Hello and welcome
My name is Nika Jelendorf, and I’m a Gestalt psychotherapist and psychotherapeutic counsellor registered with both the UKCP and BACP. I work from my office in London and online across the UK. I have a degree in Psychology and have spent years teaching public speaking internationally.
I provide counselling in English and the BCMS Languages - Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian.
About My Approach
I’m interested in what aspects of yourself you pay attention to and which aspects you tend to dismiss. Many people who come to see me dismiss their physical experiences and are focused on their cognition. I like helping people integrate what they think with their feelings, especially when those two seem separate and at odds.
Gestalt framework
Gestalt is a German word that doesn’t have a direct translation into English. It describes many concepts, including shape, configuration, and pattern. In psychology, Gestalt indicates “a whole that is bigger than the sum of its parts”. Think of how we use words. A word is made up of individual letters, but its meaning is more than just a series of letters. Similarly, a person is more than just their descriptive parts.
As a psychotherapeutic or counselling modality, Gestalt is a holistic approach that helps people become more aware of what we do in the present that isn’t serving us.
Using the relationship
When we’re in a session together, you will likely respond to my presence, and I will have some responses to yours. This is an opportunity to explore how you are in relationships. For example, you might come to see me because you struggle to meet your needs. We can explore how you meet your needs with me. How do you ask for them, and how do I respond? What meaning do you make from your desires and my responses?
A number of people want to work with mental health practitioners because their relationships are unsatisfactory. With me, you’ll have an opportunity to explore this by discussing your relationships and examining what’s happening in the session - in our relationship.
About My Values
As a relational therapist, I will work professionally with you through our relationship. There are some values I hold as an individual that influence how I work as a practitioner that you might want to know about.
Context
People’s well-being is impacted by their choices, circumstances, and the larger context of their world's field - the values, norms and organisations surrounding them. This includes positions based on gender, sexuality, sexual expression, relationship structure, ethnic and racial heritage, migration status, neurodivergence, career choices, body size and disability. I will do my best to try and learn about these different fields and positions. At the same time, I cannot understand your specific experience effectively without your guidance.
Autonomy
I believe people have the right to make their own choices, including the right to choose their definition of well-being. I do not think that “normative” and “healthy” are inherent synonyms. This means that when deciding the goals of counselling, your ideas of what’s right for you take priority. This is especially true when part of the issue you’re coming for is being unsure of what suits you.
About my practice
The Office
EC2M, London
My office is located just next to Liverpool Street station. Once we agree on a session, I will send you more detailed instructions about the location.
WORKING remotely
Across the UK and select countries internationally
If we agree to work remotely, I can offer you either online video sessions or telephone sessions.