiting the past for its own sake. Instead, we consider how your experiences have shaped your current situation and what can support meaningful change moving forward.

How long does therapy take?

The length of therapy varies depending on your circumstances, goals and the complexity of what you would like to explore.

Some people benefit from a shorter, focused approach around a specific concern, while others may choose longer-term support where there are multiple factors to consider.

We will regularly review what you need and whether therapy continues to feel useful and appropriate.

I work with individuals and couples experiencing a wide range of sexual, intimate and relational concerns.

Where a difficulty is affecting a relationship, I tend to encourage partners to attend together wherever possible.

Working together allows both partners to each contribute their perspective, to better understand the patterns between you and create opportunities for meaningful change.

However, therapy can also be undertaken individually where this feels more appropriate.

This may include situations where:

• Your partner is not ready or able to attend

• You would prefer to begin by exploring your own experiences

• Individual work is clinically more appropriate

• There are personal factors you would like to explore first

The session fee remains the same whether you attend individually or as a couple.

I bring together clinical psychosexology, healthcare experience and a relational perspective to support people navigating complex sexual and relationship concerns.

As a Registered Nurse and Clinical Psychosexologist, I have experience across a wide range of healthcare settings and specialties, including triage, sexual health, contraception, gynaecology and urology.

This means I understand that sexuality and relationships do not exist separately from our physical health, life experiences and wider circumstances.

My approach is compassionate, evidence-informed and free from judgement, creating a space where difficult conversations can be explored openly.

Read More About Nia

No. Therapy is available for both individuals and couples.

Where a concern is affecting a relationship, I tend to encourage partners to attend together where possible. This allows us to understand both perspectives, explore the patterns between you and work towards meaningful change collaboratively. Couples therapy can be particularly helpful where difficulties are affecting intimacy, communication or connection within the relationship.

However, there are many situations where individual therapy is clinically appropriate, including situations where a partner is not ready - or willing - to attend, or where there are personal factors you would like to explore first.

Sessions are charged at the same rate whether you attend individually or together.

I do not offer brief introductory calls, as I find that a short conversation rarely provides enough time to meaningfully understand the complexities of sexual and relationship concerns.

Instead, the first therapy session is the opportunity to begin exploring what has brought you to therapy, discuss your goals and consider the most appropriate way forward.

If you are unsure what type of support you need, or would like a more detailed understanding of your concerns before making any decision around ongoing therapy, Clarity may be a more suitable starting point for you.

[Explore Clarity Here]

The length of therapy varies depending on your goals, circumstances and the complexity of what you would like to explore. Some people benefit from a shorter, focused approach around a specific concern or issue that they’d like to target - while others tend to have a preference for longer-term , open ended or ongoing support.

My approach is generally solution-focused and goal-oriented and therefore tends to be shorter term work than traditional therapy. However we will regularly review what feels useful and appropriate for you, and we can adjust as we go.

Yes. Therapy sessions are available online via secure video consultation (Zoom).

Online therapy allows you to access specialist psychosexual and relational support from wherever you are, while maintaining a confidential and professional therapeutic space.

However, if you are more comfortable attending face-to-face, I have access to therapy rooms in Bexleyheath, London DA6.

Yes. My background as a Registered Nurse means I am uniquely positioned to understand and interpret how physical health, medication, hormones, medical treatments, illness, injury, disability, neurodiversity and general life changes may all influence sexuality and relationships..

The first session is an opportunity to understand what has brought you to therapy, what you would like support with and how you would like that support to look.

We may discuss:

• Your current concerns

• Relevant health, psychological and relationship factors

• What you would like to change

• How we might work together moving forward

There is no expectation that you need to have everything figured out before starting.

Yes. Many people seek support because they feel something is not working, but they are unsure what, or why.

Part of the therapy process is developing a clearer understanding of the factors contributing to your experiences and identifying what may help.

For those who would prefer a structured one-off assessment and report before making a decision on whether ongoing therapy is right for them, Clarity offers a dedicated formulation and recommendations process.

[Explore Clarity →]