Every journey is an act of courage. Your map is within you.
Life can feel overwhelming at times, and it’s not always easy to know where to begin. Together we can explore your challenges and find a way forward that feels right for you.
Welcome – I’m Glad You’re Here
My name is Alina Badescu, and I am a counsellor providing integrative therapy to adults online throughout South London and beyond.
Being face-to-face with someone new can feel daunting, and reaching out for counselling often takes real courage. You may be feeling overwhelmed, low, anxious, or unsure where to begin. Sometimes we do not even know exactly what hurts, or what we want to change — only that something feels heavy, confusing, or no longer manageable.
My role is to offer a safe, supportive space where you can bring whatever is there, at your own pace and without judgement. There is very little you could say that would shock me or make me turn away. I know, both personally and professionally, how painful it can be to sit with difficult parts of yourself, and I have also experienced the value of exploring my own story through therapy.
Together, we can begin to make sense of your experiences, gently noticing the patterns, feelings, or wounds that may be keeping you stuck. Counselling is not about forcing change or needing to have everything figured out before you start. It is about creating space for understanding, choice, and new ways of coping.
As a fully qualified counsellor and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I work in line with their ethical framework. This means our sessions are held with care, respect, confidentiality and clear professional b
Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you—it’s about creating space to slow down, listen to yourself, and begin to untangle the knots so you can move forward in a way that feels real.
Finding your way forward
Stress, depression, trauma, grief and loss can change the way you see yourself, your relationships and the world around you. You may find yourself coping on the outside, while inside you feel tired, disconnected, anxious, numb, angry, or unsure why the same patterns keep repeating.
Therapy gives you space to pause and look more closely at what is happening beneath the surface. We may explore the impact of past experiences, difficult relationships, painful losses, or the pressure you have carried for a long time. At times, the work may be gentle and reflective; at other times, it may involve noticing the parts of you that protect, criticise, avoid, or try to keep everything together.
I work with warmth, honesty and care. My aim is to help you understand yourself with more compassion, recognise what no longer serves you, and begin to make changes that feel real, steady and possible.
My approach is integrative, which means I draw from different therapeutic models and shape the work around you. Rather than asking you to fit into one method, I adapt the therapy to your needs, your pace, and what feels most meaningful for you.
Your time to talk
Trouble with relationships, anxiety or panic attacks, mood swings, or depression. Many people face difficulties in their everyday lives that can be hard to get on top of. Counselling and therapy give us a set of tools we can use to help gain a better understanding of what's causing these problems.
Working together through counselling, I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and see how you can start to make better, healthier choices moving forward.
EMDR therapy for trauma and anxiety
Future Addition
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a specialised therapy approach that can be particularly helpful for anxiety, trauma, and distressing memories. This evidence-based treatment helps your brain process difficult experiences in a way that reduces their emotional impact.
During EMDR therapy sessions, we work with specific memories while using bilateral stimulation. This helps your brain reprocess the experience, allowing you to remember what happened without the overwhelming emotions. EMDR therapy can be especially effective for trauma, PTSD, anxiety disorders, or phobias.
Common Issues I Support
I regularly support clients dealing with anxiety and stress, low mood and depression, relationship difficulties, loss and bereavement, life transitions and identity questions, self-esteem and self-worth issues, feeling "stuck" or disconnected, work-related stress, family difficulties, trauma and past experiences.
Whatever brings you to therapy, you deserve to be heard and supported in a safe, non-judgmental space.From my own wounds, I learned how to hold yours. I've sat with pain—and learned it can soften.
Taking the First Step
You’re welcome to book a free 15-minute introductory call, where we can have a short conversation about your needs. There's no pressure—just a chance to ask questions and explore whether I may be the right counsellor for you.
Ready to begin? Let's start with a conversation.
For more information about In Person and Online Integrative Therapy in Tooting, see my Counselling page.