Empathy and Support for Positive Change

Leena Kothari-Seward

BSc (Hons), PgD, Adv Dip Ext Psych, UKCP, MBACP

I provide existential psychotherapy in Central London, with over 20 years of experience. I trained at Regent’s College and have been running a successful London based private practice since 2009. I have helped many clients during this time; people from different backgrounds, ages and life circumstances. Whether you are seeking support in a crisis or looking for a non-judgemental space to clarify your issues, I believe I bring a rich breadth of life experience with which to meet you.

Prior to training as a psychotherapist, I studied Physics at Kings College, London and spent the next 15 years working as a management consultant in the City. In my personal life, I am a mother of two and have first-hand experience of living through two diverse cultures. I understand the emotional challenges that can arise when combining work and family life. I practice yoga and mindfulness to maintain physical, mental and spiritual balance.

I am also an experienced EMCC executive coach and offer coaching meetings to improve performance and well-being in the workplace. Please see mosaic-exco.com for further details.

Accreditations & Professional Memberships

• Fully accredited member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP)
• Member of the Society of Existential Analysis (SEA)
• Focusing Oriented Therapist (FOT) with the Focusing Institute
• Trained Coach awaiting EMCC accreditation

I abide by the UKCP code of ethics and conduct. As stipulated, I receive regular clinical supervision and work to ensure my professional skills and knowledge remain up-to-date to cover both my coaching and therapy practices.

Most of us meet difficulties at some time during our lives. Perhaps you have experienced a sudden change or crisis. Perhaps a long-standing issue no longer feels bearable. You may be aware of a vague sense of unease, of not being fulfilled or of feeling ‘stuck’. When problems arise, life can feel over-whelming, leaving you feeling disheartened and alone.

Therapy offers an opportunity to talk about what is troubling you with someone who is trained to listen carefully and without judgment. This creates a space where you can reflect honestly on your life and the issues you are facing. You can be supported while you examine past events, re-evaluate your current situation and explore future options in an atmosphere of safety, trust and respect. Therapy is about helping you to better understand your issues so that you can cope more effectively with difficulties and bring about changes as you feel necessary. As your therapist, I will not advise you on what you should do. Instead, I will help you to make better life choices for yourself based on greater understanding and self-awareness.

Existential psychotherapy is helpful for many of life’s challenges:

• Meaning and priorities
• Responsibilities, choices and limitations
• Personal potential and life goals
• Joy and personal fulfillment
• Beliefs, values and assumptions
• The body, health and well-being
• Relaxation and self-nurturing
• Relationships; partner, children, family, friends, colleagues
• Bereavement and loss
• Depression
• Stress and anxiety
• Suicidal thoughts and self-harm
• Physical and sexual abuse
• Work, career and legacy
• Sexuality and gender identity
• Race, ethnicity and cultural identity
• Eating disorders and body image

The Therapeutic Process

Starting therapy is an important step and finding the right therapist is key to a positive outcome. I offer a free 20 minute introductory consultation. Either by phone or video link, this short conversation gives you an opportunity to meet me and discuss how therapy could help you. You can tell me about the issues bringing you to therapy and what you are hoping to gain from it. There would be no obligation to continue with further sessions.

If you decide to continue, we can agree a therapy contract adapted to suit your needs. I normally suggest meeting for 6 weekly sessions, followed by a review to ensure you are finding it helpful. Sessions are 50 minutes duration and take place either in person in a private and peaceful setting or online. I offer both long and short term therapy with regular reviews to keep our work on track and make changes as we go along. I issue regular invoices and payments are requested by bank transfer.

In-person sessions take place at beautifully arranged and peaceful consulting rooms in Central London, either at my Belgravia Practice or at my City Practice. Alternatively or as needed, sessions can be scheduled via video call or by phone. Daytime and evening appointments are available during the week as well as Saturday mornings. I am happy to offer a flexible diary to accommodate family responsibilities, irregular work patterns or business travel.

The Existential Approach

My practice is based primarily upon the existential phenomenological approach. This means:

• Bringing what is hidden into awareness; looking at what we actually find rather than what we might wish to see
• Avoiding interpretation in favour of description and ever deeper exploration of the your ‘world view’
• Actively working with the client-therapist relationship to reveal helpful insights
• Being open to all possibilities, without per-determined expectations or agendas
• Using philosophical concepts to guide and inform our work
• Continuously striving to be with you in an authentic and non-judgemental way

Alongside this, I may also introduce other psychotherapeutic approaches, such as psychodynamic, humanistic and somatic methods, as may be required at different stages of our work.

The ‘driving force’ in existential analysis is the client’s anxiety that has become strong enough to bring them to therapy. Contrary to being seen as a problem that needs to be eradicated, anxiety in all its forms is welcomed as a precious guide in reaching and understanding the underlying difficulties you are experiencing in the way you are living your life. It can be helpful to examine ‘existence’ and more specifically, ‘your own existence’, from the viewpoint of the ‘four dimensions’, as summarised below. Each dimension contains a basic question, a dilemma and a paradox that all evoke anxiety, simply because they are unsolvable.

The Physical Dimension. The basic question here is “How can I live my life fully, whilst knowing I can die at any moment?” The unsolvable dilemma is that we are reminded of our mortality every time something comes to an end or we encounter ill health. We can either welcome it or deny it but it will not go away. The paradox of the physical world is that although physical death will kill me and the denial of death will destroy the time I have left, the idea of death will save me in the sense that it will prompt me to live my life more resourcefully and more fully.

