Smriti Rai

I currently have availability on Tuesdays and Wednesdays afternoon from 1pm

I am a Person-Centred counsellor, which means our sessions are led by you. I work with whatever you bring, trusting that you are the expert in your own life.

I grew up in Nepal and trained in the UK. This shapes how I work, with a culturally responsive lens that holds identity, belonging, and the 'third space' of the diasporic experience at the centre.

My foundation is Person-Centred, but I adapt to fit you. I lean towards expressive therapies when words feel difficult. My ongoing MSc Advanced Counselling and Psychotherapy training also includes: 

• Expressive therapy – creative ways to work when words feel difficult

• Compassion Focused Therapy – kindly working with self-criticism and shame
• Trauma-Responsive Mindfulness – paying attention to how stress lives in the body, working at your pace
• Bereavement and Loss – especially disenfranchised grief: the losses that aren't always socially recognised

I bring all of this together in a way that feels right 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.

What "Culturally Responsive" Really Means?

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. Identity shifts. 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.