Dr Ria Talwar

Hi! I’m Ria and I’m a Counselling Psychologist.

I am a qualified and practicing psychologist, currently based in London (England) but call Mumbai (India) my home.

Having completed a long educational journey with a BSc(hons) in Psychology, MSc in Applied Clinical Psychology, and Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, my learnings have continued within the professional world with experience working at the NHS, private practice, and within mental health charities.

Over the years, I have gathered specialist expertise working within eating disorders and body image related difficulties, women’s health and fertility, loss and bereavement and navigating relationships and interpersonal difficulties. Within each of the spaces I have developed experience working with children, adults and families.

Starting therapy can sometimes be a daunting experience. Our first session will simply be an opportunity for us to get to know each other. You can consider whether I am the right fit for you, and we can explore your goals and motivations for therapy, creating a collaborative plan for potentially working together. With lots of space for any and all questions you may have!

I hold a strong desire to create space for individuals to share their voices, to feel seen and to be heard. Alongside my professional knowledge, I hope to draw from my personal journey to inspire warmth, authenticity, and connection within the therapeutic relationship we develop together.

As a practitioner, I adopt an integrative model where I use a combination of evidence-based approaches tailored specifically to my individual client’s needs, holding them at the centre of therapy.

I mainly work within three modalities; Person-centred therapy (this forms the basis of the therapeutic relationship by providing the client with a safe and non-judgemental space), Psychodynamic therapy (an in-depth exploration of current patterns of behaviour that may be rooted in past and early experiences) and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, including compassion focused therapy (CFT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) (provides the client with practical coping strategies and skills to understand the link between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours). Additionally, I have been trained in Family-Based Treatment when providing support for children and adolescents with an eating disorder.

Living between India and the UK, I hope to incorporate a systemic lens within my work, holding in mind social and cultural differences, values and perspectives. I believe that the therapeutic space is not limited to specific issues but can be used as exploration of one’s childhood, future goals, identity and areas of self-growth and awareness.

I find rejuvenation through dance, love a good romance book, find writing helps me unwind, and have recently taken up running (although I’m not sure how I feel about it yet).