The Social Dimension. This is where we relate to the public world, to culture in all its meanings. The basic question is: “What are other people there for?”. The unsolvable dilemma is that we have a need for individuality at the same time as having a need to be part of a whole. The paradox of the social world is that the awareness of my separateness can help me to understand and respect the other.

The Personal Dimension is about the relationship we have with ourselves, our past experiences and future possibilities. The basic question is: “How can I be me?” and we act as if there is an answer to this question and look for it in different places including going to therapists. The unsolvable dilemma is that even as we make our choices we still look for fixed answers. The paradox of the personal world is that when I accept my freedom and vulnerability, I discover my responsibility and personal power.

In the Spiritual Dimension, we create a vision of an ideal world and hence a personal value system that will help it come about. In the sense that life is about meaning creation, the spiritual, ethical, moral dimension is the central axis of existential therapy. The basic question is: “How should I live?”. People create their values in terms of something that matters enough to live or die for. Our values are about what we value. The unsolvable dilemma is that our need for ultimate meaning and purpose persists even as we come to accept the relativity of our existence. The paradox of the spiritual world is that when I realise there is no absolute value system, I engage more meaningfully with my own life by making my own value system.

Couples Therapy

When working with couples, the approach focuses on facilitating effective communication between two people, identifying and understanding areas of harmony as well as tension, in order to create resolution and arrive at the best outcome (whatever that may). I will create a safe and supportive setting to explore your issues, fears, hopes, regrets, grievances, pain, losses and vision of the future, both as individuals and as a couple. The existential approach offers a framework for couples to better understand each other’s world views in terms of the physical, personal, social and spirit dimensions. This paves the way for both partners to build a deeper and more compassionate appreciation of the situation and begin genuine dialogue, which is essential to creating a successful and happy life together.

I am one of a growing number of therapists specialising in eco-psychology and climate change emotional support. With years of experience in guiding individuals through the complexities of life, I am dedicated to helping clients navigate the emotional challenges posed by the climate crisis. The existential approach, rooted in existential philosophy, which emphasizes personal meaning, authentic existence, and the interconnectedness of all life is perfectly suited to this endeavour.

Eco-Psychology: Understanding our intrinsic connection to the natural world is vital for emotional and mental well-being. I incorporate eco-psychological principles to help you reconnect with nature, find solace, and develop a sustainable relationship with the environment.

Climate Change Emotional Support: The reality of climate change can evoke a range of emotions, including fear, guilt, anger, anxiety, grief, and helplessness. I provide a compassionate space for you to express these feelings, process them constructively, and build resilience in the face of ecological uncertainty.

Talking About and Working with Climate Change

We are at a pivotal point in the history of time. Some of the systems that humans have created and that we have each, often unknowingly, sometimes knowingly, subscribed to, mean that we can’t continue business as usual. This will impact us all, and yet it can be overwhelming to really connect with this truth. It’s quite natural to want to intellectualize the problem, distract oneself or just do something. But if we want to think or act meaningfully, we need to have conversations that engage our heads, hands, and hearts, bringing a generative balance between intellectual, action-oriented, and emotional considerations. However, these conversations aren’t always easy.

Climate Psychology provides a bridge towards engagement. It’s concerned with:

• Our emotions – individual and collective – much of which are unacknowledged & unconscious.
• The social & mental processes that have contributed to the ecological and climate crisis.
• Our responses and processes of adaptation to it.

Services Offered

Climate Workshops for Leaders and Leadership Teams: Explore how to rise to the challenges and lead yourself, your organization, and your team through uncharted, uncertain waters. Workshops can be tailored to your organization’s or group’s specific needs, facilitating reflection and creative thinking that translates into meaningful commitment and action.

“Active Hope” Workshops Built on the “Work That Reconnects”: A series of experiences used worldwide that facilitate the building of individuals, communities, and organizations into potent and resilient forces for positive change.

Climate Coaching: For those working on climate and environmental issues, helping them to focus, lead, and collaborate skillfully in uncertain times, influence and engage others; for those who have had a painful “climate awakening” or are experiencing growing unease; and for activists and friends and family of activists.

Climate Cafés: Informal, lightly facilitated, and confidential gatherings with listening circles for teams or groups, where people can share their thoughts and feelings, and listen to each other, without pressure to do something. Just being together is often enough.

Psycho-Spiritual Workshops: Co-facilitated with author and leading climate philosopher Rupert Read, these workshops are designed to build emotional resilience. The psycho-spiritual, experiential approach delves into the psychological and spiritual aspects of climate change, fostering emotional resilience through deep reflection and collective support.

Discover the path to a meaningful, resilient life. Embrace change, find purpose, and reconnect with nature. Contact me today to schedule a consultation or learn more about my services.

A few words from some recent clients.

For individual and couples work, I offer a free 20 minute, introductory online consultation. This is an opportunity for you to meet me, tell me a little about your current situation, describe your therapy goals, ask any questions you may have and for us to explore your options.

The Couples Immersive Session can be ‘stand-alone’ or followed by Regular weekly or fortnightly sessions, as required.

For both couples and individual work, I normally suggest working for 6 sessions followed by a Review. In general, it is best practice to schedule sessions at a regular time slot each week and regular attendance is important for therapy to progress well. Missed or cancelled sessions are subject to a 48-hour notice period and are chargeable in full. I issue invoices at the end of each month and payments are requested by bank transfer.

Send me your preferred time/date for an free initial 20-minute on-line consultation and I will get back to you shortly to confirm.