Lucas Teague, UKCP Accredited Psychotherapist

Lucas Teague

London E1 English
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Lucas Teague, UKCP Accredited Psychotherapist

Lucas Teague

London E1 English
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My Approach

No two clients are the same, therefore it is important that the therapy is tailored to suit your needs. Through my integrative training I am able to work creatively in meeting those needs. My interest lies in how our lived experience from the past can impact the present. This can often present itself in our relationships, self-image and self-beliefs. As well as working with underlying narratives from the past, my approach also focuses on the present moment, through giving a place to what is happening in the therapist-client relationship, as well as working directly with the body. Developing a relationship with the body and creating dialogue with different parts of it, can be a particularly effective means of working with emotions that feel out of reach or difficult to process with our rational minds.

I draw upon a number of therapeutic approaches in supporting your healing journey. These include Gestalt, Psychodynamic, Jungian and Transpersonal Psychotherapy. I specialise in offering an holistic approach in the treatment of depression, anxiety, bereavement, and addictions. This means working with all aspects of your experience, as a means of helping you to gain a more complete understanding of the underlying issues related to these difficulties. My experience of working with clients over a 14 year period has shown me that this is one of the most effective methods of fostering lasting change.

Alongside talking together, I may suggest the use of mindfulness, (non-contact) bodywork, drawing, or dream work. These can be a powerful means toward helping you understand and fulfil more of your potential, and the discovery of your real self. Real, in this sense being what feels true and authentic for you in your own experience and learning to trust this.

One way of viewing the therapeutic process, is in helping to identify what gets lost in the midst of our lives; what we deeply long for within ourselves. Through which a deepened self-awareness can grow, creating the possibility of greater potential and lasting change in how you lead your life. I aim to help you to discover more about yourself and to facilitate your growth in self-awareness and authenticity. I believe that as this happens, and you become more self-aware, you naturally begin to make better choices in your life.

It may seem surprising how often we are reluctant to give ourselves the very thing that we need most; the gift of understanding this deeper part of ourselves, in a way that permits us to start to change the way we engage firstly in our internal world and subsequently in our external world.

As a psychotherapist, I am committed to creating a safe environment in which you can begin this process at a pace that feels right for you. In this regard, choosing to come into relationship with places in ourselves that maybe we have spent a life time avoiding, it is important that we can be compassionate and patient with ourselves.

I also use systemic constellations in my work with clients. This can offer a means of understanding and healing inter-generational trauma in an embodied way that allows an insight into the underlying family, cultural and societal systems at play.

As well as offering face to face appointments, I also see clients online, both within the UK and internationally.

My experience of having worked with clients online over a number of years, is that it can provide an effective means of working at depth and supporting real change. In this regard, many of the approaches I use within a face to face context have been successfully adapted to this format.

I offer both weekly in person and online appointments, or a combination of both. This allows the flexibility to move between working in person and online, as needed. Some clients find this particularly beneficial if their work or personal commitments require them to travel on a regular basis.

I offer short and longer term counselling and psychotherapy.

I have a limited number of concessionary appointments for students and those in receipt of benefits or a low wage.

About Me

I have a private practice in Brick Lane, close to Liverpool Street and Spitalfields. I specialise in offering an holistic approach in the treatment of depression, anxiety, bereavement, and addictions. This means working with all aspects of your experience, including mind, body and spirit as a means of helping you understand the underlying issues related to these difficulties. My experience of working with clients over a 14 year period is that I have found this is to be one of the most effective methods of fostering lasting change.

I began training as a therapist 16 years ago, as I wanted to bring together my personal interests with my professional life. In this regard I chose to train as a Transpersonal Psychotherapist, as this provided me with a relational therapeutic approach, whilst holding a good basis to work from in understanding unconscious processes, and the deeper existential meanings of life that I feel we all search for. I feel my work as a psychotherapist helps to reaffirm the importance of the individual’s truth, as a means toward greater meaning and wholeness in our lives.

