Matthew Wood, Psychotherapist and Counsellor
“We come to know ourselves not by erasing our pain, but by listening to what it reveals about the lives we have lived.”
Perhaps you are feeling stressed, anxious or depressed. You may be struggling with a relationship at home or at work, or finding that things simply don’t seem to add up anymore. Finding the right counsellor or psychotherapist can feel confusing and daunting, so let me give you a sense of what working with me is like.
I decided to train as a psychotherapist after losing my sight in my forties. This transition taught me that emotional distress is often a response to our circumstances rather than a sign of something “wrong” located somewhere between our ears. My own lived experience as a disabled person informs my belief that our identity shapes how we experience the world and ourselves, and that belonging to a marginalised group can profoundly affect well‑being.
At the heart of my approach is a collaborative effort to reach a shared understanding of your lived experience and inner world. I do not see your sense of self or your way of being in the world as fixed. Instead, I understand them as continuously shaped by your family and social history, as well as the broader cultural forces around you. In technical terms, this non‑pathologising stance is both phenomenological and hermeneutic.
Together we can explore the meaning of the feelings you are experiencing and discover new perspectives that expand your understanding of your life. My hope is that as your perspective shifts, new possibilities will emerge for you.
Research consistently shows that trust is central to effective counselling and psychotherapy. I encourage you to use our first few sessions to see whether you feel comfortable working with me. Although our conversations may evoke difficult feelings, you will always be in control of the pace and direction of our work. I will regularly check in with you to ensure we are focusing on what matters to you in a way that feels right. Whether you are seeking short‑term support around a specific goal or a more open‑ended exploration, I can work with you.
I believe that establishing a shared understanding of a client’s lived experience and inner world can facilitate deep personal change and development. This belief sits at the core of my therapeutic practice today.
Before becoming a therapist, my degree‑level studies in literature and philosophy invited me to reflect deeply on human experience. Later, during many years working as an engineer and manager in the online department of a large media organisation, I gained extensive experience coaching and mentoring others toward their personal and professional goals. These paths now converge in my clinical work.
I have worked with clients with diverse lived experiences and identities, including differences in age, gender, sexuality and cultural background. I have supported individuals who have been given psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD, PTSD, OCD and paranoid schizophrenia. Across this wide range of experiences, I have seen how distress often reflects something in a person’s life that is out of kilter and calling for attention.
Accreditations and Memberships:
HARVEST THERAPY
44 Russell Square,
London WC1B 4JP
United Kingdom
Phone Number:
020 8962 6247
email: info@harvest-therapy.co.uk
