Counselling & Psychotherapy in
East London
E17

BACP-registered psychodynamic & Relational therapist • In-person & online • £80 per Session

BOOK A CONSULTATION SESSION

Call 07480 068 560

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Email therapy@maxchainey.com

Issues I Work With Include

Struggling with anxiety: Feeling nervous or uneasy, generalised anxiety disorder, overcome by worries or fears, social anxiety, panic attacks, difficulties with control, feeling trapped, anxious in confined spaces.

Experiencing depression: Feeling sad, hopeless, empty or lacking motivation, apathy, loss of interest in activities, loss of sexual desire, changes in sleep and appetite.

Holding yourself in low regard: Low self-esteem, low self-confidence, low self-worth, a sense that you don't matter or aren't important, that your opinions/views are not of interest to other people

Experiencing relationship problems: Difficulty communicating what you are thinking and/or feeling, family dynamics and estrangement, experiencing conflict or tension, feeling unfulfilled in the relationship, disconnected, wanting to repeatedly withdraw/end relationships, lack of sexual and physical intimacy.

Sexuality: Confusion or questions around sexuality, experimentation with sexuality and different forms of relationships, kink interests, shame, concern around sexual experiences.

Struggling with emotional instability: Diagnosed personality disorders and bipolar disorder, problematic swings in emotional state, sense of disintegration/falling apart

Struggling with issues around parenthood: Soon-to-be parent, recent birth of child, change of relationship with partner, identity loss, IVF/struggling to conceive.

Experienced trauma: Experiencing a distressing event or series of events, flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of certain situations or people, dissociation, bereavement.

Struggling with substance abuse or addiction: Using drugs or alcohol in a way that causes problems in daily life, difficulty quitting or reducing use.

Struggling with your body image: Holding a negative perception of either the whole or part of your physical self.

Intrusive thoughts: Obsessive thoughts, false memories, paranoia, thoughts you find disturbing or shameful, a fear of acting out certain thoughts.

Issues

Talking Therapy

What is therapy?

Therapy is a process of talking, listening and understanding in order to bring about a desired change in emotions and behaviour, or to have a greater sense of clarity about your life and any issues you are experiencing. It is also a process of creating a connection between both of us because the therapeutic relationship is where so much of the transformative work happens.

Therapy is spontaneous, the relationship is dynamic and ever-evolving, and there is a continuous sequence of experiencing and then examining the process. It's a challenging process, but the hard work often rewards people with life-changing insight and change.

My approach is rooted in psychodynamic therapy, which focuses on how our past experiences can shape present feelings, relationships, and patterns of behaviour. I also work relationally, meaning we pay attention to what happens between us in therapy—how trust develops, what feels difficult to say, and how familiar patterns can show up in the therapeutic relationship. Alongside this, I draw on humanistic and existential ideas, including questions of meaning, purpose, and how to live in a way that feels more authentic.

A very different kind of relationship

The therapeutic relationship is a different kind of relationship. It’s a space designed to focus on you, which means you will come to know much more about yourself than you will about me. Our work depends on building a trusting alliance, and that often takes time. Establishing and maintaining trust is central to effective therapy, and it’s something we tend to throughout our work together.

As trust develops, many people find they can speak more freely—sometimes about things they’ve never shared before. I bring attention, warmth, and honesty to the work. I will have responses, as any person does, and part of my responsibility is to notice them, reflect on them, and think carefully about how they might be meaningful in the therapy. What happens between us—including moments of tension, misunderstanding, or closeness—can become part of the work itself. When something feels charged or uncomfortable, we can stay with it and try to understand it together, and that process can be an important part of change.

This kind of environment can be rare to find, and powerful to experience. It can be beautiful, joyful, heart-wrenching and terrifying in equal measure. But it is rarely a lonely process.

We are two human beings in a room, and I will do my utmost to meet you with openness, honesty, and curiosity. I won’t always get it right—and I’ll try to be transparent with you when I haven’t. Moments of misunderstanding, tension, or rupture can be painful, but they can also be deeply facilitative. They offer us a live opportunity to explore how you experience other people: what you anticipate, how you protect yourself, how you reach out, and what it’s like to be met. They can also help us name, tolerate, and make sense of feelings as they arise in the moment.

What to expect

You may already feel burdened by whatever has led you to consider therapy, so it can feel unhelpful to add further uncertainty about what the process will be like. For that reason, I aim to offer clarity from the moment you first get in touch. I will always respond to an enquiry, and I’m happy to share information about my approach, availability, and fees.

If you’d like to arrange an initial session—either to begin work or to see whether I’m the right therapist for you—we can find a time that suits us both. Before we meet, I’ll send a confirmation email outlining key practical details for the first session and beyond.

Sessions take place on the hour and last 50 minutes. Therapy is usually weekly, and in some cases we may agree to meet twice weekly. In the assessment period, we will begin to develop a shared understanding of what has brought you to therapy and what you would like the work to focus on. We’ll also talk about any previous experience you have of therapy and what expectations you may be carrying. We will agree a framework for our work together—an understanding of how the therapy will be conducted and what each of us can expect. The assessment may take more than one session, depending on the nature of what you’re bringing.

At the end of the assessment, we will discuss whether you would like to continue. I primarily offer longer-term, open-ended therapy, with regular review points along the way to ensure the work remains helpful and aligned with what you want from therapy.

THERAPY

About Me

I am a qualified integrative therapist based in Walthamstow, London. I trained at CPPD in North London, one of the UK’s leading humanistic integrative counselling training schools. I also hold a BSc (Hons) in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Sussex and an MSc from University College London (UCL).

Integrative therapy means being trained in a range of approaches and tailoring the work to the person in front of me. My practice is predominantly psychodynamic and relational, and I also draw on humanistic approaches—including existential, gestalt, and person-centred theory—as well as insights from neuroscience where helpful.

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). In line with BACP requirements, I attend regular clinical supervision and undertake ongoing professional development.

I have worked as a therapist for several years in both private and voluntary settings across London.

Before training as a therapist, I worked in media and communications on domestic and international behaviour change campaigns, and in an economics consultancy on international development and employment programmes supporting people back into work. I have also worked with Samaritans supporting people in emotional distress and at risk of suicide. These experiences have brought me into contact with people from many different backgrounds and walks of life.

You can view additional information on my Counselling Directory and BACP profiles via the links below.