Attachment-informed therapy is a type of talking therapy that explores how our earliest relationships e.g. with parents, caregivers, and significant others, shape the internal templates we carry into adulthood. These templates influence how safe we feel in relationships, how we manage difficult emotions, how we see ourselves, and how we respond when we feel hurt, rejected, or overwhelmed.

Rather than focusing solely on symptoms or surface-level difficulties, this type of therapy is interested in the relational patterns beneath them, for instance how they developed, what purpose they once served, and how they may be showing up in your life today in ways that no longer serve you.

This approach tends to resonate with people who notice recurring patterns in their relationships or emotional life . It is also well-suited to those whose difficulties feel rooted in earlier experience, even if that connection is not yet fully clear.

The therapeutic relationship itself is central to this work. The experience of feeling genuinely heard, understood, and responded to in a consistent and attuned way is not just a backdrop to the therapy, it is part of how change happens.

Attachment-informed therapy and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) are both evidence-based approaches, but they work in quite different ways.

CBT focuses primarily on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in the present. It is structured, relatively short-term, and works well for specific, defined difficulties. The work is largely skills-based: identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and learning tools to shift them.

Attachment-informed relational therapy takes a different starting point. Rather than focusing on changing specific thoughts or behaviours, it is interested in understanding the deeper patterns that shape how you feel about yourself, how you relate to others, and why certain difficulties keep recurring, often rooted in earlier life experience and the relationships that shaped you. The process is exploratory rather than prescriptive, and tends to be longer-term.

The right fit depends on what you are carrying, what you are looking for, and what feels most meaningful to you. Many people come to relational therapy having already done CBT and found it helpful up to a point, but sensing there is something deeper to understand.

If you are unsure which approach might suit you, a free initial consultation is a good place to start, it’s an opportunity to talk things through and find a direction that genuinely fits.

Yes, absolutely. A formal diagnosis isn’t needed for therapy and in fact, many adults I see begin without one. Psychological difficulties do not always arrive with a neat label, and the absence of a diagnosis does not make your experience any less real or any less worth exploring.

Similarly, you don’t need to arrive with a clear agenda or a prepared account of what is wrong. Many people come to therapy with a sense that something is not quite right, e.g. a persistent low mood, a pattern that keeps repeating, a feeling of going through the motions. Finding language for that, and beginning to make sense of it, is often part of the work itself.

If you are sitting with uncertainty about whether therapy is the right step, a free 20-minute phone consultation is a low-pressure way to find out more. There is no commitment involved, it’s simply a conversation

It's completely normal to feel unsure about what to expect from therapy and the early sessions are designed with that in mind.

The first two to three sessions are an assessment & formulation period. Rather than diving straight into a set agenda, these sessions are an opportunity to slow down and explore what's been weighing on you, the patterns you've noticed, and what you'd most like to take away from therapy. I'll ask questions, and you're also welcome to ask questions of me.

By the end of this phase we'll have a clearer shared understanding of what's been happening for you and a sense of the direction our work might take. We'll also check in honestly about whether working together feels like a good fit and if a different clinician or specialist approach might serve you better, I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

There's no pressure to have everything figured out before we begin. Therapy is a collaborative process, where slowing down to work things out together matters.

Sessions are offered on a weekly basis, at the same time and day each week, consistency is an important part of the therapeutic process. All sessions are 50 minutes.

How long will therapy last? This is one of the questions I'm asked most often, and the honest answer is that it varies. The length of therapy depends on what you're bringing to the work, your goals, and how the process unfolds for you personally.

Some people find that a shorter piece of work e.g. around 6 to 12 sessions gives them what they need. Others are working with longer-standing patterns, attachment trauma or more complex difficulties, will benefit from a longer, more in-depth therapy. There's no fixed timeline, and I won't keep you in therapy longer than is useful.

We review our work together regularly, checking in on how things are feeling, what's shifting, and what might come next. Decisions about when to end are made collaboratively and with enough time for a healthy ending.

