About the Therapists


Maya Gagni

I am currently fully booked

I am a Counsellor/Psychotherapist, Dramatherapist (HCPC), Supervisor, Equine Facilitated Psychotherapist, Trauma Therapist and EMDR accredited practitioner with more than 25 years experience of working with a variety of presenting issues including complex PTSD.

I am an Evergreen Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and registered with AXA, AVIVA, WPA and BUPA insurances.

I can support clients with a number of difficulties and have extensive experience in supporting clients on the ASD spectrum.

I am also trained in CBT, PCE-CfD and DBT therapy, Couple Counselling, MBCT and Mindfulness. 

All my training enables me to support clients through difficulties that classical talking therapy might not be enough.

I have extensive experience in the trauma sector. I have worked in the Domestic and Sexual abuse sector for many years, supporting clients through their healing process. 

I also work with veterans, front-line workers and responders, and have provided Critical Incident Debrief after some traumatic events.

In my work I can bring creativity such as visual arts, masks, puppets, music and movement. 

I have a wide experience in working with a variety of issues including: abuse, domestic violence, addiction(s), anxieties, depression, PTSD, self-harm, trauma, child related issues, cultural issues, eating disorders, general counselling, identity issues, sexual identity and spirituality.

As an Equine Facilitated Psychotherapist I have trained with LEAP and with Leanne Milward (Flying with Horses). With Spirit, Luna and Sultana, our horses, I strive to offer you an environment that is accepting, reflecting, liberating and healing.  I also offer Equine Facilitated EMDR  with our horses, but I can also travel to you if you wish me to work with your horses.

As a Dramatherapist I can offer you a level of therapeutic work that is metaphorical and rich in the tapestry of self expression. With arts we could explore any issues that might feel otherwise overwhelming.

As a trainer I have taught on a variety of courses within Spirit Project as well as for Further Adult Colleges like Lewisham College and City Lit. I have trained Counsellors from the Certificate level all way to the Diploma including CPD workshops for trainee and qualified practitioners.

For more than ten years I was the Therapeutic Services Manager and Clinical Director for a counselling service for women affected by domestic violence. I then worked for an IAPT service and for The University of Nottingham. 

I am a BACPNCS and NCIP Accredited therapist and a HCPC Dramatherapist. 

I speak Italian fluently.

Shirani Situnayake

I am a Person-Centered Counsellor, Supervisor, Equine Facilitated Psychotherapist, Trainer and Group Facilitator with extensive experience of client work, facilitating groups and teaching trainees and qualified therapists.

I have a deep understanding and experience of working with a variety of issues, particularly those effecting women: child sexual abuse, domestic violence, self-harm, addictions, eating issues, sexual identity and cultural identity as well as general counselling.

Besides working for the Practice I facilitate Drumming workshops, CPD training for counsellors/psychotherapists and one-to-one and group Equine Facilitated Therapy with our 2 horses Sultana and Spirit.

As a trainer I have facilitated groups in a variety of settings including: Adult Education Colleges, charities, private colleges and private practices. These groups covered a wide range of subjects such as: Counselling, Supervision, Professional Development for counsellors and psychotherapists, drumming and Equine Assisted Therapy groups.

In my group facilitation work I bring an in-depth understanding of working across differences, empathy and congruency. I am a mixed heritage Sri Lankan and have lived in England since I was 7 years old.

I have trained in Horse Whispering with Leanne Milward of Flying with Horses, and have a Diploma in Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy from LEAP, as well as being an experienced and qualified Counsellor and Supervisor.

My work is also informed by my own life journey and it’s fractures and I feel I bring a considerable amount of empathy and understanding to my therapeutic work. This makes me very well placed to support you with sensitivity, understanding and acceptance.

I am passionately connected to the natural world and the wildness within ourselves, that may be called forth by this relationship. I can help you access the essential spirit that is you.

I am an Accredited member of the National Counselling Society and a member of the Black, African, Asian, Therapy Network. You can also find me on Psychology Today and Harley Therapy.

I speak basic Sinhala.

Check my latest article on Identity and Character Work  https://welldoing.org/article/identity-character-work-therapy

Testimonials

It is within the herd that I have finally found my voice.....long forgotten but not lost.
Thank you, Cleo and Sultana for allowing me to be part of the herd.

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Alice

Thanks to my therapist I am now more assertive and clearer of my needs and therefore more able to live a life that I want rather than what people want.

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Mary

Although at the beginning I was very scared of horses, today I realised that the biggest fear was that I could be as powerful as the horses.

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Sophie

We are recognized with AVIVA, BUPA and many more insurances. Call us to see if check if you are covered. We are also accredited member of BACP and NCS

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Privacy Overview

The Practice will always make it clear to you when we collect your personal information and will explain to you what we intend to do with it and how long we store it

 

For the purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998 (soon to be General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)) , the data controllers are Maya Gagni and Shirani Situnayake

 

 

Website

When someone visits our website we use a third party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.

 

When you contact us via our website, your contact details will be stored only for the purpose to contact you back and discuss how we can help you. If we cannot help you, your details will be deleted from our emails.

 

Our website is fully protected and encrypted and we do not collect Cookies.

 

 

Collecting and Storing your information

When starting counselling we will collect your contact details and some basic information about you.

Click here to view a copy of the form.

 

By filling the form you will give us the consent to store your information.

 

After each session brief notes will be written for the sole purpose of mantaining a record of what has been discussed.

 

The information you will give us and the notes will be stored and kept securely and confidentially in a safe filing system. Any electronic correspondance is stored in an encrypted computer system protected by an Antivirus system that is updated on a regular basis.

 

Your details will be stored for 7 years ( Statutes of limitation under Civil Law or Tort)

 

Sharing your information and Confidentiality agreement

Maintaining a confidential services at the Practice is paramount to our work.

The Practice will only share your information in the following circumstances:

 

 

Consent to disclose information will be sought whenever possible.

 

Click here for a copy of the Contract you will be asked to sign which contains further information about the limitations of our Confidentiality agreement.

 

Accessing your information - Subject Access Request (SAR)

What is a subject access request?

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 an individual has the right to request all personal data that a Data Controller holds about them by making a subject access request. The Data Protection Act gives Data Controllers 40 calendar days to complete a subject access request. This time starts from the day we receive a clear request and enough identification to be sure that the request is from the data subject. Once this information has been received the designated Data Controller (your counsellor) will contact you to acknowledge that the 40 day period has started.

 

You can make a request to access your personal information by filing a SAR form and e-mail it to mayanayake1@talktalk.net for the attention of your counsellor.

 

Click here to download a SAR form.

 

Your rights to rectification and erasure

You have the right to ask us to rectify any information we hold about you and to delete them including your personal information that is no longer relevant to original purposes – for example when the therapeutic relationship has ended or if you wish to withdraw consent. In all cases and when considering such requests, these rights are obligatory unless it’s information that we have a legal obligation to retain.

 

Your rights to data portability

You have the right to receive your personal information as previously provided, and to transfer this information to another party.