Daria Radsulter

Trainee Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist registered with the BACP

Daria is a Trainee Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist registered with the BACP. Prior to that she gained a Master of Science in Psychology qualification. She also holds a specialist degree in Journalism & Literature, which contributes to her wide awareness on social justice issues, philosophical and ethical problematics of modern day realities, cultural and political contexts and other aspects that are relevant to understanding the clients’ needs. Daria comes from a diverse background and throughout the last 13 years has undergone many personal and professional metamorphoses. She considers her first-handed insights into a variety of lived experiences as a valuable facet of her professional identity, which enables her to build strong therapeutic alliances with a wide range of populations. Further to this, Daria is regularly undertaking supervision and personal therapy.

Approach

Daria is strongly committed to the scientific basis of psychology and her practice is informed by the latest research in the field. This means that Daria delivers psychological interventions that are evidence-based and also considers recent findings of relevant literature to provide a client with the most accurate formulation of their case. This also ensures that as a Trainee Counselling Psychologist, she constantly challenges her own assumptions and goes beyond existing approaches. Daria believes this allows a client to be seen as a unique individual as opposed to a therapeutic modality being routinely exercised.

Evidence-based interventions that Daria is currently delivering include person-centred approach, cognitive-behavioural therapy and psychodynamic therapy.

Outlook on therapy

Daria’s attitude to therapy is rooted in the values of Counselling Psychology, such as focusing on empowering an individual, rather than ‘concealing an issue’. Whilst recognising the necessity of diagnosis in some cases, Daria sees it as a course for treatment, avoiding it as a label that could be put upon a client. She considers that this idea is very well illustrated by Aristotle’s quote: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Overall goal of the therapy in this case is not only concerned with overcoming the problem, but also seeing it in a wider existential context and turning it into points of personal growth and development. Daria considers this trajectory to be very beneficial for self-acceptance in a challenging path of undergoing therapy.

Daria aims to work with a client through a strong therapeutic alliance and building trust and safety during therapeutic sessions. She values the relational aspect of therapy, and how positive connection between a psychologist and a client can influence the outcome of therapy. Further to this, Daria aims to deliver an integrative approach, which means that she tailors existing approaches to the unique needs of a client. Having extensive experiences of therapy herself, Daria recognizes what it is like to be in the clients’ shoes, and is very sensitive in adjusting the pace, intensity and directions of the sessions.

It’s also important that a client does not feel pressured to continue seeing a specialist after the first session, therefore Daria highlights that there are no obligations for her clients.