U Matter Counselling is a trauma informed Therapy Centre with expertise in ‘Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery’.
Our therapists provide interventions so that survivors can move forward positively in their lives, no longer being defined by the violence and trauma of their experiences.
We are one of the few UK based organisations that delivers treatments and protocols that are specific to the recovery of trauma survivors.
U Matter works with individuals who are in need of that extra support and will benefit from a range of therapeutic interventions.
We specialise in trauma work, arising as a consequence of abusive relationships; individuals who have been human trafficked either sexually or for modern day slavery. In addition to this we also provide Empowerment Self Defence in group work.
Empowerment self-defence is a violence prevention education tool which aims to reduce the incidence of abuse by integrating a program that teaches a variety of skills enable a person to recognise and prevent abuse. The aim of the tool is to help recognise abuse, coercion and boundary violations; assertive communication and personal advocacy when under stress as well as enabling someone to physically protect themselves from violence committed by anyone.
From our research it has shown that the combination of traditional therapy and physical defence work facilitates moving through trauma, the associated guilt and shame, clearing space for cognitive processing. Research shows that trauma is held within the body, consequently the physical movement goes to release the trauma enabling the cognitive processing.
Diversity is at the heart of what we do, we work with people of all ages, genders, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin, creating a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.
From our research it has shown that the combination of traditional therapy and physical defence work facilitates moving through trauma, the associated guilt and shame, clearing space for cognitive processing. Research shows that trauma is held within the body, consequently the physical movement goes to release the trauma enabling the cognitive processing.
Diversity is at the heart of what we do, we work with people of all ages, genders, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin, creating a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. In addition to English speaking, we offer services in Albanian, English, Greek, Italian and Turkish.
I would like to express my gratitude to my dearest therapist Sarah, who has been absolutely open-minded and an incredibly empathic person who has made me feel that I could talk about anything. Speaking about situations and emotions I have been through it is never easy. However, she made me overcome and helped me build my character. She made me understand my values, and the growth I felt from her sessions is amazing. I can never really thank Sarah enough for this - I will be forever grateful and forever my favourite therapist. Sarah, I'm happy I found you and I'm happy that now I know where to go whenever I feel I need help! Sarah has been so supportive, kind, and facilitated my journey beautifully! I would really recommend ' U Matter' to everyone. No matter how small you think your problems are, it will be a huge weight off your shoulders when you clear them!
Anita KA huge thank you to Sarah for all the support and dedication throughout the whole process. She has gone above and beyond to make sure my needs are fully analysed and met. This is much appreciated and I would highly recommend her to anyone who needs specialised treatment.
Griselda BerhaniUn jam shum e kenaqur me seancat qe bej ,me Joniden punen qe bejne e bejne te saket jam shum m falenderuese ju pershendes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Bukurie Ukavery good
Juliana
Lavdrim HilajExtremely happy to have met such a wonderful woman as Sarah. She is super professional, caring and efficient psychologist. I highly recommend.
Rovina DushkuNo enough words to describe how happy I am to find this place. All the therapists are lovely and so helpful
Ana MashaTe kalosh nje depresjon esht shum e veshtir, Por me terapit prej dy vitesh qe kisha me U Matter Counselling me psikologen time Sarah. Une ja dola dhe sot e them pa frik se fal Sarah Nuk i tremmbem me asgjeje dhe jam e zonja vetes.faleminderit nga zemra Sarah❤️🙏.
Matilda Beshi
Jesmina KallajU Matter, serious, correct and professionals
Ermand Golemi
Our vision is to facilitate physiological and physical therapeutic interventions, which specifically empowers persons to move through emotional and physical trauma, striving towards the discovery of the best version of themselves, regardless of past experiences. We will be the destination for any individual seeking to transform their personal traumas into their greatest strengths.
Reducing mental health stigma regardless of cultural backgrounds. We provide support and empowerment for anyone who has or who is experiencing trauma and associated mental health issues. We believe that by raising awareness of the stigma associated with mental health, we can empower people to overcome and move beyond trauma experienced, navigating through the uncertainties and challenges of life.
U – Unstoppable
M – Mindfulness
A – Ambition
T – Togetherness
T – Transformation
E – Empowerment
R – Resilience.
The way we ensure you are at the heart of everything we do is by adhering to our four key values that form the foundation of our work.
Sarah is specialised primarily in trauma, abuse and their many manifestations. She has experience working with clients on various issues affecting their well-being such as trauma, abuse, depression, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, anger issues, obsessive compulsive behaviour & self-esteem. Her main aim is to help clients to observe, understand and change patterns laid down in childhood and through acute stress. Attunement is key and accompanying her clients on such a journey and seeing them transform and accept for Sarah, is a huge privilege.
