Mariza Stagaki

Although I am a Clinical Psychologist, above all, I am human. And as a fellow human, when you come into the room with me, I will sit with you and listen to your experiences. I am deeply curious about how your unique story unfolds over time, not just your symptoms or  diagnosis. I won’t rush you. Things take time, life is full of ups and downs, and I want to walk next to you in this journey. I believe that a new therapy needs to be created for every human being. I work integratively, tailoring my approach to what you need and what feels right for you. I often ask what you prefer, because I believe that therapy should be something we build together,  something that truly fits you. I draw on a range of therapeutic models, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy, Systemic and Family Therapy, as well as body-based approaches such as Embodied Psychotherapy and Dance Movement Therapy. My approach is integrative and relational, with a focus on how past experiences, relationship patterns, and embodied processes shape present difficulties. Based on your needs, I can offer a range of evidence-based techniques and tools, but I also provide something beyond that; a space for understanding yourself and your experiences. Therapy, to me, is not only about alleviating symptoms, but about listening to what those symptoms may be trying to communicate, so you can begin to live the life you truly want for yourself. I offer a space that gives permission for feelings to be felt; for sadness, anger, fear, or guilt to surface in as much safety as possible. A space where the dark box of feelings can be opened, and where, in time, you may come to see that it was never as dark as it once seemed.

I have worked in specialist NHS services providing long-term psychodynamic and trauma-focused psychotherapy for people with complex mental health needs, and have supported individuals adjusting to life-threatening health conditions. For example, I have previously worked in the Macmillan Psychological Support Team at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, where I supported individuals living with cancer, the Lewisham Integrated Therapies Service at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, as well as several national specialist services such as the Service for Complex Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, the Bethlem Adolescent Unit and Acorn Lodge Children’s Inpatient Unit. In addition, I have held roles within West London NHS Trust’s Talking Therapies service and within the Assertive Outreach and Rehabilitation Team at SLaM NHS Trust. Alongside my clinical work, I have research expertise in mentalising, attachment, childhood trauma, and psychosomatic symptoms, and have published my research in collaboration with the UCL Anna Freud Centre and Professor Peter Fonagy.