Elena Bonsignore

Counselling Psychologist

Elena is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and accredited with IPT UK. She is also a Supervisor on the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors.

As a Counselling Psychologist Elena combines evidence-based approaches with a solid therapeutic alliance with her patients. Elena's therapeutic approach draws from Third Wave CBT approaches, such as Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness Based Therapy.

Prior to going into private practice last year, Elena had over 20 years experience of working in primary care in the NHS. She has extensive experience of helping people from all backgrounds with a wide variety of presentations including :

Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, (GAD), Panic attacks and Panic Disorder, Health Anxiety)
Depression
Loss and bereavement
Low self-esteem
Workplace stress and performance stress
Perfectionism
Relationship Problems
Self criticism
Sleep problems and Insomnia
Eating disorders

Elena is also an accredited Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) practitioner. IPT is a NICE recommended approach for depression in the context of life changes, relationship disputes, loneliness, isolation, loss and bereavement. She is also an accredited IPT supervisor involved with the training and supervision of IPT practitioners in training.

Elena is able to offer therapy in English and Italian.

I believe Elena Bonsignore has been instrumental in helping me learn and practice self-compassion and train my brain to slow down. Both being essential for my well-being. She also listened and helped me talk through and process trauma/grief. Perhaps most telling is that once she felt she had gone as far as was necessary with the process she told me that she thought we could stop but that I should continue using the tools suggested. Elena has kept the door very much open in case I need to go back in the future. She is highly recommended.

Working with Elena was an excellent experience, it made a really big difference to me and how I feel. Over the course of our sessions I learnt so much about emotions and the importance of managing self-criticism with self-compassion. As a result of our work together, I now feel confident about my future. DB

I found the sessions with Elena incredibly helpful in getting me out of a really difficult place. Thanks to her amazing help I am feeling so much better in myself. The strategies she taught me are still incredibly useful and I really appreciated the opportunity to just be listened to. She was truly fantastic. JH