About Alexandra Stevens, psychotherapist for individuals, couples and families based in Gloucester Road, SW7.

Alexandra is an accredited Gestalt psychotherapist and EMDR practitioner working with individuals, families and groups. The daughter of a Swiss psychotherapist mother and an African politician father, she is at ease working with issues of diversity. One of her unique strengths is being aware of the connections and similarities which underly all of our differences, regardless of culture and background. She works with industry leaders and Type A’s to the vulnerable and marginalised. She is considerate, caring, and accepting and helps us relate better to loved ones and to the world as a whole by acknowledging and honouring differences.

Having been immersed from a young age in the Swiss/German psychotherapeutic traditions starting with Freud and Jung, she is fascinated by the unique qualities of each person she supports. A second unique strength is seeing what is beautiful, peaceful and sane in each of us and promoting wholeness and integration. She never ‘diagnoses’ or puts individuals in a box. She doesn’t believe that one size fits all and adapts each therapy according to our unique needs and wants. In this way the therapy is focused and it’s easier to measure how far we’ve come. This is regardless of whether we are working with issues of perfectionism, overworking and onerous responsibilities, as well as other issues such as anxiety, depression, addiction, OCD, trauma and relational difficulties.

A third unique strength is Alexandra’s authenticity and integrity. As a young child she was hungry for new experiences. Restless in the state system she competed for a scholarship to private school and played the violin, flute and piano. As a young woman she singlehandedly set up two businesses as well as experimenting with six different professions including tour leader, project manager, teacher and astrologer, amongst others. As a result of these experiences she can relate to us in a very real, grounded and honest way which helps you to feel safe and risk being more open in return. She gently and sometimes playfully nudges you to cut through the bullshit of unhelpful relational patterns and games in order to enliven and deepen your relationships. She always does this in a very contained way, holding professional boundaries to the highest regard. As a result you feel safe and trust the therapy process enough to engage with it more fully and reap its benefits.

Alexandra’s curiosity led her to study Thai and Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies and to backpack extensively in Asia and South America working with street children and sailing up the Amazon. It was on her travels that she immersed herself in Vipassana meditation and Kundalini yoga, which she has been practicing ever since. It was while living in France that she mastered French and the art of eating croissants elegantly.

Her calling to help others then changed from the outer world of international development to the inner world of the human psyche. This led her to spend six gruelling yet satisfying years studying Gestalt psychotherapy, culminating in an MA  and an Advanced Professional Diploma. She has worked as an Associate Tutor at the University of Surrey Counselling Psychology Doctorate programme. She also worked as a specialist complex trauma therapist at the world-renowned Khiron House residential trauma treatment facility.

Alexandra combines her expertise in psychotherapy with her knowledge of body and mind practices such as yoga and mindfulness, when she feels they may be helpful. She believes that we are responsible for shaping our own lives, that we have an innate propensity towards growth and healing and that all emotions have equal value. There are no positive or negative feelings, just helpful and unhelpful ways of dealing with them. What she loves most about her job is observing people improving and having ‘A-ha’ moments as the therapy starts to work, until eventually they leave therapy because they can get by just fine on their own. Her biggest compliment from clients is that she is a safe and trusty pair of hands that guides them in a time of crisis towards healing and wholeness. She has a very ‘real’ presence and retains a sense of light-heartedness and humour, when appropriate. When not delivering psychotherapy she can be found playing make-believe with her young son, getting muddy in nature, or at home tucking into a tasty roast dinner.