Therapy for the pressures of professional life, work, relationships, and the emotional weight that builds when you keep holding everything together.
Are you here because something feels off – even though, from the outside, things look fine?
Maybe you are running a business or managing a team, and the pressure that used to feel motivating has started to feel relentless. Or perhaps life outside of work is where things are unravelling – in a relationship, as a parent, or simply in your own sense of who you are.
You might recognise yourself in one of these:
You are leading a team or department and holding everyone else together, while wondering who supports you
You are running your own business, and the isolation, pressure, or weight of constant decisions is taking its toll
Your work has taken over your life and you cannot remember the last time you felt like yourself outside of it
Something has shifted in a relationship – with a partner, a family member, or someone at work, and you do not know how to move it forward
You are going through a significant change – in your career, your health, your family, or your sense of purpose
You feel stuck – not in crisis, but aware that something is not right and unsure how to shift it
You have been through a loss that has affected you more deeply than you expected
Integrative Therapeutic Counselling with Marj Cook MBACP
You might find yourself thinking:
“I have handled harder things than this – so why can I not just get on with it?”
“I look in control on the outside, but inside I feel like I am holding on.”
“I know something has to change, but I do not know where to start.”
“I have spent so long focused on everyone else – I have lost track of what I actually need.”
Therapy offers a space where you don’t need to perform or managed your feelings.
Together, we will explore what is happening for you now, and begin to understand how your past may be shaping the patterns and behaviours that are no longer serving you. My approach is tailored to you. Some clients want to think and reflect. Others need to feel heard before anything else. We will find the way that works for you.
Areas I Work With
The pressures of running a business, leading others, & professional life
Running a business or leading a team can be deeply rewarding. It can also be one of the loneliest and most demanding positions to be in.
You may be dealing with the weight of constant decision-making, a business that is consuming more than it is giving back, conflict with a partner, colleague, or team member, or simply the gap between the success you have built and the way you actually feel.
You might find yourself asking:
“Why do I feel so isolated when I am surrounded by people all day?”
“I have worked so hard to get here – so why does it feel so empty?”
“How do I keep going when the pressure never lets up?”
“Everyone thinks I have it all sorted. No one knows how much I am struggling.”
Before I trained as a therapist, I spent 25 years building and running my own businesses. I understand, from the inside, the drive that’s needed to build something, and the personal cost that can come with it. I know what it feels like to be the one who has to keep showing up, regardless of what is happening underneath. My own experience informs the way I work with clients in business and professional life in a way that goes beyond empathy — it comes from having lived it.
Relationships – personal, family, and work
Our relationships shape us, and when they become strained or painful, the effects run deep.
This might be a partnership under pressure, a family dynamic that keeps repeating itself with a parent or a sibling, a friendship that is fading, or a working relationship that has become difficult or damaging.
You might find yourself wondering:
“Why do I feel so alone, even when I am surrounded by people?”
“Should I fight for this, or is it time to let go?”
“Why does this person bring out the worst in me – or my most vulnerable self?”
“Why do I keep ending up in the same kind of dynamic, no matter how much I try to change it?”
Relationships are rarely just about the other person. Often, the most useful work happens when we begin to look at our own patterns — and where they come from.
Anxiety, stress, and depression
These are among the most common reasons people come to therapy — and among the most misunderstood, particularly when they show up alongside a successful or busy life.
You might be functioning perfectly well on the surface while feeling anxious or low underneath. You might have noticed sleep disruption, a short fuse, physical tension you cannot shift, or simply a flatness that will not lift.
You might be asking:
“Why do I feel so anxious when I have so much to be grateful for?”
“I know I am not coping, but I cannot afford to stop.”
“I have felt like this for so long I have forgotten what normal feels like.”
“Why is everything such an effort when it never used to be?”
Anxiety and depression rarely appear alone – they often connect to deeper patterns, unprocessed experiences, or needs that have not been met. Working through them in therapy can bring both relief and a more lasting shift.
Life changes and transitions
Some of the most unsettling periods in life are not crises, they are transitions. A career change, a health diagnosis, children leaving home, a move to a new city or country, or perhaps a stage of life e.g. menopause. The shift from who you were to who you are becoming.
You might be asking yourself:
“Why does this feel so hard when it is supposed to be a good thing?”
“I do not know who I am outside of this role – and that frightens me.”
“I have always known what the next step was. Now I do not.”
“Is it too late to want something different?”
Transitions can be disorienting even when they are chosen or a natural progression. Therapy can help you find your footing – and sometimes, to discover what you actually want from the chapter ahead.
Parenting – including step-parenting, lone parenting, and neurodiverse children
Parenting can be one of the most meaningful and demanding parts of life. It can also be the place where we most clearly meet our own unresolved history.
You might be dealing with the relentlessness of being needed, a child whose needs feel overwhelming or confusing, the complexity of step or blended family dynamics, or simply the fear that you are getting it wrong.
You might find yourself thinking:
“Why do I feel so alone in this when I am doing it with someone else?”
“I love them completely — and I am completely exhausted.”
