Psychotherapy and Counselling in Leicester

Ruxana Patel, qualified MBACP registered, integrative counsellor and psychotherapist. Offering an explorative, safe, confidential space.

A reflective space for identity, culture, and the unconscious life of relationships.

“It is a joy to be hidden, and disaster not to be found.” — D.W. Winnicott

About Me

I am a psychodynamic psychotherapist with a particular interest in identity, agency, and the unconscious patterns that shape how we relate to ourselves and others. Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, unable to make decisions, or unsure of their direction — sensing that something in their inner world is asking to be understood.

I work with adults living with the impact of emotional and relational trauma, early developmental experiences, and the complex ways these shape our sense of self. This includes relationship difficulties, religious and cultural conflicts, struggles around sexuality, questions of identity, cultural duality, neurodivergence (ADHD and autism), and the quieter conflicts between who we feel we are and who we have been expected to be.

My clinical interest includes the dynamics of permission and agency, the emotional residues of parent–child relationships, and the ways the self adapts — sometimes protectively, sometimes at great cost. I pay close attention to the parts of the psyche that become hidden, defended, or split off, and to the subtle ways these reveal themselves in the therapeutic relationship. Patterns of closeness, distance, rupture, and repair often illuminate the deeper emotional logic behind long‑standing difficulties.

People often ask what therapy is. I understand it as a depth‑oriented treatment — a reflective and relational process in which unconscious experience, personality patterns, and the emotional residues of shame, guilt, sexual abuse, and sexual difficulties can be worked with, understood, and gradually transformed. Much of the work involves a subtle push and pull: the wish to be known and the fear of being seen, the pull towards closeness and the instinct to retreat. Psychoanalytic thinking also recognises that meaningful change often requires a kind of mourning — grieving old patterns, losses, and ways of being that once protected us. Within the safety of the therapeutic relationship, these tensions and transitions can be explored in a way that supports empowerment, confidence, and agency, while honouring each person’s cultural, familial, and personal frame of reference. My aim is never to push women or men toward particular roles or expectations, but to help people from all backgrounds move toward choices that feel internally coherent, culturally respectful, and genuinely their own.

Qualifications & Professional Memberships

• BA
• FDA
• MA in Psychotherapy Practice
• Psychodynamic clinical training
• Ongoing CPD in psychoanalytic and object‑relations approaches
• Specialist training in working with dissociation and complex trauma
• PTSD‑focused training
• Supervision offered based on extensive clinical experience and ongoing consultation with my own supervisor
• Published work on cultural adaptation in psychotherapy
• Registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• Experience working with clients referred by specialist trauma and dissociation services

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy and counselling are types of therapy which aim to identify, observe and better understand human issues and behaviours – illuminating the reasons behind them and exploring routes to navigate the often confusing, dark and difficult parts of life.

People take up psychotherapy for all sorts of different reasons. Perhaps they want to explore their emotional difficulties. Maybe they want help to deal with trauma. Or they could just feel a nagging sense of discontentment they want to talk through. Counselling and psychotherapy is one of the most effective ways to help combat anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

As a psychotherapist I will help you to work through whatever your presenting issues are to help you reach your goals. Our needs are often diverse and my wide ranging experiences will help me to identify what will work best for you.

Some people like to come to therapy sessions with an idea of issues they would like to work through. Whilst this is welcome, you don’t need to worry about having anything planned before you come to a therapy session, I will work with you to figure out what you need.

There are many ways psychotherapy can help you. Get in touch to find out what I can offer you.

Remote Counselling

I offer online counselling and psychotherapy services via zoom, video call and even telephone.

The sessions are structured to keep within the ethical boundaries all online through video chat and/or telephone.

An advantage of remote counselling is you can access therapy from the comfort of your own home, it feels more comfortable for some and saves time on travel.

Professional Register

I am a registered member with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. I adhere by their code of ethics and requirements for ongoing supervision and continuing professional development.

Services I offer include:

Specialities

Relationship Issues

Bereavement

Sexual Abuse

Trauma and PTSD

Identity

Issues

ADHD

Addiction

Attachment

Anger Management

Anxiety

Borderline Personality

Chronic Illness

Coping Skills

Depression

Divorce

Domestic Abuse

Domestic Violence

Eating Disorders

Emotional Disturbance

Infertility

Infidelity

Life Transitions

Men’s issues

Nightmares

Obesity

Parenting

Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum

Racial Identity

Relationship Issues

Self Esteem

Self-Harming

Spirituality

Stress

Substance use

Women’s issues

Cost per SessionMy fees begin at £60. Any additional written work, such as reports or letters, is invoiced separately.

Supervision

I offer supervision to counsellors and psychotherapists who are seeking a reflective, relational space to think about their clinical work in depth. My approach is grounded in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic thinking, with particular attention to unconscious processes, transference–countertransference dynamics, and the emotional life of the therapeutic relationship.
I have extensive experience working with adults living with trauma, dissociation, identity questions, cultural duality, and the quieter conflicts that shape the inner world. My supervision is informed by ongoing consultation with my own supervisor and by continued CPD in psychoanalytic and object‑relations approaches.

Supervision with me is a collaborative process — a place to explore clinical dilemmas, deepen understanding, and think about the therapist’s internal responses as part of the work. I welcome supervisees who are interested in reflective practice, relational depth, and the complexities of working with trauma, identity, and culture.

Get In Touch