Psychotherapy & Counselling

Marylebone W1, Central London

Ales Zivkovic, MSc, PTSTA(P), CTA(P)

Psychotherapy, Counselling, Clinical Supervision

In his clinical practice, Ales specialises in developmental trauma and relationship issues.

Trauma-related issues may include anxiety, depression, persistent issues with relationships, dependency and co-dependency, low self-esteem and poor sense of self, issues with commitment, feelings of emptiness or meaninglessness, addiction, personality disorders, and eating disorders, etc.

He is a certified transactional analyst in the field of psychotherapy (CTA-P) and has an MSc in transactional analysis (TA) psychotherapy. He is also a provisional teaching and supervising transactional analyst in the field of psychotherapy (PTSTA-P).

He builds on extensive experience in clinical psychotherapy and counselling work from within his private practice and his previous work within the NHS (National Health Service), where he used to practice as an individual and group therapist.

His approach involves each client being treated as an individual with their own unique set of experiences.

Ales Zivkovic, MSc - Psychotherapy & Counselling | Marylebone W1, Central London

Psychotherapy & Counselling

Deeper rooted internal conflicts are rarely immediately available in our awareness. They may, however, cause us distressing symptoms and affect our sense of self. They may influence our relationships and how we experiences life in general. These are the conflicts that are the focus of treatment when addressing the presenting issues.

Ales’s private clinical practice is located in Marylebone, Central London, whilst a large part of his psychotherapy and counselling practice involves online work with clients internationally.

Psychotherapy and Counselling Room | Ales Zivkovic | Marylebone W1

Approach & Philosophy

Our psyche is to an extent developed as a response to the difficult experiences and hardship presented to us by our lives—the earlier they arose, the more they will tend to be impactful and destressing for us today. These difficulties and painful experiences do not necessarily need to be associated with overt trauma. They may be subtle and unnoticed, but when ongoing, their impact may be devastating. Social, economic, environmental, familial, cultural, and financial factors are those outside of immediate developmental trauma but often an important contributing factor.

To cope with the pain, our minds have created adaptive mechanisms which may themselves cause distress. They often influence the way we see ourselves, others, and experience the world. Depending on their severity, they may be highly adaptive or maladaptive, but impacting our lives both through difficulties that we may see (e.g., a sense of self-worth, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc.), but also in ways that we often are not aware of (e.g., engaging in unhealthy relationships, impulsivity, irrational fears, experiencing others as manipulative, exploitative, threatening, etc.).

Much of this internal psychological process takes place out of awareness, so the connection between our day-to-day distress and the underlying residue of the past pain remains unconscious. Recurring patterns of behaviour, thinking, and engaging in relationships may develop that may be painful and puzzling.

The role of psychotherapy is to search for these hidden connections, bring them to light, and update the outdated coping mechanisms.

Because each individual’s psyche has developed based on a number of unique experiences, some of the historically prevailing models of diagnosing and treating these difficulties as characteristic disorders may be insufficient in the attempt to address the root causes. On the other hand, abandoning the outdated models should not be done in a haste, but through reasoning grounded in evidence base. Such reasoning needs to underpin both the diagnostic process and subsequent clinical treatment.

Clinical Supervision, Presenting & Training

Ales is a clinical supervisor and a psychotherapy trainer. He supports qualified and trainee psychotherapists with supervision of their clinical practice and teaches regularly in the UK and internationally.

He is actively involved in theory development, which he regularly presents at national and international conferences, as well as on international online talks and workshops.

As a supervisor, Ales works with qualified and trainee psychotherapists and counsellors in the UK and abroad. He is included on the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Supervisor Directory.

As a result of his clinical work with groups and organisations, he also supervises on the topics collective and cultural identity, and group and intergroup dynamics.

Latest Publications

Contact

Clinical Practice Location

Marylebone W1, Central London

85 Wimpole Street

London, W1G 9RJ

Phone: 020 3974 2387