HCC’s staff team brings dedication, expertise and compassion to everything we do. From delivering counselling and training to managing our day-to-day operations, everyone is committed to ensuring our services remain accessible, welcoming, and professionally delivered to those who need support.
Our Team
We are further supported by clinical supervisors and a team of over 50 counsellors who play an integral role in delivering our services.
Natasha is a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist and Supervisor (FPC, BPC, IGA, BAPPS, BICA). She originally trained at Wpf and has since completed formal trainings at IGA and SAP. Before becoming Director at HCC, Natasha’s career was firmly within the NHS in secondary and tertiary care, working individually and in groups mainly with hard to reach patients who had a diagnosis or traits of personality disorder.
Within her career in the NHS, Natasha also gained valuable experience in Forensic and Therapeutic Community settings. She has a particular passion in building and bringing together services and communities of various disciplines, orientations and experiences to create rich learning environments for all and valuable clinical resources.
Her career in the NHS speaks for itself that at the heart of her practice and work life, is a need to make therapy and counselling accessible and relevant to the majority, which is what drew her to take on the leadership role at HCC.
Diana is a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist and Supervisor (BPC, MBACP, FPC) with extensive experience across a wide range of clinical, training, and organisational settings, including private practice. She trained at WPF and later completed specialist training in adolescent psychotherapy and now works with both adults and young people aged 11 and above.
She began her career in the addiction field, working in residential and inpatient settings at the forefront of primary care. She has significant experience working within multidisciplinary teams and the NHS, supporting both individuals and groups. She is passionate about working within and being part of the community and ensuring that those seeking counselling can access the support they need.
Diana has substantial experience in training and education. She has worked extensively with young people in schools, colleges, and universities and she also has experience of supporting and supervising trainees, with a particular focus on creating thoughtful, containing learning environments that encourage professional growth and ethical practice. She is committed to fostering accessible, inclusive training programmes and to supporting the development of clinicians at all stages of their professional journey.
Eleni, is a BACP-Accredited Psychodynamic Counsellor who received her Diploma in Counselling from Highgate Counselling Centre (HCC). She is currently the Allocations Consultant at HCC, where she manages incoming client referrals, matching them to appropriate counsellors.
Eleni brings a wealth of senior professional experience. Prior to her clinical work, she held senior management positions, including Operations Manager in the media industry, and holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
She maintains an active private clinical practice and facilitates workshops, with a significant personal and professional interest in anti-oppressive practice. Her clinical focus is on issues related to gender identity, sexuality, cultural identity & ethnicity, and self-identity. To deepen and broaden this specialisation, she is currently undertaking training as a Psychosexual Therapist.
Tutors
Our tutors bring expertise and passion to training future counsellors with the skills our community needs
Bonny (BACP Accred) is an integrative counsellor who qualified in intercultural therapy, she is also supervisor and lecturer, she has been in private practice for 20 years.
Bonny has been supervising and teaching since 2007. Her background includes working alongside the Priory, RAPT, Centre 70, Housing 4 Women, The NHS, Victim Support, Lambeth Council, Gordon Moody, School counsellors in Primary, higher education and Place2Be and currently continues to supervise School counsellors in Secondary schools nationally and internationally, alongside her work with, Solace Women’s AID, Islington Council, Brixton Prison and private practice.
Her training qualifications include a level 1 and level 2 Certificate in Further Education and Teaching, as well as a Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector. Bonny’s previous training roles include teaching on the Certificate in Counselling Skills course, including the fast track programme, at Lambeth College. She has also taught drug awareness, stress management, and health and social care at Lambeth College. She was also the facilitator on the training weekend for new interns for a number of years.
She currently teaches a Foundation Certificate in Counselling course, as well as teaching specialist subjects on a Diploma and Supervision Course. These subjects are Group dynamics, EDI, Transcultural and Risk.
Fred taught for 30 years in schools across London. As a senior teacher one of his responsibilities was staff Continuing Professional Development and running programmes to support this, as well as mentoring beginner teachers. Having qualified as a counsellor at Highgate becoming a tutor on the Diploma course was a great opportunity to bring these two career paths together.
He particularly thanks the perseverance and encouragement of Kevin Hamilton, our former Training Director, for this opportunity. It has been a real privilege to work with trainee counsellors, and a pleasure to work with such committed and enthusiastic Diploma groups over the past six years.
Tanya, a 2009 alumna, has been teaching at the HCC since 2017.
Her compassionate approach is shaped by experience in a major mental health facility and her long-standing private practice.
