Smriti Rai

I currently have availability  Wednesdays and Fridays and other evenings.

I offer concessionary rate for Artists, BAME and LGBTQIA+ community with £40 per hour

I'm a Person-Centred counsellor, which means our sessions will follow your lead. You will bring what matters and we will work at your pace. Therapy, at its heart, is a relationship and that is where the real work happens.

I grew up in Nepal and trained for over 4 years as a counsellor in the UK. Living between cultures, languages, and identities shaped me, and it shapes how I work. My practice is built around what's sometimes called the 'third space', that in-between place where many of us actually live.

As mentioned above, my foundation is Person-Centred therapy, and I also draw on a range of approaches to fit what you need. My ongoing MSc in Advanced Counselling and Psychotherapy includes:

• Expressive therapy, creative ways to explore what's hard to say out loud
• Compassion Focused Therapy, for when your inner critic is loud
• Trauma-Responsive Mindfulness, gently noticing how stress shows up in your body, at a pace that feels safe
• Bereavement and Loss, including disenfranchised grief, the losses that don't always get acknowledged

I bring all of this together in a way that makes sense for you.

My practice, The Third-Space is for anyone navigating identity, belonging, and the experiences that live in the grey areas. I have particular experience supporting individuals from global majority backgrounds, young people, LGBTQIA+ clients, neurodivergent individuals, and those living with anxiety and depression.

Having lived and worked in different countries, I work in a Culturally Responsive way. 

What does Culturally Responsive mean?

It means I don't come into the room thinking I already know you. Even if we share aspects of identity or background, your experience is yours. Culture is dynamic and I'm here to listen and learn, not to make assumptions.

I worked as a trainee counsellor at Headstrong Counselling, a specialist service that has delivered culturally responsive therapy to over 10,000 clients. There, I received dedicated training and supervision in culturally responsive practice.

This sits alongside my MSc, CPD in Cultural Competence, and my own lived experience as a Nepali-British person navigating the third space.

I offer a free 20-minute introductory phone or video call. This is simply a chance for you to tell me a little about what brings you to therapy, and for us both to get a sense of whether we might work well together. If it feels like a good fit, we can book your first full session. If not, I'm happy to help you think about what else might suit you.