About me
I am Paola. I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in Rome in 2007, and have worked in mental health since, both in the public sector and in private practice. I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Italian Council of Psychologists. I hold an MA in Anthropology of Health, and one in Death Studies and the End of Life.
My interests are as eclectic as my training is. I root my practice in the actual context and culture we move in.
For almost 20 years, I have been living between Italy, my home country, and London, which has also become home. I switch regularly between languages, cultures, codes, and ways of living. It is wonderful, and also challenging. I am proof of the transformative impact of change, for better or worse. And to thrive, I had to learn the importance of being flexible and keeping a sense of humour.
My practice is intentionally designed to be a safe place to talk about any topic: we only find new sources of light when we are willing to explore dark places. In particular, talking about death in all its aspects - from grief to existential questions - remains one of our society's taboos. We need to break it.
I take a non-dogmatic interest in spirituality and its role in life. The word ‘spirituality’ might feel loaded. I don’t mean it in any religious or confessional sense: spirituality is nothing more than a desire to find a source of meaning in our experiences that goes beyond the merely pragmatic. An atheist can be as spiritual as any believer. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote that ‘those who have a why to live can bear with almost any how’; my approach is to help my clients find their own why.
I consider the relationship between humans and the rest of nature central. We are animals among other animals, and whether we live in a city or in the countryside, we are still physically connected to the cycle of seasons, to weather, to mud, trees, and stars. By gaining a better understanding of this connection, we gain in health, creativity, and calmness.
I see therapy as an art form based on science. A successful session is a unique piece I co-create with my clients. Greek philosopher Socrates said that philosophers are like midwives, only they help people give birth to new ideas rather than to children; my goal is to help my clients give birth to new ideas.