Dr Sophie Rihm

Hi! I’m Sophie and I’m a HCPC-registered Counselling Psychologist. I trained at City St George’s, University of London, and I have worked in the NHS, and across private practice and the charity sector.

Since I’m a young girl, I can remember feeling fascinated by people, their stories and wanting to understand what makes us ‘tick’, so as you migth imgaine, I was delighted when I found out that I could actually carve out a career in this. Whereas I first ventured into a career in humanitarian aid, which taught me heaps about working across cultures, languages and systems, I knew I eventually wanted to train as a Psychologist.

Now that I get to work therapeutically with people going through some of their toughest moments, I really see it as a huge priviledge to be offered this frontline seat to humanity.

The first session is primarily about us doing a ‘vibe check’ with each other. I will want to hear a bit about what is bringing you to therapy, you might want to ask some questions about how I work. Ultimately, us building a relationship together for you to feel comfortable and safe to work through your difficulties and understanding why your difficulties have come to trouble you, will be the focus of the first few sessions. After a few sessions, we will start diving into some of the deeper work and hopefully move towards you experiencing felt change in yourself, in your relationships, work etc.

I tend to be warm and gentle, although I will also challenge you at points where it feels helpful. I won’t pretend to have all the magical answers, but I will sit with you and help you make sense of what you’re experiencing.

The foundation of what I work with is person-centred and existential therapy, although I also draw on psychodynamic and CFT / ACT thinking. Having been trained across these different therapies means I can bring in what feels like would support you the most.

During my training and career I’ve worked across the NHS primary and secondary services working with adolescents, young adults and adults experiencing a range of difficulties, including addiction, trauma, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, chronic health, depression and low self-esteem.

I’ve also a specific interest in working with clients experiencing relationship difficulties; my research interest lies in psychedelic-assisted therapy, with a particular focus on romantic relationships and I often find that troubles in our relationships can rock our world so fundamentally. If that resonates with you, do reach out.

Outside of work, you’ll probably find me cooking, moving my body, reading. I’m also a bit of a research nerd and enjoy digging into new ideas; at the moment I’m particularly interested in AI and mental health. When I’m not doing any of that, I love spending time with the people who matter to me.