About Me

I am a fully qualified and accredited Systemic Couple and Family Psychotherapist (MA) offering psychotherapy online worldwide. I have over 25 years’ clinical experience working therapeutically with individuals, couples and families, of all ages, both within the NHS, and via my own independent practice.

I work with people to improve communication, nurture emotional closeness, and develop more meaningful, connected relationships—whatever their circumstances or stage of life.

Some of the issues I work with include:

- infidelity, trust and commitment
- sex, desire, connection and intimacy
- parenting, loss & life transitions
- separation, divorce & blended family dynamics
- recovering from unhealthy relationships/creating healthy relationships

I work in an affirming and non-judgemental way with clients across gender, sexuality and relationship diversity, and welcome couples and families of all kinds.

My practice is strengths and resilience orientated, collaborative, and underpinned by the latest evidence based principles.

Alongside my independent practice, as UKCP Media Spokesperson, I'm frequently invited to contribute to the national and international media, (including the Guardian, Telegraph & Independent) providing expert opinion on a range of topical relationship and psychosexual related matters.

I'm also involved in a number of not-for-profit initiatives including with charities Clean Slate and Support Through Court, in my commitment to improve access to specialist support for those most in need.

Below you can find the following:

1. Clinical Experience & Qualifications
2. Client Reviews
3. FAQs
4. Media & Publications
5. Social & Charitable Initiatives
6. Practicalities & Next Steps

1. Clinical Experience & Qualifications

Clinical experience

Within the NHS, my experience spans a variety of contexts including Community and Inpatient Mental Health Services. Alongside a clinical role, I have been involved in service development and leadership, as well as providing training, clinical supervision and consultation to allied professionals and agencies, and developed graduate and postgraduate training as a guest Specialist Clinical Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.

As an independent psychotherapist, I initially worked with the Oxford Priory Wellbeing Centre before founding my own independent systemic and relational psychotherapy service, which quickly flourished. In 2020 the service developed a range of online options enabling clients to connect with each other and access therapy remotely across the UK and globally, and now offers an entirely remote service.

In recent years, I have become an active member of the Association of Family and Systemic Psychotherapy (AFT) Independent Practitioners Network: Aspens. Having acted as a member of the AFT Court Related Work Group, as well as accepting independent clients, I often work alongside statutory and family law services, providing freelance social care funded & court ordered therapy.

As an active member of the Association of Family and Systemic Psychotherapy Couple Therapy Forum, I have completed additional specialist training in Emotion Focused Therapy with the British Emotion Focused Therapy Centre. Currently undertaking advanced postgraduate training in psychosexual psychotherapy accredited by COSRT, the UK's professional body for clinical sexology, I have a special interest in supporting couples with issues related to sex and intimacy.

Qualifications

- MA Systemic Family Psychotherapy, Tavistock and Portman Clinic, London
- PGD Systemic Family Practice (Eating Disorders), Reading University
- PGC Applied Systemic Theory, Tavistock and Portman Clinic, London
- PGC Teaching and Assessment, Oxford Brookes University
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre (OCTC)
- Dialogical Behavioural Therapy, Oxford Health DBT Service
- Multifamily Therapy for Eating Disorders, Maudsley Hospital, London
- Psychological Perspectives in Education and Primary Care (PPEPC) Reading University
- Treating Couples: Surmounting Challenges, Harvard Medical School
- Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) Levels 1 & 2: British Emotion Focused Therapy Centre

Professional Accreditations:

Committed to providing the highest standard of care, I am a fully accredited with:

- United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) 20111688641
- British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) 01034041
- Association of Family & Systemic Psychotherapy (AFT) 2088746
- International Centre for Excellence in Emotion Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)

2. Client reviews/testimonials accessible here:

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/katherine-cavallo

3. Responses to Frequently Asked Questions:

3.1. How many sessions will I need?

This depends on what brings you to therapy, and what you are hoping to gain from the experience. I do not offer a fixed number of sessions; some choose to have a handful of sessions, whilst others benefit from longer term support. We’d make a collaborative plan at the start and review regularly.

