Marsha Oza
NCPS (accred.), MBACP
I’m an accredited member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), both of which operate Professional Standards Authority accredited registers so you’re safe in the knowledge that I’m properly qualified to practise as a counsellor and psychotherapist.
I work to their Ethical Frameworks and meet their rigorous quality standards for clinical supervision*, continuous professional development** and audit.
I’m also a professional associate member of the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT) which supports my work with couples and people in multi-partnered relationships.
Apart from my independent practice, I have worked at the Metanoia Counselling & Psychotherapy Service and at Cambridge Counselling Service, from whom I continue to take referrals as part of their network of independent practitioners.
I’m a founding member of the Campaign for Universal Access to Counselling and Psychotherapy (uACT).
As a proud member of the Free Psychotherapy Network I offer 5% of my schedule at no cost, and 5% at a reduced fee to people who are unwaged or have a low income (£20 for individuals; £35 for couples or multiple partners).
* Clinical supervision means that I work with a registered psychotherapist to review my work with clients and my ongoing professional and personal development, so you and I can be sure that I work in your very best interests. As per NCPS and BACP guidance, I have clinical supervision for a minimum of 1.5 hours per month.
** Continuous Professional Development (CPD) encompasses all the competence, knowledge, and skills development and maintenance I undertake to support my practice. It enables me to work safely, effectively, and legally as things evolve in the world of counselling and psychotherapy. In line with NCPS and BACP requirements, I complete at least 30 hours of CPD a year.
My approach
At our initial meeting we’ll spend some time getting to know each other, understanding what has brought you to therapy and what you hope to achieve. From there, we’ll work in partnership, regularly reviewing progress and finding out what works well for you, and what works less well, to inform and refine our approach as we go.
Informed by my client work, my own experiences, and a body of supporting literature, I take a relational trauma-informed approach. This means I understand distress and suffering to be normal, natural responses to challenging circumstances and experiences. Therapy offers an opportunity to work things out, grow and heal through human connection.
Having said that, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ in therapy. Neither you nor I will have all the answers. What we do have is experience, thoughts, and feelings that we can share and learn from. Using these tools and drawing on a broad range of theory and contemporary research, we’ll work together to help you. This style of therapy is known as “integrative”, bringing together the most current psychotherapeutic thinking to provide bespoke support, designed to meet your specific needs.
Therapy room
Part of good therapy is having a space to work together in which you feel safe and comfortable. My therapy room is private, warm and bright, less than a 10 minute walk from Bermondsey Tube or South Bermondsey Overground stations (both one stop from London Bridge), and a few minutes from bus stops for routes 1, 381, and P12.
Accessibility
My usual room is on the first floor of a Victorian building with concrete stairs and no lift. If you’d like me to send you a video so you can see if it will work for you, just ask. If it won’t, don’t let that be a barrier. Perhaps we could meet somewhere else or work together online. Get in touch and we’ll see what we can work out.
I usually offer 60 minute slots, weekly on the same time and day. I understand that for many valid reasons this may present a barrier. Again, please get in touch and we’ll see what we can work out.
As long as we’re comfortably within the ethical boundaries that keep us safe, and my schedule allows, I’m happy to be flexible.
My dogs
My dogs – Scout and Goose – sometimes work with me. If you’re coming for individual therapy and would like them to be in the room with us, let me know. They don’t attend sessions with couples or multiple partners, or where a service dog is present.
If you’re allergic to dogs, please be aware that they will have spent time in the therapy room.
