Welcome to Indlela
Indlela (i-ndle-la) Zulu word meaning path, way, journey, resource, direction.
My name is Ayanda (she/her) and I’m a trauma informed integrative counsellor. I work with adult clients of colour in both English nesiZulu. I see clients in person in Elephant and Castle and London Bridge (SE1) and online via Zoom.
In my practice I aim to create a safe and private space for you to freely discuss your thoughts and feelings at your own pace.
How are you doing?
Notice how this question makes you feel.
The answer to this question may 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.
It might be hard for you to say ‘no’ to people. You may find yourself overworking or overgiving and wondering why it’s difficult for you to create or enforce boundaries around your time and energy.
Maybe you are feeling low or sad, lacking energy, finding it difficult to concentrate or enjoy the things that previously gave you joy.
It could be that you feel like an imposter, constantly fearing being exposed at any moment.
You may question your self-worth and notice that this is attached to what you do or who you are in the world.
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.
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 a daunting prospect. 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 a few online slots at a reduced rate. These are currently full but will update this website when slots become available.
If you’re ready to get in touch you can contact me using the form 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 involves exploring the issues that have bought you to therapy to help you understand them better and bring about change. My integrative approach means we can look at these issues from different perspectives (see ‘About me’ section for more detail) including:
Considering how your history (both personal and inter-personal) is impacting your experience of the issue you are bringing.
Considering how you may be experiencing your issue in your body (e.g. your breath, posture, sensations within your body).
Considering the meaning you make of your issue.
Working creatively and visualising your issue.
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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) and Thursday evenings in London Bridge (SE1).