3.1. How often would sessions take place?

In most cases, appointments are fortnightly/biweekly. This gives space between sessions to reflect and integrate the therapy into daily life. From my experience, this rhythm works well, but we can review the frequency if your situation requires something different.

3.3. Do you offer face to face appointments?

No, I offer online appointments only, via Google Meet.

3.4. Where can I join online therapy from?

It is important you are somewhere comfortable, quiet and safe, where you will not be overheard or interrupted. You will need good access to wifi and your devices charged.

3.5. For Couple or Family Therapy, do we need to be in the same place to attend therapy?

No, one advantage of online couple and family therapy is being able to support couples and family members to join therapy from different locations or even different parts of the world. Similarly, some clients find it convenient to attend therapy from a private location away from home, such as at work, for example. However, as much as this approach can be both practical and convenient, unless there are reasons why joining together for therapy is not possible, in most instances, I would recommend joining therapy from the same location, if at all possible.

3.6. When do you offer appointments?

Regular appointments are available Tuesday to Thursday, predominantly during the day.

3.7. Would we meet at the same time each week?

Yes, in most instances, I recommend regular appointments to help create a rhythm, momentum and structure to therapy.

3.8. Do you have a waiting time to start therapy?

As I offer both short and longer term therapy, waiting times can vary. I aim to update online information about waiting times regularly. Having a clear sense of your availability will help me to prioritise you for a suitable appointment time once this becomes available - the more flexibility you have, the sooner this is likely to be. Once you have had an initial appointment, my aim would be to offer ongoing therapy appointments without any subsequent delay.

3.9. I’m not sure if I need Individual or Couple Therapy, what would you recommend?

We can use an initial individual appointment to decide together what would be most helpful. Sometimes it’s best to continue individually, other times to include your partner in couple sessions. I don’t provide individual and couple therapy simultaneously, but I can be flexible, and either offer occasional ad hoc individual appointments as part of couple therapy, or vice versa, occasional ad hoc couple appointments, as part of individual therapy, if this would feel helpful.

3.10. What does Family Therapy and Mediation involve?

This depends on your situation, who is hoping to join therapy, and what you hope to gain from therapy. In most situations, I would meet with different members of the family, or subsystems within the family separately, prior to joining together, as part of an assessment, and to establish the most suitable course of action. I may meet with family members in different combinations throughout therapy. Please note I am not an accredited legal mediator, do not act as an expert witness or write court reports.

3.11. Do you work with children and teenagers?

I am qualified to work with children, young people and adults of all ages. As I work entirely online these days, I tend to work directly with older teens or adults. For teenagers, under the age of 18, there would need to be some degree of parent/carer involvement in therapy - this could include, for example, a parent or carer attending part of an initial appointment/review appointments. I also work indirectly with children by helping parents to support their child/children.

3.12. We are thinking of splitting up, is Couple Therapy for us?

Most couples seek therapy to improve their relationship, but sometimes one or both partners realise the relationship is ending and struggle with difficult conversations. In such cases, my role is neutral, supporting both partners. Couple therapy can help ensure you’ve done your best to resolve issues before ending the relationship. If separation occurs, therapy can support ending the relationship kindly and, where children are involved, help parents co-parent effectively through the transition.

3.13. Does Systemic Psychotherapy always work?

Systemic Psychotherapy is evidence-based and recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for a wide range of difficulties. Relationships are complex, so therapy is not an exact science — sometimes things may feel harder before they improve. I take a collaborative and ethical approach, with safeguarding central, and if therapy doesn’t feel helpful we will discuss this openly and agree next steps. Systemic Psychotherapy usually works best when there is some degree of contact between those participating outside of sessions, so that therapy can be integrated into relationships outside therapy.

