Life’s too short to let stress, depression, anxiety and relationship difficulties stop you.  Start counselling today and start living your life again.

Panel 1

About

Rob Stuart, BA, PG Dip, MSc, MBACP, BPC

Hi, I’m Rob Stuart – welcome to Start Counselling.  If you’re suffering from stress, depression, anxiety or relationship difficulties, I can help you feel better. It’s not always easy choosing the right counsellor, so here are some key facts about myself to help you decide.

Education

I trained for five years at Birkbeck College, University of London and graduated in 2014 with an MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy. 

I also have a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology from the Open University and a BA in Philosophy and Politics from the University of East Anglia.

Early Experience

I completed my training at an NHS outpatient’s clinic in Westminster, where I worked for five years as an Honorary Psychotherapist under the close supervision of an experienced Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy.

Past Experience

I have worked in various NHS crisis teams in Camden as a Clinical Support Worker, supporting people in acute distress, often after an act of self-harm or a suicide attempt.

Many of the patients I helped had complex diagnoses, including depression, anxiety, manic-depression (bi-polar disorder), emotionally unstable personality disorder, schizo-affective disorder and others.

I have worked for a prominent UK suicide prevention charity as a Community Link Worker, where I developed and delivered training on suicide awareness and prevention to other mental health professionals.

In addition, I have also worked in private health care, supporting people with long term forensic mental health concerns, including schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, Korsakoff’s syndrome and antisocial personality disorder.  

I have seen how bad things can get, which is why I encourage people to start counselling now, rather than wait until it’s too late. I know many people that have done just that and never looked back.

Professional Registration

I’m a registered member of the British Psychoanalytic Council.  

Charitable Commitments

I was recently appointed a Trustee for a psychosocial charity called OPUS (An Organisation for Promoting Understanding of Society).

I am the Director in charge of the ‘Listening Post’ portfolio that creates a space in central London for people to talk about their preoccupations in society at regular intervals throughout the year.

I’m also a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance.

Continuing Professional Development

I’m a regular attendee of the ‘Political Mind‘ seminars at the Institute of Psychoanalysis. I also look out for events at the Tavistock Centre and the Birkbeck Counselling Association.

I presented a paper with the working title ‘Climate Change: A Psychoanalytic Perspective’ to the Birkbeck Counselling Association in March, 2019.  

I presented a paper in an event called ‘Planet Earth and Me‘ that I organised with OPUS in November, 2021.

I’m currently preparing a paper to present at the OPUS 2022 Annual Conference.

Thanks for reading. I hope you found it helpful in making your decision whether to contact me. If you’d like to find out more or talk to me about how I can potentially help you, please get in touch.

Panel 2

Information

Start Counselling with Rob Stuart!  Here’s how.

  1. Send me a message.  I aim to respond within 24 hours.  
  2. Fill out a psychotherapy questionnaire.  
  3. Schedule an appointment.

Prices and availability.

Appointments are offered between 08:00 and 19:00.  I prefer to work in the morning but have limited availability in the afternoon and evening.  

I usually charge £60 for a daytime session and £70 in the evening.

I am pleased to be able to offer reduced fees to people on a low household income (daytime only).  Message me for more information.  

Duration of sessions.

Sessions last the ‘therapeutic hour’ of 50 minutes.  

I never attempt to predict how many sessions will be required before a preliminary consultation.  There’s just no way of knowing.  Further, there is never any obligation for you to commit to a fixed number of sessions, ever. 

I want you to want to see me.  

Breaks.

I generally take three breaks per year.  I try to take two weeks in the winter, two weeks in the spring and four weeks in the summer.  I aim to provide at least two months notice of any upcoming break.   

Termination of counselling.  

Counselling should always be cancelled by mutual agreement.  There is a general expectation that you will arrive at your appointment on time every week. 

Missed sessions are chargeable but if there is a genuine reason why you cannot attend (i.e. life does go on), I will always try to offer an alternative.  

Complaints

If you have a complaint about counselling, it is better to talk to me about it in the session.  In the unlikely event that I am unable to satisfy your concerns, you should contact the British Psychoanalytic Association.  

If you’d like to find out more, please send me a message.  I aim to respond within 24 hours.  

Panel 3

Testimonials

Dear Rob,
 
I came to see you for 6 months or so a few years back, and I wanted to write to say thank you.
 
Today I’m getting married. The intellectual entanglement of my brain and my emotions, the niggling sense of unworthiness that we spoke about – they’re not disappeared or cured, but that was never the point. I have come to cope and manage all that, and find happiness with myself, and now, with someone else. 
 
So thank you. 
 
I hope you’re doing well!

[Name omitted]

Hi Rob, 

Hopefully you remember me from having therapy in [the NHS]. I’ve mostly been doing well but had a bit of a set-back this last year with one thing or another and I seem to be consistently depressed/anxious.  

My depression was triggered last September due to an experience at work and for some reason, it has chipped at my resilience and I can’t seem to bounce back from it.  It’s spiralled and I am finding myself experiencing some level of depression every day (despite many positives). 

Similar to last time, my behaviour/moods are starting to become apparent to others and simple tasks such as sending an email leave me paralysed with panic (this has taken 30 minutes to write and counting). 

Despite my current feelings, my last round of therapy was literally life-changing and what I learned remains with me today. I don’t think I could ever really articulate the level of gratitude.
 
If Skype is an option or a discussion about the feasibility of in person, I would very much like to explore this and I look forward to hearing from you… 
 
Thanks [name omitted]

Panel 4

Contact

Please use the contact form to message me.  I aim to respond within 24 hours.