Sarah is an experienced bilingual counsellor/psychotherapist and able to provide therapy in English and Albanian, and work with a diverse range of people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Sarah’s aim as a therapist is to create a safe space to explore, to help to a deeper understanding of self and assist you in finding your own way forward. Sarah specialises on working with survivors of trafficking and modern day slavery.
Whatever the reason you are seeking therapy, it can be helpful to have someone to talk with that is not going to judge, analyse or tell you what to do. Here, at U Matter, we have a passion for integrating mind, body and spirit into the work we do and applying current, up-to-date advances in the treatment of trauma in a creative and formulation-based way.
Sarah’s educational background include;
Person-Centered, Gestalt, Psychodynamic, Schema Therapy and Addiction.
Group Facilitator
Life Coach
Master NLP Practitioner (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)
Master Understanding Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse
Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist – Individual (CCTSI)
Postgraduate Diploma in Traumatology & PTSD
She adhere to the BACP’s professional code of ethics.
Links: https://www.bacp.co.uk/ profile/3d1ad886-5390-e711-80e8-3863bb351d40/Therapist
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ profile/442415
https://righttherapist.com/ dir/therapist-listings/sarah-rees/
Sarah’s research in the field of counselling and psychotherapy
The experience of Muslim men as they actualise-self as gay males and how this may inform counsellors working with this clients group.
https://www.bacp.co.uk/ media/3243/bacp-research-conference-abstract-2018.pdf
The Experiences of Albanian Women Living in London that have been Trafficked: Constructions of Female Identity within a Patriarchal Culture. (Goldsmith University)
A comparison of evidence-based approaches: CPTSD and the presentation of depersonalization and derealization in asylum seekers exposed to trafficking in the UK; Do shorter term therapeutic interventions yield successful outcomes for clients as suggested by policy makers? (NCP)
Anduena, a counsellor who has experience working with adults, teenagers and children. She always aim to provide a safe space for therapy where you can discuss and explore a range of issues, to have those difficult conversations, and be in a non-judgemental setting where you can share your thoughts and feelings without having to worry about what anyone thinks. Most importantly, the time where ‘you’ are the main focus and can use the therapy space as you see fit.
Anduena’s professional background has mainly been within the counselling field but have also worked in a range of social psychology settings as a mentor, life coach, social inclusion officer and organisational work. Her academic background is in BSc Counselling, a Postgraduate degree in Work and Organisational psychology and trained in Play Therapy. Anduena is bi-lingual and can provide therapy in both English and Albanian.
Anduena mainly work within the person-centred approach which has the focus of how an individual/client perceives themselves consciously. She also provides treatment in the following approaches; Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Holistic therapy, Psychoanalytic therapy, Mindfulness practices, Dialectical Behavioural therapy (DBT), Play therapy.
Anduena’s message to you is that no problem is too big or too small for her to be able to work with you. You are at the centre of what we do in therapy. Everyone goes through different life challenges at different points and therefore she would like you to know that regardless of how others may view your issues or even how you view your own troubles, your problem is important enough for you and therefore this should always be recognised, prioritised and vocalised. You are important and as are your struggles, regardless of what they may be.
Anduena will be here to guide you in unlocking your inner healing abilities, work with you on an individualised process to create change and growth in your life regardless of who you are or how you may view yourself. We will share a safe environment and start a journey to healing and progression together.
Selina works alongside colleagues at U Matter, supporting the team and client’s in psychological, legal, and practical issues and matters. Selina a psychotherapist, traumatologist and life coach, with a background in mind, body, fitness, and health.
Selina originally became qualified as a researcher in the area of sociology, and so have a background in culture and socio-political matters that affect our client base in terms of ‘Traditional Values and Beliefs’. Moving on from that, Selina gained higher professional qualifications in psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis, CBT, Neuroplasticity, NLP, EFT, Gestalt, Person Centred, Life Coaching, Transactional Analysis; Drama Therapy; Systemic Practice and Traumatology. She is also specialised and trained by MOSAC in the area of ‘Domestic Violence and Psychological and Sexual Abuse’.
Further, Selina specialises in the area of addiction, Use and Misuse; Neurodevelopmental issues including autism, as well as Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery, to name but a few. Selina is a trained teacher and group facilitator. Previously, she has taught and trained psychotherapists and counsellors who were working towards professional practice. Selina, also worked in school settings where she has been part of therapy teams working with young people and adults. Selina worked with a wide client base all of whom have presented with multiples of complex issues and so she feels that it is very important to mention that whatever you are experiencing and whatever, is holding you back or, stopping you from moving forward in life is important and never too large or small to work through therapeutically.
