Gemma Routledge

Some of us have always lived with some kind of background feeling that something’s not ok; others, with the knowledge that we have repeating patterns of self-sabotage or missing out on things. Many people can go through life just fine and suddenly realise one day that coping mechanisms aren’t working anymore, and something needs to change.

About me

I am a qualified Forensic Psychotherapist, meaning that I’m trained to work with some of the most disturbed minds and difficult behaviours encountered in the criminal justice system. This work is carried out in specialist NHS and secure settings, but I bring these skills and knowledge to my practice with private clients, which means I can offer both compassion and challenge where it’s most helpful. It also means I have experience working with traumatic histories and the darkest of thoughts. And through my voluntary work, I regularly speak with people who feel overwhelmed, tending to self-harm and having suicidal thoughts.

How it works

If you’ve never accessed therapy before, we will typically spend a few sessions speaking about what brings you to therapy and what your life experiences have been so far. Through this process, we’ll work together to formulate some ideas about what may be causing the difficulties you’d like to resolve. For some people, this is enough to begin with – gaining some insight into issues and a new understanding of themselves. For others, this is the beginning of a therapeutic journey that can be weeks, months or years. For this reason, my work is open-ended, so that I can work with you for as long as is helpful to you.

If you have already begun the life-long process of learning about yourself, you might be looking for a new therapy relationship or to experience psychoanalytic psychotherapy for the first time. I can offer up to twice-weekly sessions in my comfortable rooms in Central and South East London, or remotely via Zoom. However, I’d always recommend we meet in person at least once, at the beginning of our work together.

Rates & Locations

If you’d like to meet for an initial consultation, I currently have availability in Old Street or Greenwich, and I also offer online sessions by Zoom.

Each session is 50 minutes and my rates range from £75 to £95 per session, depending on location and frequency.

I also have some limited availability for low cost online therapy for students and those on low incomes.