Mikiko Akeda

-My current working hours-

Monday to Friday

Mornings: from 8:00 AM

Afternoons: throughout the day

Evenings: until 9:00 PM

My availability varies from week to week, so please feel free to contact me to enquire about current availability.

As a qualified and experienced counsellor, I offer a safe, warm and confidential space where you can feel heard and accepted without judgement. I will support you in exploring your thoughts, feelings and patterns of behaviour, helping you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships and the challenges you face.

Having lived in England for 27 years, I have a particular interest in cultural differences and the experience of feeling different or not fully understood. My own experience of living as a minority has given me an appreciation of how isolating it can feel when others do not understand your experiences or struggles. I believe that feeling alone is something anyone can experience, regardless of their background.

My interest in counselling grew from meeting people from different backgrounds and hearing their personal stories and struggles. I came to recognise how powerful it can be to have a safe space where someone genuinely listens and seeks to understand.

Since qualifying, I have supported adults experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, loss, low self-esteem, trauma and other emotional challenges. I also work with couples experiencing difficulties with communication, conflict, trust and changes in their relationships.

During six years of counselling study and training, I explored a range of therapeutic approaches and became particularly drawn to psychodynamic counselling. This approach allows us to look beneath the surface of current difficulties and explore how past experiences and relationships may influence how we feel, think and relate to others today. Greater awareness of these patterns can help us understand ourselves more deeply and create the possibility of meaningful and lasting change.

I work as a Psychodynamic Counsellor in private practice, having gained experience with clients in both private practice and counselling services, including Basingstoke Counselling Service.

During our sessions, I am here to support you in exploring whatever is on your mind. I have experience working with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties. You may already have a clear sense of what you would like to talk about, or you may simply know that something does not feel right. Either way, you will have the space to talk openly and at your own pace.

I will be interested not only in what has happened in your life, but also in how you experience yourself, your relationships and the world around you, and what these experiences mean to you. Together, we can explore thoughts, feelings and patterns that may not always be immediately obvious, including those that may have been difficult to express or understand.

Our earlier experiences and relationships can sometimes influence how we feel, respond and relate to others in the present. For this reason, I may invite you to think about your family relationships, childhood experiences and significant events in your life. By exploring the connections between past and present, we can begin to understand recurring patterns and consider different ways of responding to the challenges you face today.

I offer weekly 50-minute sessions for adults aged 18 and over, available face-to-face, online or by phone. My fee is £60 per session. I also offer couples counselling at £85 per session.

For face-to-face sessions, I have transformed a private caravan on my property in Wash Common, Newbury, into a dedicated counselling room. Separate from the main house, it provides a warm, comfortable and confidential space where you can talk in privacy.

Finding a therapist you feel comfortable with is an important part of beginning therapy. I believe that the relationship between therapist and client plays an important role in the therapeutic process, which is why I offer a free 30-minute initial consultation via Zoom.

This gives us an opportunity to meet and talk briefly about what has brought you to counselling and what you may be hoping for from therapy. You are also welcome to ask me any questions about the way I work. Most importantly, it gives you an opportunity to get a sense of whether you feel comfortable talking with me and whether my approach feels right for you.

There is no obligation to make a decision during the consultation. You are welcome to take some time afterwards to reflect on our conversation and decide whether you would like to work together.

If you decide to continue, we will arrange a regular weekly session at an agreed time. I generally work on an open-ended basis, which means that there is no predetermined number of sessions. We can review our work together as therapy progresses and discuss ending when the time feels appropriate.