The process of self-understanding is fundamental for me as a practitioner, and has continued through an on-going spiritual practice that allows me to know myself on deeper levels without the demands of established religious dogma. In this regard, I have practiced meditation for many years. I have found mindfulness techniques in particular, to be an effective means of coming into relationship with and being present to painful emotions or difficult memories. Used within a therapeutic context these can offer a supportive means for individuals to harness their own innate wisdom and self-understanding.

I qualified as a therapist in 2007, and have worked in the healing professions for the past 19 years. As well as my private practice as a therapist, I have worked as a bereavement therapist at St Joseph's Hospice in east London. I have experience of providing therapeutic support to those nearing the end of their lives, as well as those who have been bereaved through the death of someone close to them. I have also worked as a therapist in a service in north London, providing longer term support for clients with severe and enduring mental health conditions.

For 14 years I worked in mental health, coordinating service provision to clients with acute mental health presentations and complex socio-economic support needs. This has included working as a clinical case manager within a trauma management service that provided psycho-therapeutic interventions to organisations and their employees that have experienced traumatic incidents. As such I have extensive experience of working with individuals from a broad range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, presenting with severe and enduring mental health conditions, and trauma related symptoms.

Through my experience of working within mental health and trauma I have come to recognise that mental health issues are not something that an unfortunate few end up in hospital experiencing, but something that we can all be susceptible to within our lives.

I am an experienced addictions therapist, and have supported clients within my private practice, struggling with compulsive or addictive behaviours and working with 12 step programmes. For many people the experience of addiction can leave them feeling as though they have no self-respect or identity. For many people in this situation their lives have become increasingly unmanageable through the pursuit of trying to “fix” painful feelings or unwanted thoughts or memories. The use of an addictions recovery programme in conjunction with therapy can provide a powerful healing combination.

As well as working with female clients, I have experience of working with men who have struggled with finding a sense of belonging within society, and who maybe no longer identify with the stereotyped male role model, which encourages self-reliance and emotional unresponsiveness. Many of the men I work with have felt that the only way for them to survive is to try to be something other than who they are. However, many report that after spending years trying to prove themselves, one of the bravest, though rewarding experiences is to be able to communicate the truth of their lives to another man.

I provide one to one work as a psychotherapist, as well as individual supervision within my private practice. I use an integrative transpersonal approach with both. Holding an holistic focus and working with the practitioners mind, body, emotions and intuition.

I am an approved training psychotherapist at Re-vision, as well as an accredited member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

In order to maintain the highest possible levels of competence and care, I regularly undertake personal supervision and continuing professional development. I carry personal indemnity insurance and hold a full DBS clearance certificate.

I am registered with a number of healthcare insurance providers, including Aviva and AXA PPP healthcare.

I am also a father for two boys. Being a parent has given me an insight into the complexities, demands and rewards of this role.

Training and Qualifications:

2007 Higher Professional Diploma in Counselling (Lewisham College)

2017 Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Transpersonal Psychotherapy (Re-vision)

2018 Post Graduate Certificate in Integrative Transpersonal Supervision (Re-vision)

2019 Foundation Training in Systemic Constellations (The Centre for Systemic Constellations)

2023 Applied Training in Systemic Constellations (The Centre for Systemic Constellations)

I work with

  • Companies
  • 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.

