My Approach

As an existential psychotherapist, my approach is grounded in exploring what it means to be human. In working with your lived experience, I focus on understanding your thoughts and feelings in context, helping to bring clarity to the issues that are of concern to you. Whether you are facing anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, life transitions, or a general sense of being ‘stuck’, I offer a warm, collaborative space where you can be truly heard. Through open and honest dialogue, we will work to develop the self-awareness needed to live more intentionally and in line with what matters most to you.

Existential psychotherapy recognises that the difficulties we face are not necessarily signs of a disorder, but reflections of the challenges inherent in being human. Life inevitably presents us with dilemmas, disruptions, and uncertainty. How we respond to these challenges can shape the direction and meaning of our lives.

I view psychotherapy as a unique encounter between two people sharing a common humanity. By being fully present with you and bearing witness to your lived experience, I aim to create a space where new perspectives can emerge, helping you to find a way forward that feels meaningful and authentic.

About Me

My private practice is based in Berkhamsted. I offer both in-person and Zoom sessions from 8am Tuesday to Saturday, depending on availability. Sessions are charged at £80 on weekdays and £100 on Saturdays, which may particularly suit busy professionals or those unable to attend therapy during the working week.

I work both short-term and long-term, depending on your needs, and would be happy to discuss this further during an initial phone or Zoom consultation. You can contact me at ianpatricktherapy@outlook.com.

Most of my clinical training was undertaken with Hertfordshire Mind, where I worked with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, life stages, and experiences, across a variety of presenting issues and diagnostic labels. This experience helped shape my existential approach to psychotherapy: working holistically, attending to each person in their uniqueness, and staying close to lived experience as a way of understanding what it means to exist in the world.

I also spent a year working with a bereavement service in London and therefore have additional experience supporting people through grief and loss. The existential approach, with its focus on the fundamental realities or ‘givens’ of the human condition, can be particularly valuable in this area.

Before training as a psychotherapist, I completed undergraduate studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, followed by a postgraduate degree in Intellectual History. This academic background continues to inform my therapeutic work by combining philosophical understanding with close attention to lived experience. I have also submitted a thesis, currently subject to amendments, as part of my professional doctorate in existential psychotherapy via the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling/Middlesex University, in which I researched ecopsychology, nature, and the climate, and therefore have particular interest and experience in working with people affected by ecological and climate-related concerns.

I work with

• Individuals

Special Interests

Like all UKCP registered psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors I can work with a wide range of issues, but here are some areas in which I have a special interest or additional experience.

Types of Therapies Offered

• Existential Psychotherapist