Selina believes that the individual needs of one person are no greater or smaller than another person’s experience, needs or wants. We are all important and at no point does one person deserve to have their experience minimised or negated. Selina’s mantra since her original training has been ‘Needs Must of the Client’ and she considers this to be what guides and underpins the core of her practice. Selina’s core belief in the work she does is to facilitate a space for client’s where they feel respected and can learn to be autonomous, enabling them to gain the confidence and skills to recover, move forward and live their best life in a way that is meaningful for them.
Over the past few years her practice quite naturally moved to focussing on ‘Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery’ and working with victims and survivors, who are more often than not faced with the challenges associated to the asylum process. This is an area that Selina is passionate about which is very much related to her indignancy, towards the uneven inequality that she has seen clients face, including the dehumanisation, persecution and discrimination of their ‘Human Trafficking’ experiences as well as the experiences they faced that made them vulnerable to be targeted by ‘Traffickers’, in the first place. The courage, that client’s demonstrate even as they face further challenges on reaching the UK, for Selina works to remind her of the resilience and determination of individuals and, circumstances client’s and the impacts of life on the ‘Human Condition’.
Further, we all as human beings deserve to be afforded a safe space and feel a sense of belonging where we can prosper, grow, and contribute to the communities and society we live in, without fear.
Selina has presented, written papers and participated in research that are related to sociopathy; the construction, deconstruction and reconstruction of female identities who are human trafficking victims’; dissociative symptoms Complex PTSD and PTSD: depersonalisation and derealisation; human trafficking and modern-day slavery; gender identities and their relationship to politics, law, social landscapes and traditional values and beliefs.
Selina is also a member of the BACP and NCP.
Sedef is an accredited BACP counsellor/psychotherapist working with adults, couples, and adult families in Turkish and English languages. Sedef’s clinical interests are centred around trauma, depression, anxiety, loss/mourning, immigration as well as intimacy, relationship injuries, and family of origin issues. Her current research interests include person of the therapist and gaining mastery of self to connect and work more effectively with clients.
In Turkey, Sedef has provided individual, couples, family, and group therapy at several psychotherapy centres. In addition to offering psychotherapy services, Sedef has been conducting workshops for couples, parents, and counsellors as well as volunteering for NGOs and psycho-social support projects. Sedef’s professional experience has also included working with a number of private schools around Turkey leading teacher trainings and supervisions to school counsellors and psychologists. Sedef also taught undergraduate courses in counselling and gave clinical supervision to counselling students between 2018-2020. Since 2020, she has been working with adults, couples, and adult families in London.
Although she trained in various psychotherapy approaches (e.g., psychodynamic therapy, solution focused brief therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, etc.), Sedef is drawn on EMDR, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and Systemic Therapy Approaches in her clinical practice.
Sedef is an accredited member of The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and a registered member of The British Psychological Society, The British Emotionally Focused Therapy Centre (BEFT), International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT); also actively serving on EMDR Association of Turkey as a member of Trauma Recovery Group, Turkish Couple and Family Therapy Association (ÇATED) and the board of Turkish Emotionally Focused Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy Association (DOÇAT).
Sedef’s personal, clinical, and researcher background taught her the necessity of realizing our own wounded parts and reaching out to our clients from a place of compassion and understanding.
‘We all have unique life experiences that bring us joy, happiness, or sadness, anger, and fear upon remembering them. In the therapeutic process, I witness each clients’ wounded parts and their courage to share them with me. Opening up one’s to another person and exploring all these wounded parts require a nurturing, compassionate, and of course safe environment. If you’d like to explore your inner wounds and improve your relationship with yourself and others, I would like to hear from you’.
Gioninta is a therapist at U Matter, and she can offer therapy in English, Albanian and Greek. Gioninta has experience in a wide range of issues including trauma, where she has previously specialised in working with vulnerable adults, homelessness, substance use and misuse. Her main focus while working with client’s is to ensure that they are getting the support they need, so that they start to feel safe and more secure. Part of Gioninta’s work enables clients to challenge previous ways of coping, which in turn helps client’s to work with their former attitudes and beliefs.
In her experience this enables client’s to change previous life patterns that have perhaps stopped them from moving forward in life. Hence, Gioninta encourage client’s to adopt healthier and more positive coping mechanisms, creating the possibility of more successful life outcomes, for them. She is engaged with her client’s, and offers a safe secure and confidential space where you will start to develop trust, in yourself and others.
Gioninta has worked with people from multiples of cultures and backgrounds, and she is committed to motivating her client’s to work with and move past the difficult, painful and challenging issues they may well be facing and have faced. Gioninta’s goal as a therapist is to encourage her client’s to learn to talk about their feelings and emotions, ultimately enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of themselves.
