Elena Novikova

 I am a fully qualified psychotherapist with an MA in Integrative and Humanistic Psychotherapy and a registered member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). I have an established private practice in Bath and have been working with clients in private practice for the past seven years.

As a relational psychotherapist, I offer a thoughtful, confidential, and non-judgemental space in which you can explore whatever is troubling, confusing, or limiting you. Psychotherapy provides an opportunity not only to address immediate difficulties but also to develop a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships, and the patterns that shape your life.

Many of the emotional struggles we experience are influenced by unconscious processes that operate outside our awareness. These may include long-standing relational patterns, internal conflicts, unresolved losses, early attachment experiences, or ways of protecting ourselves that were once necessary but no longer serve us. By paying careful attention to thoughts, feelings, bodily experience, dreams, fantasies, and the dynamics that emerge within the therapeutic relationship, we can gradually bring these unconscious aspects into awareness, creating greater freedom, choice, and self-understanding.

My approach combines relational psychotherapy with an appreciation of the importance of the unconscious mind, embodied experience, and the individual's capacity for growth. I aim to support open dialogue, meaningful personal development, and self-reflection, while helping clients develop a greater tolerance for the uncertainty and existential challenges that are part of being human. By allowing space for whatever arises—whether spontaneously or through conscious exploration—areas of significance often emerge naturally and become the focus of our work together.

Clients often describe me as warm, attentive, thoughtful, and deeply engaged. I believe that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is central to effective psychotherapy. Research consistently shows that the relationship between therapist and client is one of the most important factors contributing to positive therapeutic outcomes. For this reason, I place particular importance on creating a relationship characterised by trust, authenticity, emotional safety, and genuine curiosity about your experience.

In addition to relational psychotherapy, I draw upon focusing, body-oriented awareness, visualisation, and mindfulness-based approaches when appropriate. These methods can help clients access inner resources, reconnect with dissociated aspects of themselves, deepen emotional awareness, and support lasting personal change.

The First Session

Our first meeting is an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and to consider whether we would be a good fit for therapeutic work. I will ask about what brings you to therapy, your current circumstances, relevant aspects of your history, and what you hope to gain from the process. We will also discuss practical matters such as confidentiality, the therapeutic framework, and the Therapy Agreement.

How Therapy Works

Sessions last 50 minutes and are usually held once or twice weekly at the same time each week. I offer face-to-face sessions from my practice in Odd Down, Bath, as well as online sessions via Zoom and telephone sessions.

I work in an open-ended way, allowing therapy to continue for as long as feels useful and meaningful. Some clients attend for six to twelve sessions to explore a specific issue, while others choose longer-term psychotherapy lasting months or years, enabling deeper exploration and more enduring change.

For those who are unsure about committing to longer-term work, I offer an initial period of six to twelve sessions. This provides an opportunity for us to establish a working relationship and assess whether ongoing therapy would be beneficial.

Confidentiality

All sessions are strictly confidential. Confidentiality would only be broken if there were concerns about a serious and imminent risk of harm to yourself or another person, or where disclosure is required by law. Wherever possible, I would discuss any such situation with you beforehand.

Areas I Commonly Work With

Over the past decade I have worked with individuals experiencing:

• Anxiety and depression
• Attachment difficulties
• Separation and abandonment anxiety
• Relationship and trust issues
• Bereavement, grief, and loss
• Childhood trauma and developmental trauma
• Sexual abuse
• Guilt, shame, and anger
• Work-related stress and burnout
• Questions of meaning, spirituality, and transcendental experience
• Life transitions and personal development

Getting in Touch

Beginning psychotherapy is an important decision, and it is natural to have questions about the process or whether a particular therapist is right for you. I welcome initial enquiries and would be happy to have a brief conversation before arranging an assessment session.

If you would like to arrange an initial interview or discuss working together, please email or text me with your contact details, and I will respond as soon as possible.

This version positions you more clearly as an experienced depth-oriented psychotherapist, foregrounds the importance of unconscious processes, and conveys qualities that many prospective long-term psychotherapy clients actively seek: emotional depth, relational attunement, professional competence, safety, and genuine engagement.
 

MA and Professional Award in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy 

Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Advanced Level 3 Certificate in Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping)

NLP Practitioner Certificate

Individual: 50 minutes £50

Individual: EFT session 75 minutes £60