She specialises in childhood trauma, attachment and loss, and in experiences of diversity, war and displacement. She is committed to creating a learning environment that is both welcoming and attuned to the realities that her students and clients face.
Following a career as a musician, Diana pursued another of her interests by training as a psychodynamic psychotherapist. She works both in private practice and for the NHS, owing to her interest in brief dynamic psychotherapy in the public arena. She is also a qualified Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) practitioner and supervisor.
Diana is passionate about how the experience of training, in addition to personal therapy, contributes towards the shaping of the therapist or counsellor. Facilitating the learning of psychodynamic theory at Highgate Counselling Centre is a most valued and enjoyed element in her working life.
Prior to joining the team at HCC, Alexandra gained considerable experience in teaching, training, and offering clinical supervision, having provided these services both in the NHS and in several national and international charitable organizations.
Rottem is the core tutor of our face to face certificate in counselling. She currently has a private practice offering psychodynamic counselling, psychotherapy and clinical supervision.
She is a very experienced therapist and teacher in counselling courses, and is BACP registered and accredited. Rottem also holds a role as a professional advisor to a centre promoting positive body image.
She completed the Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling at HCC, and holds an MA in Clinical Psychology. She additionally brings international experience in clinical psychology, with roles in a psychiatric hospital and the education system.
She had an earlier career in the software industry, where she held senior roles in leading technology companies, with a focus on strategy, business development, and technological innovation. She has extensive experience in managing teams, and processes of change and growth.
Henry is a Psychodynamic Counsellor (BSc, MSc, MBACP) working in private practice, having trained at Highgate Counselling Centre. He began teaching on the Certificate course in 2021 and has enjoyed the challenge and seeing how the students develop.
Meet some of our centre administrators
I am in my third year working here. It is a great place to work, a very friendly, professional and safe environment for all.
I'm Charlie, and am very happy to be working in such a caring and friendly environment. HCC is food for the soul.
Our Trustees
Our Board of Trustees brings together diverse skills and experience, united by a shared commitment to making counselling accessible to all. They volunteer their time to ensure HCC continues delivering vital support to our community.
Nick Cobill
Chair of the Board of Trustees
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Nicholas is chair of the Board of Trustees having become a trustee in October 2017. He is a barrister based at No5 Chambers in London and specialises in high value and complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution arising from breaches of contract and professional negligence. He acts for clients in the UK and overseas, including governments and multinationals. Listed as a leading junior in the Legal 500, Nicholas has over 20 years of third sector governance experience and is currently serving as a governor of the Royal Russell School and a director of Nazari Digar, a Down’s Syndrome charity.
Helen Finch
Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees
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Helen originally trained as a social scientist and worked at a social research institute, where she focused on qualitative investigations exploring the motivations behind human behavior. After taking a break to complete a degree in fine art, Helen, retrained as a therapist. Her background in depth interviewing and facilitating focus groups proved useful, though she found her personal experience of therapy to be even more valuable.
Helen went on to become a group analyst and spent over twenty years working as an individual counsellor and group therapist across a range of settings, including universities, the NHS, and various therapy organisations. She has proudly served as a HCC trustee since 2017 and lives locally in Muswell Hill.
Sheena Fawcett
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Sheena was invited to become a Trustee at Highgate Counselling Centre in 2017. A local Highgate resident, she feels privileged to contribute to the centre’s ongoing success. Her career spans extensive experience as a clinical nurse across inpatient, community, and outpatient settings. In addition to her clinical background, she is a qualified teacher and has taught in higher education within the faculty of health sciences.
Nicholas Nicolaides
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Nicholas co-founded Symvan Capital in 2013, a venture capital fund manager specialising in investments in technology and software businesses. His career encompasses experience across equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity, with roles at institutions including BNP Paribas and Lehman Brothers. Nicholas holds an MBA from Imperial College London and a BSc in Statistics from UCL, and he is also an accredited coach. In addition to his professional work, Nicholas serves as a trustee for two charities focused on community health and life-saving medical treatments.
Vivien Wilkinson
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Vivien’s early professional career was rooted in human resources, where she held various personnel management roles within the NHS. Later, Vivien pursued further training in mental health, obtaining a Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling from Highgate Counselling Centre. Throughout her time with HCC, she worked as both a counsellor and administrator at the Centre, where she also served as a staff representative.
Now retired, Vivien continues to dedicate her time to voluntary roles. She is an active volunteer with Attitude is Everything, a charity that advocates for better access to live music events for disabled people. She also volunteers at Alexandra Palace, supporting community engagement and cultural events.