Addiction attacks every part of what Freud called our “mental apparatus.” These attacks, however often seem to be in two primary areas: the will, which is our capacity to choose and direct our behaviour, and self-esteem, which is the respect and value with which we view ourselves. Addiction splits the will in two, one part desiring freedom and the other desiring only to continue with the addictive behaviour. This internal inconsistency begins to erode the person’s self-esteem. The greatest damage to self-esteem, however, comes from repeated failures at trying to change addictive behaviour; even when there is clarity as to what needs to change, the addictive cycle continues. This leads to feelings of being out of control. I have found that in working with male and female clients experiencing the effects of addiction, that at these moments of confusion and chaos there is often something that has been missed or ignored in the person’s life. Often something that has been waiting to be witnessed in some way. This may be a traumatic event or memory that the individual had no option of dealing with, or working through at that time, leading to it being pushed out of consciousness and repressed. I have found in working with clients with addiction issues, that once this experience has been given a space and the underlying painful emotions are felt, a new-found sense of feeling back in control and wholeness within their lives begins to emerge.
Anxiety can be described as feelings of unease, worry and fear. It incorporates both the emotions and the physical sensations we might experience when we are worried or nervous about something. Although we usually find it unpleasant, anxiety is related to the ‘fight or flight’ response – our normal biological reaction to feeling threatened. What is the 'fight or flight' response? Like all other animals, human beings have evolved ways to help us protect ourselves from dangerous, life-threatening situations. When we feel under threat our bodies release hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which help physically prepare you to either fight the danger or run away from it. These hormones can: - make you feel more alert, so you can act faster - make your heart beat faster to carry blood quickly to where it’s needed most This response is something that happens automatically in our bodies, and we have no control over it. In modern society, we don’t usually face situations where we need to physically fight or flee from danger, but our biological response to feeling threatened is still the same. Because anxiety is a normal human experience, it's sometimes hard to know when it's becoming a problem. However, if your feelings of anxiety are very strong, or last for a long time, it can end up feeling overwhelming, leading to a sense of being out of control. My approach in working with both male and female clients experiencing anxiety is to provide a supportive means of gently uncovering the underlying issues that may be at the heart of the person’s distress, whilst at the same time supporting you to develop the tools to manage the symptoms of anxiety in your life. In this regard, I have found that working with techniques that develop greater awareness of the body and the breath, through mindfulness have helped many clients to find a way of moving from feeling trapped in their thinking minds to using their bodies as a means of containing and working with the underlying emotional issues at the heart of the anxiety. This way of working can bring deep changes, as it seeks to address and explore the internal thoughts patterns and narratives we hold about ourselves that can feel so destructive. Many of these patterns can become somatised in the body, leading to physical symptoms and ailments. Through this way of working clients have reported feeling deep shifts within themselves, leading to a greater sense of harmony and alignment between their mind, body and spirit. This in turn leads many with the sense of reclaiming an authentic expression of who they really are.
Bereavement is the state of loss when someone close to you has died. The death of someone you love is one of the greatest sorrows that can occur. However, feelings of bereavement can also accompany other losses, such as the decline of your health or the health of someone you care about, or the end of an important relationship, through divorce, for example. Grief is a normal, healthy response to loss. People cope with the loss of a loved one in many different ways. For some, the experience may lead to personal growth, even though it is a difficult and trying time. There is no right or wrong way to cope with the passing of a loved one. The way a person grieves depends on their personality and the relationship they had with the person who has died. How a person copes with grief is affected by many factors: the person’s experience with the illness, the way the disease progressed, the person’s cultural and religious background, his or her coping skills and mental health history, existing support systems and the person’s social and financial status. Grief may be experienced as a mental, physical, social, or emotional reaction. Mental reactions can include anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and despair. Physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, physical problems, or illness. Social reactions can include feelings about seeing family or friends or returning to work. If the person died of a chronic illness, for example, the death may have been expected. The end of the person's suffering might even come as a relief. If the death was accidental or violent, coming to a stage of acceptance could take longer. A wide and confusing range of emotions may be experienced after a loss. These may include, denial, disbelief, numbness, anger or