Erin Lafford
Analytical Psychotherapy

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Welcome. I am a training candidate on an advanced training in Analytical Psychotherapy at the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy (WMIP).As a training candidate, I offer reduced-fee psychotherapy to adult individuals, under regular supervision.
I offer psychotherapy sessions at a minimum of once-weekly, but also offer sessions at 2 or 3 times a week, depending on your individual needs. Higher frequency work is especially helpful for working towards long-standing change.I am based in Bishop's Tachbrook, just outside central Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

'I began to guess that my self's need was for an equilibrium, for sun, but not too much, for rain, but not always...So I began to have an idea of my life, not as the slow shaping of achievement to fit my preconceived purposes, but as the gradual discovery and growth of a purpose which I did not know'
- Marion Milner

About me

My background is in academic research and teaching. I have a PhD in English Literature and worked as a lecturer in English within Higher Education until 2024. I have been especially interested in how literature explores emotion and feeling, the experiences of health and illness (what it means to be and feel well, or not), and our relationship with the environment. I continue to write and publish work on these areas of interest.Now, I am a training candidate in analytical psychotherapy at the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy in Birmingham, which is accredited by the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC). I believe that there are many connections between literature and psychotherapy, and that being given an opportunity to tell our own stories and to pay attention to how we represent our own experience is a profound aspect of the therapeutic relationship.

Psychotherapy

People seek therapy for lots of different reasons. You may be experiencing something that feels nameable, such as depression, anxiety, recurring worries, relationship problems, or bereavement. Or you may have a more general feeling of being stuck, confused, lost, or unsatisfied. When difficulties continue and become hard to cope with, it can be helpful to seek another who can listen and think with you about your distress. I provide a safe, non-judgemental and confidential space in which to be curious about whatever has led you to seek help.Analytical psychotherapy is a form of 'talking therapy'. It can explore emotional problems and difficulties by offering close listening and a space for unhurried, reflective conversation, within an unfolding relationship with your therapist. I do not focus on ‘fixing’ or identifying one specific issue, but instead take an explorative and open approach to the whole of your experience, and to what is said in the room together. Time and space is given to consider your inner world and its history, meanings, and patterns, and how this interacts with external circumstances. This kind of psychotherapy also considers the role of the unconscious mind, and how our present state is influenced by our early feelings and experiences. We can explore the deep range of your feelings and fantasies as they shift and develop, and perhaps your dreams, too, in order to grow towards understanding and creative change. The relationship with your therapist is an alive part of this work, as it offers you an opportunity to experience and to think about your patterns of relating in other areas of your life.

How many sessions will you offer?

I offer long-term, open-ended work, giving the time and space needed for a collaborative, trusting relationship to form and develop. Sessions take place between 1 – 3 times per week. Having more frequent sessions per week can be especially helpful for working with long-standing difficulties, and for exploring your emotional life in a deeper way. You are free to end your therapy whenever you want to, and ending the therapy is something that we would ideally discuss together to work through that decision.
Each session is 50 minutes long and, once we have found a suitable time, sessions keep the same day(s) and time(s) every week.

How do we begin?

If you are interested in exploring psychotherapy, the first step is to arrange an initial consultation. This allows us to meet and to think together about what has led you to seek help, and to consider whether I am the right therapist for you. Sometimes, it is helpful to meet more than once before making a decision.
It is in the initial consultation(s) that we can also discuss the frequency of sessions, and the therapeutic fee.

How much do you charge?

My standard fee is £40 per session. I can consider a reduced fee if your circumstances require this, especially for 2 or 3 times weekly sessions.

Please see the ‘contact’ section of this website for my contact details, should you wish to ask me anything more or to arrange an initial consultation.I follow the ethical code and practice of the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy, who are accredited by the BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council).

Contact

I am based in Bishop's Tachbrook, just outside of central Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. My practice is easily reachable from Coventry, Kenilworth, Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and the surrounding areas.If you would like to contact me, or to enquire about an appointment for an initial consultation, you can reach me by email or telephone:Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07590914443You may also wish to explore these links: