Ruth Silverstone

I believe change is possible. I’m invested in it and curious to help individuals discover what change might mean to them. My aim as a therapist is to help create a shared space to explore the changes you might want to make, and to establish a safe foundation for that exploration.  

People come to therapy for many reasons, an urgent problem which has arisen, or a desire to explore the meaning we make of our world. For me, therapy is a process which is creative and relational; it is the space where an individual can explore and express who they are and what that means to them.

I maintain my counselling practice alongside my work as a funeral celebrant and, over the past ten years, have helped hundreds of individuals at the darkest time of their lives. This work continues to inform my work as a therapist. As a member of the LGBT+ community, I also work with lesbians and gay men and have a keen understanding of what it is to be “other”. I work with neurodiverse individuals and have insights into what it may feel like to sit on the periphery. Given the speed at which we live, and the ever-present influence of social media, creating and inhabiting a therapeutic space together can give people a breathing space to think and to be.

I am passionate about working with individuals in a therapeutic setting. I work with adults of all ages, across different cultures and with differing beliefs and experiences. This diversity brings me a sense of our shared common humanity; I feel that there is strength in vulnerability.

What brings you to therapy?

I typically work with individuals experiencing stress, anxiety and depression. I work with people exploring difficulties in relationships and have extensive experience of working in grief and bereavement and life transitions, including health diagnoses, as well as those exploring questions of identity and belonging; this might include a diagnosis of ADHD or autism.

How do I work?

I am trained in Integrative Psychotherapy and draw on different disciplines to inform my work:

• Psychodynamic approaches to explore how past experiences may be shaping present behaviours and choices
• Working with different “parts” to understand patterns in how you relate to others
• Attending to the body as a source of insight into your emotional experience
• Influenced by existential therapy, exploring meaning, identity, and our awareness of mortality

My therapeutic approach aims to put you, the client, at the centre of the therapy: you are the most important person in the room – your reality and your view of the world can be our starting point.

Your first session:

We will explore what brings you to therapy, and we can both get a sense of how we might work together.

I see clients online and in person for short or long-term therapy. This could be 6 – 12  sessions, or long-term open-ended therapy.
Sessions are 50 minutes long.
Costs: £80 per session.

I am available online and in person at Cherry Tree Therapy Centre

My Qualifications

• PG Dip in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy – University of East London
• Accredited Funeral Celebrant – Humanists UK
• BSc Hons Health Studies – London Metropolitan University

My therapy work includes:

• Grief and bereavement counselling: St Clare Hospice, Harlow
• Grief and bereavement counselling: St Joseph’s Hospice, London as part of Islington Bereavement Service
• Integrative psychotherapy for The Stress Project, Holloway, London
• Integrative psychotherapy in private practice

As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I meet nationally recognised training standards, follow a strict ethical framework, and am professionally approved to practise as a therapist.

If something in Ruth Silverstone’s profile resonates with you, you’re very welcome to reach out below, and Ruth will be in touch.