“Why do my child concerns affect me so deeply?”
“I am repeating patterns from my own childhood that I swore I would not.”
I have navigated lone parenting, step-parenting, and supporting a neurodiverse child personally. That experience adds a layer of understanding I bring into this work.
Addictions and substance use
Addictive behaviours do not always look the way people expect – and they do not only affect people whose lives are falling apart. They can develop quietly alongside a successful career, a functioning family, a life that looks fine from the outside.
You might be wondering:
“Is this a problem, or am I just using it to cope?”
“Why can I not just stop – or control it – when I know I should?”
“I do not want anyone to know how much I rely on this.”
“What would I be without it?”
I have worked in NHS and voluntary sector addictions services, both as a counsellor and as a recovery practitioner. I understand these behaviours without judgement – and I understand the emotional landscape they often grow from.
Support for the partner, parent, sibling or friend of the addict
It isn’t only the person with the ‘habit’ or ‘addiction’ that suffers, those caring for someone they love, lives through it too. It can be almost as challenging for you and getting support can be essential to keep you strong and able to cope with the demands made on you.
I’ve navigated challenges of living in a family affected by substance misuse.
Neurodiversity – ADHD, autism, and late diagnosis
Whether you are living with a known diagnosis or beginning to question whether neurodiversity might explain aspects of your experience, this is a space to explore that without pressure.
You might be asking:
“I have just received a diagnosis – I do not know whether to feel relieved or overwhelmed.”
“How do I understand myself differently now?”
“How do I manage the impact of this in my relationships and my work?”
We will explore how these conditions shape your life experience and how to manage their impact.
Self-esteem and the inner critic
For many people – including those who appear outwardly confident or successful – there is a quieter, harsher internal voice that says it is never quite enough.
You might find yourself thinking:
“Why do I feel like a fraud, even when things are going well?”
“I set the bar higher every time I reach it – and still do not feel good enough.”
“I am my own worst critic, and I do not know how to stop.”
“Why does praise never quite land the way criticism does?”
Helping you recognise and address the inner critic that can shape your self-worth, fostering a more compassionate and empowered sense of self.
A Bit About How I Work
I take an integrative approach — which means I do not apply a single framework to everyone. I draw on Person-Centred and Psychodynamic theory, mindfulness, and bodywork, and I adapt what I use to what feels right for each person.
My personal path into psychotherapy began 14 years ago, following a significant bereavement — and experiencing the transformative effect of good therapy for myself has shaped the way I practise it. Before training, I spent 25 years building and running my own businesses, taught and practised yoga and meditation for over 20 years, and worked in NHS and voluntary sector addictions services. These are not credentials in the conventional sense — they are experiences that give me a different quality of understanding with certain clients.
Clients often find our work both supportive and honest. I will listen — but I will not just sit back. I may gently challenge you, particularly where something seems to be keeping you stuck. That said, the pace is always yours.
I work both in-person at City Therapy Rooms in Central London, East London Therapy, in Walthamstow and online, and I offer both short-term and open-ended therapy.
Qualifications:
I am a fully qualified Integrative Therapist (MBACP) and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
- Diploma in Integrative Therapeutic Counselling – CPCAB
- Diploma in Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion into Professional Practice – CPCAB
- BWY (British Wheel of Yoga) Teacher Training – The Life Centre/Yogacampus
- Certificate in Transactional Analysis March 2025 (The Link Centre)
- Certificate in Embodied Practice Nov 2025 (The Grove)
- Certificate in Sleep Recovery Jan 2026 (The Grove)
- Certificate in Adult ADHD+ Dec 2025 (The Grove)
- Certificates: Alcohol Awareness, Drug Awareness, Chemsex Drug Awareness, Problem Gambling, Working with Suicidality, Working with Self-Harm, Domestic Abuse I and II, Safeguarding Adults and Children, Motivational Interviewing, Working with Conflict, Defining Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity in Therapy.
I adhere to the BACP’s ethical guidelines and standards, which include ongoing supervision and continuous professional development. I also engage in regular further training to support and enhance my practice.
In addition to my private practice, I work as a recovery practitioner for a drug and alcohol charity in London and have previously served as a counsellor for an NHS addictions service.
Getting in Touch
If something you have read here feels familiar, you are welcome to get in touch.
I offer a free 15-minute introductory call — a chance to ask any questions before committing to anything.
Contact:
I work in-person and online.
If you would like to have a quick chat before booking a session, I offer a free 15-minute introductory call, so that you can ask any questions you may have.
Alternatively, I can send you booking details to arrange a full session.
Our first session is an opportunity to explore if we’re a good fit. We’ll look in more detail at what brought you to therapy and what you hope to gain from us working together. There’ no obligation to commit at this stage.
If we do decide to move forward, we’ll schedule regular sessions at a mutually agreed time. Typically, this is usually weekly.
Rates:
From £80 for a 50-minute session
Sessions:
Psychotherapy sessions at City Therapy Space: Tuesday evenings, Wednesday afternoon
Directions to City Therapy Space
Psychotherapy sessions at East London Therapy: Thursday & Friday