blame. Once the initial shock has worn off, denial of the loss is often replaced by feelings of anger. The anger may be directed toward doctors and nurses, God, other loved ones, yourself, or even the person who has died. You may experience feelings of guilt, with sentiments such as "I should have… ", "I could have… ", or "I wish I had…. " Such thoughts are common. Your emotions may be very intense, and you may have mood swings. These are all normal reactions to loss. I have worked with male and female clients who have presented with difficulties in coming to terms with a bereavement. This journey has included helping them to acknowledge and feel their feelings of grief and loss, and gradually move to a place of readjusting to a world without that person, and in time forming new relationships in their lives. Through this process of separation from the person who died, they gradually begin to invest their emotional energy once again in the world around them. This does not mean the person was not loved or should be forgotten, but that they begin to find a sense of stepping back into their lives. This however, can be challenging, as the client’s sense of identity and the role they saw themselves having may need to change to readjust to living in a world without the person who died.
Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease our ability to live meaningful lives at work, or at home. Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include: Feeling sad or having a depressed mood Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much Loss of energy or increased fatigue Feeling worthless or guilty Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions Thoughts of death or suicide Depression does not discriminate. Men and women of every age, educational level and social and economic background can suffer the effects of depression. There is no area of life that does not suffer when depression is present. Marriage, parenting, friendships, careers, finances – every aspect of daily living can become compromised. Once an episode of depression occurs, it is possible for it to reoccur. The impact of depression can be even more severe when it occurs in combination illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, or cardiovascular disease, or with anxiety or substance abuse. I have many years experience of working with male and female clients experiencing the effects of depression. For some clients, this has meant reclaiming aspects of themselves that have been forgotten and become dormant. For others, it has meant undertaking a radically different path in their lives. Whatever the outcome, the work for many people has begun with learning to listen and give a space to what is being asked to be witnessed.
Throughout human history, men have frequently been defined by distinct roles as hunters, warriors, and providers for their families, tribes, and communities, and many male-dominated cultures have traditionally given men a higher status than women. Male rulers and military leaders as well as largely male-led businesses, churches, and societies have played a significant part in contributing to cultural and social expectations of men. The roles of men were seldom questioned or debated and generally were not psychoanalysed. Stereotypes of women as a “weaker gender” and of men as “protectors,” which can be seen frequently in literature, movies, television, and so on, have also contributed to the development of certain ideas that might be recognised as limiting or even harmful. In recent years, these ideas have increasingly been recognised as potentially problematic, as social norms and cultural expectations are changing. Many men have had to face the reality that certain ideas and behaviours considered to be traditionally masculine may be potentially destructive. Some men may experience fear and shame related to preconceived notions of their roles and responsibilities. For example, a man whose employment income is not sufficient to provide for the needs of his family may experience feelings of frustration or emasculation stemming from the belief that he should be able to provide for his family. This may especially be the case when a spouse or partner brings in more income or has a higher-paying job. In particular, one difficulty many men I have worked with have faced is how to respond to mental health issues. I have heard men disclose that the only way they feel able to communicate feelings of depression is through anger or irritability. Leaving them feeling unable to express deeper emotions of pain, or grief. This leaves many men with feelings of isolation, which in turn can increase the likelihood of drug and alcohol abuse, or the risk of suicide. Men may avoid seeking help until a point of crisis is reached, fearing that others will see them as weak. Many of the men I work with have felt that the only way for them to survive is to try to be something other than themselves. However, often many report that after spending years trying to prove themselves, one of the bravest, and most healing experiences is being able to communicate the truth of their lives to another man.

Types of Therapies Offered

  • Integrative Transpersonal Psychotherapist

What I can help with

  • Addiction
  • Anxiety
  • Bereavement
  • Depression
  • Mental Health Issues
  • Online Counselling
  • Relationships
  • Spirituality

Types of sessions

  • Face to Face - Long Term
  • Face to Face - Short Term
  • Online Therapy
  • Telephone Therapy

London Office

The Therapeutic Rooms
Courtyard House
170 Brick Lane
London E1 6RU

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Cost:

£70

UKCP College

  • Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy College (HIPC)
Lucas Teague

Lucas Teague

London E1
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