In Gioninta’s experience this life changing work creates the necessary conditions for a person to be able to resource themselves, while building their resilience so that ultimately they are able to find their own solutions to their problems, allowing them to move forward in life with more confidence.
‘Undoubtably, opening up and talking about your trauma and experiences can be very painful, however I will be here to guide and walk with you. I will be very happy to walk with you on your journey’.
Dr. Jelena Nolan-Roll, is a violence prevention expert, a creative writer, career coach, empowerment self defence trainer and amateur kickboxer. She is a psychologist by profession (University of Belgrade) with a doctorate in education (University of Bristol).
She is interested in human and social stories, as well as the power they give us – or the power we give to them as the society or as individuals. In violence prevention domain, she has led expert teams and participated in global projects , with participants from Silicon Valley to India. Her story about a woman leaving an abusive relationship “Nesreća” won first place in the competition of the Association of Independent Writers of Serbia. The book of short stories will be published by September 2022.
As a coach, she works with clients from various domains, from teachers to Olympians. She is also Empowerment Self Defence trainer working with women and girls.
Mahyra holds an Honours Bachelor’s in Art Psychology, complemented by a Master of Science in Mental Health: Psychological Therapies. Her professional journey has predominantly involved working with adults, utilizing a person-centred approach to address a wide spectrum of issues, abuse, depression, and anxiety. Currently, Mahyra is furthering her expertise by pursuing a Master of Arts in Psychotherapy and Counselling.
Being bilingual, Mahyra offers therapy in both English and Arabic, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for her clients. Her primary objective is to establish a secure and non-judgmental space for individuals to freely articulate their thoughts and emotions.
Mahyra firmly believes that her role is to empower clients to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, fostering personal growth and self-awareness. Throughout the therapeutic journey, she provides steadfast support, guiding individuals through their challenges.
In Mahyra’s words, “The healing journey is not straightforward and finding yourself amidst all the pain can be very challenging. It is a confusing and isolating experience that can sometimes feel crippling as well. Together we unpack everything that comes our way until we reach your favorite version of You.” Her commitment is to assist her clients in navigating the complexities of their healing process and ultimately discovering their best selves.
Marianne is delighted to share a bit more about her background and experience. Since 2018, Marianne has been running her own private practice as a Trauma Specialist. Prior to that, Marianne dedicated over 30 years of her career to the NHS in Scotland. During her time there, she had the privilege of working in various capacities, including Child and Adolescent emergency, intensive, and community care, as well as within the Adult Eating Disorder service.
In addition to her extensive clinical experience, she holds qualifications as a couple and family systemic therapist. Marianne has also taken on roles as a tutor and mentor for students in the field. Currently, Marianne provides clinical supervision to both students and therapists, supporting their growth and development in this vital profession.
Marianne’s work has allowed her to engage with individuals across the entire age spectrum, ranging from 4 years old to 84 years old. It has also given her the opportunity to collaborate with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and languages, often requiring the use of interpreters. This rich and varied experience has equipped Marianne with a deep understanding of the complexities and nuances of working with individuals and families from different walks of life.
Marianne is passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of those she works with and is excited to continue her journey in the field of therapy and trauma care.
Kevin derives immense fulfilment from his role as the Research Lead at U Matter. His profound passion for unravelling the complexities of the human mind, coupled with his extensive knowledge in psychology, drives his unwavering dedication to addressing the most pressing mental health challenges of our era.
Kevin’s journey into the realm of mental health began with a solid academic foundation. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the esteemed Goldsmiths University of London. This educational background not only underscores his commitment to the field but also equips Kevin with a distinctive blend of academic rigor and practical wisdom.
Within the U Matter organization, his primary focus revolves around conducting thorough examinations of individuals’ psychological well-being and resilience. This endeavour encompasses a multifaceted approach that seamlessly integrates his academic expertise with real-world experience. Kevin firmly believes in the transformative potential of research to instigate positive change.
As the Research Lead, his unwavering dedication extends to staying at the forefront of the latest developments, theories, and practices within the field of psychology. His ultimate goal transcends merely expanding our understanding of mental health issues; it involves crafting innovative solutions capable of tangibly improving the lives of those we serve.
For Kevin, this role isn’t merely a job; it’s a calling fuelled by an unwavering commitment to reduce the stigma of mental health and provide much-needed information, all aimed at enhancing the mental well-being of individuals within our community and beyond.
U Matter is a Psychotherapy and Trauma Center.
Our therapists provide interventions so that survivors can move forward positively in their lives, no longer being defined by the violence and trauma of their experiences.
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