Yes to both. I offer in-person psychological therapy at my private practice in central Hertford, Hertfordshire. The practice is easy to reach by train or car from Hertford and the surrounding areas, including Ware, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, St Albans, and Broxbourne. Full location details and directions are on the Location page.

I also offer online therapy sessions via a secure video platform, available to adults across the UK. Many clients find online sessions work well alongside a busy schedule, or where travelling to Hertford isn't practical.

If you're unsure which format would suit you, this is a good thing to discuss during the free initial phone consultation.

I believe in being transparent about fees so you can make an informed decision before getting in touch.

• Free initial consultation — 20-minute initial phone call, no charge.

• Individual therapy session — £120 per session (50 minutes)

• Single standalone appointment — £120 (50 minutes, no ongoing commitment required)

• Comprehensive mental health assessment — £300 (includes two 50-minute assessment appointments and a 30-minute feedback session)

• Organisational consultation — price on request, depending on scope and needs

• Reports and letters — price on request

Sessions are typically held weekly. Payment is accepted by bank transfer (BACS).

If you hold a private health insurance policy with BUPA, WPA, AVIVA or Cigna, you may be able to use your cover to fund your sessions. Do refer to my insurance question below for more details.

Yes, I am a registered provider with BUPA, BUPA Global, Cigna, AVIVA, Vitality and WPA.

If you hold a health insurance policy with one of these providers, you may be able to use your policy to fund psychological therapy sessions, sometimes at little or no cost depending on your level of cover.

How to use your insurance: Contact your insurer before booking and ask whether your policy includes mental health or psychological therapy cover. If it does, request a pre-authorisation number - you'll need this before your first appointment. Once confirmed, I'll invoice your insurer directly for each session. Any policy excess is payable directly to me by bank transfer (BACS).

What if my insurer isn't listed? If your insurer is not listed above, it's still worth contacting them directly. Many UK health insurance policies allow you to reclaim the cost of sessions with a registered Clinical Psychologist, even where I am not a listed provider. Your insurer can confirm whether this applies to your policy.

If you feel that I may be able to help you and you’d like to book an appointment, please head over to my CONTACT page to arrange an initial 20 minute telephone consultation.

Alternatively, you may contact me directly via email at hello@kspsychotherapy.co.uk

I aim to respond to all enquires within 2-working days. Please do keep an eye on your Junk Folder, as sometimes my replies arrive here.

Yes, what you share in therapy is private and confidential. However, in rare cases it is my duty of care and legal obligation to inform appropriate agencies if I have concerns about your safety or the safety of other, including children or vulnerable adults.

Information may be shared if required to do so under a court order or by law for the prevention, detection or prosecution of a crime. These situations happen very rarely, and normally I will inform you of the fact that I have disclosed information in this way.

As part of my registration with the HCPC, I receive regular clinical supervision. This means I may discuss aspects of my clinical work with my supervisor, always without using identifying details. Supervision is a professional requirement designed to protect clients and maintain high quality of care, it is not a breach of confidentiality.

Private psychological therapy is not a crisis service, and I'm afraid I’m not able to offer urgent support outside of our scheduled sessions. If you are in immediate danger or feel at serious risk, please contact emergency services on 999, call NHS 111, or go to your nearest A&E.

For non-emergency support between sessions, your GP is a good first point of contact during working hours. The Samaritans are available around the clock on 116 123 - free to call, any time.

If you find that difficult feelings are arising between sessions, it can be helpful to note them down and bring them to your next appointment. Strong emotions between sessions are often some of the most important material we can work with together.

Further support resources are listed on the Resources page.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please let me know as soon as possible by emailing hello@kspsychotherapy.co.uk.

‍Cancellation policy: Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice, or not attended, will be charged at the full session rate. This applies regardless of the reason for cancellation, including holidays, work commitments, and illness.

‍I know this can feel strict, but the reserved time is held exclusively for you, cancellation policies are standard practice across private therapy and help ensure the work remains consistent and protected.