4. Media & Publications

Guardian - its a risky business emotionally; the social shift towards open relationships
- https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/31/open-marriage-relationships-society-trends-therapy

Telegraph - contemporary ideas regarding narcissism in close relationships
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/wellbeing/mental-health/dark-empath-traits/

Guardian - is my sons' relationship abusive?
- https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/27/my-sons-girlfriend-has-taken-over-his-life-and-i-fear-hes-being-suffocated

Independent - managing feelings of loss when others are celebrating milestones
- https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/surviving-wedding-season-single-b2764335.html

Metro - the child’s experience of the worst cases of domestic abuse
- https://metro.co.uk/2025/02/01/i-just-a-child-saw-mum-killed-22449536/amp/

Verywellmind - managing hidden tensions in couple relationships
- https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-identify-hidden-tensions-in-your-relationship-8768645

iPaper - 12 happiness skills
- https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/skills-boost-happiness-transform-life-3658665

Telegraph - coping with grief on Mother’s Day
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/i-hate-those-mothers-day-emails/

Guardian - trans-generational difference - amplifying closeness & connection
- https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/sep/14/im-ashamed-of-my-daughters-messy-garden-should-i-say-something

Telegraph - finances in couple relationships - its not simply about money
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/why-more-women-are-building-a-f-you-fund/

Also currently guest editing a special edition of the Journal of Family Therapy focusing on domestic abuse in couple and family relationships, writing for publication on intimate partner violence, and have a series of media articles accepted and awaiting publication.

5. Social and Charitable Initiatives

Alongside clinical work, I remain committed to supporting access to specialist therapy and social justice through a range of voluntary and charitable initiatives:

Currently these initiatives include:

Providing clinical supervision and training, on a voluntary basis, to volunteers and trainees working for Clean Slate, a local charity supporting men and women escaping domestic abuse. www.cleanslate.org.uk

Providing subsidised family therapy funded by statutory service, ie mandated by social care services.

As UKCP Media Spokesperson, I regularly provide expert commentary to national and international media, offering guidance on relationship challenges, promoting healthy connections, and raising awareness of specialist support

Supporting the work of Support Through Court, a charity that helps those navigating the court system, as litigants in person, without any legal representation. My contribution as charity Guardian is acknowledged on their website here: https://supportthroughcourt.org/current-guardians/

6. Practicalities & Next Steps:

- Appointments Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, during the day.
- Appointments generally fortnightly to allow for more meaningful integration of the therapy into everyday life.
- Fees vary based on type, length and format of appointment (individual, couple, family, clinical supervision etc). Further information available on request.
- Online appointments only. Fully insured to offer a worldwide service.

Next Steps:

1. Feel free to get in touch via oxfordfamilytherapy@gmail.com, providing a few details about what brings you to therapy, what type of therapy you are seeking (eg couple, family etc) including details of anyone you would like to join you in therapy, and any other questions you might have.

2. Providing a sense of your availability is really helpful.

3. My PA supports me with managing enquiries etc and is bound by the same confidentiality agreement as myself, outlined in my Terms and Conditions.

4. We will then get back to you with recommendations regarding next steps including availability to start therapy, and further details.

5. During a first session, you will have a further opportunity to ask any questions. We will think through the options available together before considering next steps regarding therapy.

I work with

• Children and young people
• Companies
• Couples
• Families
• Groups
• Individuals
• Private healthcare referrals

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

• Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
• Family Therapist
• Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapist
• Systemic Psychotherapist

What I can help with

• Abuse
• ADHD
• Adoption
• Age-related Issues
• Anger Management
• Anorexia
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bereavement
• Bullying
• Chronic Illness
• Couple Issues
• Depression
• Disability
• Divorce
• Domestic Violence
• Eating Disorders
• Employment Difficulties
• Family
• Gender
• Health-related Issues
• Identity Problems
• Infertility
• Mental Health Issues
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Online Counselling
• Parents
• Phobias
• Post-Traumatic Stress
• Relationships
• Separation
• Sex Problems
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexuality
• Step Families
• Stress
• Telephone Counselling
• Terminal Illness
• Transgender
• Trauma