Welcome to Indlela
Indlela (i-ndle-la) Zulu word meaning path, way, journey, resource, direction.
Sawubona and Hello! My name is Ayanda (she/her) and I’m a trauma informed integrative counsellor. I work primarily with adults based in UK and Europe from the global majority in both English nesiZulu. I see clients online and in person in Elephant and Castle (SE1).
How are you doing?
The answer to this question may be the reason you are here.
Now.
Notice how this question makes you feel.
How it makes it feel, and how it feels to be asked this question, may also be the reason you are here.
Perhaps you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with too much on your plate. This can manifest as anxiety, resulting in a racing heart and racing thoughts that may make it difficult for you to sleep.
You may be ‘the strong one’ in your life, accustomed to looking after others over yourself. You may be feeling exhausted by this caretaker role but struggling to find a balance between caring for others and caring for yourself.
Maybe you are feeling low or sad, lacking energy, finding it difficult to concentrate or enjoy the things that previously gave you joy.
Perhaps you question yourself and your abilities, feeling like you may be exposed as an imposter at any moment. This may come with an inner judgemental voice who reminds you of this at every opportunity.
It's possible that you may also question whether you belong - either in your family, your friendships or in wider society. You may feel the need to wear a mask, longing to take it off and show your true self.
You might be coping with the loss either of a loved one, a beloved pet or even your own identity.
You may have experienced trauma either in the distant or recent past. This may have been a one-time event or something experienced over a longer period of time that impacted you individually and/or the community that you are part of.
It could be that you have you faced discrimination based on who you are, whether it be your race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of your identity. This may have deeply impacted your sense of self, leaving you feeling devalued, misunderstood, and questioning your worth.
Perhaps you are an immigrant feeling caught between countries and cultures and not quite ‘at home’. This may be exacerbated by the need to translate yourself and experience to others.
Or perhaps you are experiencing a sense of something feeling "off," without fully understanding why.
Although not an exhaustive list, these are the types of things that I can help you with. Through my approach, I aim to help you explore what brings you to therapy in a space that is safe and non-judgmental and considers you in your totality – your mind, body and spirit.
Learn more about my approach here
Starting counselling with me
I know taking that first step towards therapy can be daunting. Understandably, you may have a lot of questions about therapy and the ways that it can support you. You may also want to get a sense of who I am and how I work.
To help you with this I offer a free 15 minute introductory call which will allow us to meet, explore what brings you to therapy and help to determine whether I am the right therapist for you.
Should you wish to continue, we can then schedule an assessment session either online or in person to further explore what brings you to therapy. This session will determine whether our work together will be time limited (6-12 sessions and focused on a particular issue which we will agree at the onset) or open-ended and longer term.
Sessions will be 50mins and cost £70 per session. I do offer some online sessions at concessionary rates.
If you’re ready to get started you can book an intro call using the button below. If what I offer doesn’t match what you need, here are some colleagues I would recommend.
Some frequently asked questions
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These terms are sometimes used interchangeably to describe the experience of therapy. Counselling is typically more likely to be used to refer to shorter term work on specific issues. Psychotherapy is more likely to be used to refer to more in-depth and longer term work focused on more pervasive and complex issues. I am trained to work in both ways and can move between these approaches where it is necessary.
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This will depend on the nature of the issue that brings you to therapy. During our assessment session we will explore the issue that is bringing you to therapy in more detail and discuss how long we might work together. This could be short term (a minimum of six sessions, I recommend twelve sessions) or longer-term, open-ended work. We will also review our work at regular intervals so that our work stays dynamic and relevant to your needs.
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I use this first session to get a deeper understanding of what is bringing you to therapy and to explore some of the factors that may be influencing your experience. The session is structured around a series of questions which I will send you prior to the session.
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A therapy session will involve us exploring different aspect of the issues you are facing. This is in order to understand their origins, how they may be impacting you and what changes you may want to make based on this understanding. How we approach these issues will be at a pace that feels manageable for you. It will also be shaped by the modality/approach that feels most relevant to what you bring. To learn more of the modalities I use see the ‘About me’ section.
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15min Introductory session: Free
50min assessment session: £70. Subsequent 50min weekly therapy sessions: £70 per session
Online take place via Zoom. In person sessions available on Tuesday evenings in Elephant and Castle (SE1).