Isabella Lopez-Smith (She/her)

I offer therapy as a space for reflection, dialogue and presence. I trained at The Minster Centre, completing a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, and I am currently completing an MA in Integrative Psychotherapy at The Minster Centre. I also hold an MSc in Social Science, Media and Communication from Lund University. My practice is integrative and shaped by somatic, existential and relational psychoanalytic traditions.

Much of my work involves paying attention to the ways people adapt to experiences that may feel overwhelming or unbearable, and the cost of those adaptations over time. Therapy is not about forcing change, but about creating the conditions in which new forms of experiencing, relating and imagining may gradually become possible. Careful pacing, attention to the body and a sense of safety guide the work.

I have particular experience working with people who have experienced interpersonal adversity and trauma, including abuse, neglect, and multiple, cumulative and complex traumatic experiences. I also have experience working with people experiencing severe mental distress and unusual or altered experiences of reality. My approach is grounded in careful, compassionate exploration rather than assuming that there is a single explanation or method that applies to everyone.

My practice is grounded in an anti-oppressive perspective that recognises how social, cultural and structural forces shape experience and access to care. I work with people from diverse backgrounds and with those who have experienced discrimination or systemic barriers related to race, culture, gender, sexuality, age, neurodivergence and other aspects of identity and circumstance. Many of the people I work with are from neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ communities. In therapy, these layers of context and history matter alongside the immediacy of our encounter.

My background includes working in both community and organisational settings, with people experiencing severe mental distress as well as those navigating everyday life transitions. I work with people from all walks of life and welcome anyone who is curious about exploring therapy.

Some people come to therapy during periods of significant difficulty or change; others are seeking greater self-understanding, personal growth or a space to think about their lives and relationships. Whatever brings you to therapy, we can take time to understand your experiences and consider what you would like from our work together.