Therapy

By seeking therapy you have already taken the first step towards change. My role is to help walk alongside you and help guide you in your journey towards a brighter future and to carry hope that things will get better even in times when you may struggle to see the path ahead of you. I believe that therapy can be an incredibly helpful and rewarding experience but may also be challenging at times. Through the therapeutic process people can discover inner strength they never knew they had and connect with others in a completely new and deeper way.

I’m an ICEEFT certified emotionally-focused therapist with 8 years of experience in a number of settings including the NHS, Relate, and private practice. I finished my PhD in Psychology in March 2021 which focused on romantic relationships. I also hold a master’s degree in couple and family therapy and a postgraduate certification in evidence-based low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy.

I primarily work with couples and families that are struggling with a range of emotional, relational and sexual issues and help them move from being stuck in destructive conflict patterns of attack-withdraw and blame-defend towards safe and loving emotional connection. I work with many different relationship constellations including mixed-sex and same-sex couples; married, cohabiting, dating, and separated partners; and consensually non-monogamous/polyamorous partners.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have seen clients exclusively online. My clients and I have found that while there are pros and cons to online working, we can make just as much progress and get the same results as we would in person. I have also since relocated to University of Lausanne in Switzerland to take up an academic position as a junior lecturer/researcher. Therefore, I plan on continuing to see clients online via Zoom in the future.

I am bilingual and work both in English and Finnish.

What happens next?
If you are interested in therapy with me, please get in touch via email (info@lauravowels.com). I aim to respond to all queries within 24 hours, usually within considerably less time. I offer a free initial 20-minute consultation over the phone during which you can give me brief details of your situation and ask any questions you may have. If I believe I can help you, we can arrange an initial consultation where we can discuss more about your current situation, explore what you would like to achieve from therapy, determine whether we both feel comfortable working together and address any questions you may have.

If we decide to begin working together it is important to establish a sense of continuity and we can arrange a regular weekly time slot for the duration of the counselling. I offer both daytime and evening appointments that are either 50 or 75 minutes in duration. Sometimes after the initial consultation we may feel that other forms of help may be more beneficial in which case we can discuss alternative options.    

Availability: I have no availability currently for new clients.

Fees: £140/50 minutes (£210 for 75-80 minutes)

Emotionally Focused Therapy 

The focus of EFT is to help people feel more secure, resilient, loved and connected in their relationships with both themselves and with other people and it is the most evidence-based couples therapy modality with over 90% of couples showing improvement after therapy. It has more recently also been adapted to work with individuals and families with success.  In EFT, the purpose is to help partners move from destructive conflict patterns of attack-withdraw and blame-defend to a safe and secure connection. You will learn more about the emotions guiding both your and your partner’s behaviours. In order to find out more about EFT, please visit the ICEEFT website.     

Sex Therapy

In my practice, I often work with couples who struggle with sexual desire discrepancy – when one partner wants sex more often than the other partner. I use a combination of emotionally-focused therapy and sex therapy to help couples navigate the discrepancy. Sex therapy can also be helpful for general lack of desire, sexual dysfunctions, inability to orgasm, or experiencing pain during intercourse.