Alison Raphael

A space to understand yourself, feel grounded and find your way forward.

UKCP-Registered Psychotherapist | Anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, trauma and recurring relationship patterns, life transitions and identity

My Approach to Care

Taking the first step can feel uncertain, and that's completely understandable. I aim to make the process as simple as possible. Here's what you can expect from me:

Clear. I explain fees, scheduling and next steps plainly.

Approachable. You can ask me anything, including questions about cost. I'm easy to talk to, and you won't be judged for asking.

Reassuring. You don't need to have everything figured out before you contact me. We can work it out together.

Empathetic. From your first message, I'm here to help you understand yourself better.

My Approach

My approach is warm, thoughtful and non-judgemental. I integrate psychoanalytic thinking with body-based approaches, including Somatic Experiencing for trauma and, where appropriate, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This allows us to address both the psychological and physical aspects of what you're experiencing.

Psychotherapy in Primrose Hill, London & Online

Life can sometimes feel overwhelming, leaving you anxious, exhausted, disconnected from yourself or caught in patterns that are difficult to change. You may be functioning, achieving and coping, yet something inside no longer feels right.

I'm Alison Raphael, a UKCP-registered psychotherapist with an MSc in Psychoanalytical Theory from UCL. I offer in-person therapy in Primrose Hill, London, and online across the UK. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, burnout, low confidence, relationship difficulties and periods of transition.

A Space to Understand Yourself More Deeply

Rather than focusing only on managing symptoms, therapy offers an opportunity to explore what lies beneath them.

In a confidential, collaborative space, we look at the emotional patterns, relationships and experiences that shape how you feel and relate to others. This can help you develop greater insight, self-awareness and a stronger sense of agency in your life.

Who I Work With

I work with adults experiencing:

• Anxiety and persistent worry, including anxiety despite outward success.

• Feeling overwhelmed, burnt out or emotionally exhausted.

• Low self-esteem, perfectionism and self-criticism.

• Life transitions, including career changes, relationship changes, bereavement, retirement and moving home.

• Feeling stuck, disconnected or unsure of your direction or sense of identity.

• Relationship difficulties and recurring patterns.

• Recovery from narcissistic abuse and difficult or toxic relationships.

• Emotional difficulties accompanied by physical symptoms that feel hard to manage.

• The emotional challenges of relocating overseas, including grief, anxiety, loneliness and uncertainty about identity and belonging.

• Shame, hiding parts of yourself or feeling that you're somehow not enough.

Starting Therapy

Starting therapy can feel daunting, especially when you’re already overwhelmed.

You don’t need to have everything figured out - just a sense that something isn’t right, or that you want to understand yourself more deeply.

Get in touch to arrange a free initial consultation.

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

Trauma Therapy

Somatic Experiencing in Primrose Hill, London & Online

"The body remembers what the mind cannot bear to know." Janina Fisher

Somatic Experiencing offers a gentle, body-based approach to working through trauma. It focuses on the nervous system, helping you explore difficult experiences without necessarily having to describe every detail.

I offer Somatic Experiencing in person in Primrose Hill, London, and online throughout the UK. I support adults experiencing trauma, ongoing stress, anxiety and the lasting effects of difficult life events.

What Is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-centred approach developed by Dr Peter Levine. It explores how trauma can affect the nervous system and recognises that these responses are not a personal failing or weakness.

Rather than focusing primarily on recounting events, Somatic Experiencing pays attention to physical sensations and bodily responses. The aim is to work gradually with tension and distress while supporting a greater sense of safety and stability.

This approach may be helpful if you've found that talking therapy alone hasn't fully addressed everything you're experiencing. Somatic Experiencing offers another way to explore your experiences, working with your awareness of your body as well as your thoughts and feelings.

Who Can This Help?

This approach may be helpful for people experiencing:

• Trauma arising from a single incident or prolonged difficulties.

• Anxiety and ongoing stress.

• Burnout and difficulties regulating stress.

• Difficult life transitions that have left them feeling unsettled.

• Feeling stuck, even after previous therapeutic work.

• Shame and self-blame following overwhelming experiences.

• Understand how trauma affects the mind and body.

• Process difficult memories and experiences safely, at your own pace.

• Reduce hypervigilance, anxiety, and avoidance.

• Release stored tension and stress held in the body.

• Rebuild a sense of safety and trust.

• Reconnect with a stable, grounded sense of self.

How We'll Work Together

We'll begin with a free 30-minute consultation, giving you space to ask questions and consider whether this approach feels right for you.

If we decide to work together, sessions will progress at a pace that feels manageable. Somatic Experiencing is a gradual, collaborative process, and there's no need to force anything before you're ready.

In our work together, I combine talking therapy with body-based approaches, always taking your individual needs and pace into account.

Shame can be difficult to put into words. It may show up as self-criticism, a wish to hide parts of yourself or a feeling that something is wrong with you.

Paying attention to the body as well as the mind can offer another way to explore these experiences, always at a pace that feels manageable.

A Body-Based Approach to Trauma

Trauma isn't only held in the mind; it can also affect the nervous system. Shame is often the quietest part of trauma. It can show up as self-criticism, a habit of hiding parts of yourself, or a sense that something is wrong with you.

Working with the body as well as the mind can help shame loosen its hold, allowing you to feel safer and more connected to yourself.

You Might Recognise Yourself Here If…

• You overthink, feel anxious frequently or find yourself second-guessing your own judgement.

• Your confidence shifts suddenly — feeling strong one moment and uncertain the next.

• You've spent years holding things together while carrying a heavy emotional burden.

• Your body feels tense, guarded or shut down, even in calm moments.

• Burnout has caught up with you, leaving you irritable, depleted or overwhelmed.

• You're exhausted from always being “the strong one”.

• You feel disconnected from your body, your energy or your sense of self.

These experiences can extend beyond thought patterns. The effects of stress or trauma may persist long after the original experience has ended.

Somatic Experiencing offers a gentle way to explore these responses and work towards feeling more grounded, present and connected to yourself.

Is This Right for You?

You don't need to have experienced a single identifiable traumatic event for this work to help. Prolonged stress, difficult relationships, or a persistent sense of hyper-vigilance or disconnection can all be addressed through this approach. Get in touch to arrange a free initial consultation and talk through whether this feels like the right fit.

Complimentary Approaches

Where appropriate, I may also integrate Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) — a brief, body-focused approach involving focused attention and tapping on specific points on the body — to support a greater sense of calm alongside the deeper reflective work.

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.”
— Peter Levine

Get in Touch

If you'd like to explore whether this approach could help you, get in touch to arrange a free 30-minute consultation.

Sessions are available in Primrose Hill, London, and online throughout the UK.

Training & Credentials

I hold Certified Clinical Trauma Professional status (Evergreen Certifications) and have trained in Somatic Attachment work and Somatic Experiencing. I'm a UKCP-registered psychotherapist with an MSc in Psychoanalytical Theory from UCL.

“Curiously enough, if we primarily try to shield ourselves from discomfort, we suffer."

— Janina Fisher