creating connection and relational health for couples and individuals.
Welcome
Hi, I’m Inka Walachnia. As a BACP accredited psychotherapist, I’ve been privileged to help couples and individuals with relational issues for over 18 years. My training and specialization in couples psychotherapy allows me to offer my clients the skills and tools they need to empower themselves and their relationships.
Connection is the key to healing in both individuals and couples. In my work as a psychotherapist, I see firsthand how dialog and empathy can transform lives. I’ve seen marriages saved, families healed, and people empowered to change their lives for the better.
Connection psychotherapy is about more than just fixing problems – it’s about creating a deeper understanding and closeness with your partner. It is often used in marriages or other close relationships, as it can help to improve communication and resolve conflict.
Connection is at the heart of what I do. I believe that by creating a safe, supportive space for open dialog you can find hope and healing for yourself or your relationship. When you feel seen, heard, and accepted it can bring a sense of aliveness and vitality to your relationship.
Whether you’re visiting this website for yourself or your relationship, I hope I can be of help.
“The Quality of your life ultimately depends on the quality of your relationship.”
– Esther Perel
Couples Therapy
Forming meaningful connections with people is what I value most in my work and my personal life. It’s a joy to see how psychotherapy can help transform the couple’s relationship into a safe and close space.
Below you can find the most common issues that couples bring to my therapeutic space:
Communication
Do you often encounter stuck-points and hurtful communication patterns that lead to feelings of defeat, hurt, and resentment? Communication challenges are often a main factor of relational dissatisfaction.
I’m here to help you and your partner discover what lies beneath your difficult communication. Together we can look at your hurtful patterns, build more effective listening skills, and bring safety and understanding into your relational dialog.
Intimacy
At some point in your relationship you may experience some intimacy issues with the feeling of insecurity that your partner is not there for you. Where intimacy is lacking, most partners don’t intend to hurt their significant other, however, it can cause some lack of support, misunderstanding, loneliness and anger issues between a couple.
If you would like to improve intimacy in your relationship we can look closer at your needs as well as your partner’s needs and try to create a stronger connection and bond in your relationship.
Grief and Loss
If you are grieving over a person or loss of your relationship, job, health issue or life-changing events, I’m here to make a space to talk about your losses. Offer you a place where you can cry, talk, laugh and share what they meant to you.
Everyone deals with grief differently. Even within a couple, families, no two people will grieve in quite the same way. Grief is not limited to feelings of sadness. It can also involve guilt, yearning, anger, and regret, blame.
Counselling can give you a space to open up to new experiences, can give you a place you can rebuild your life – it will not be the same but it can still be meaningful.
Depression and Anxiety
Often the relationship difficulties may be contributing to your mental health issues or your partner’s. Living with depression or anxiety is an incredibly difficult task. On the other hand, living with a person who has depression can also be challenging.
While couples therapy won’t necessarily erase depression or anxiety, it can open up a healing dialogue which will strengthen and support both your marriage and yourselves.
Separation and Divorce
It can be really hard to know whether your relationship is worth trying to save or not. Making the decision to end a relationship is difficult, no matter what your circumstances are. Not only are there probably deep-rooted emotions involved, there are often a lot of practicalities to consider, which can make it an especially difficult transition to make for both of you.
Counselling can help you make this transition smoother and support you overcome
the challenges you and your partner may face during and after this difficult process.
Infertility
Fertility challenges can lead to emotional trauma and put strain on a partnership. Being affected by infertility may also experience depression, feel hopeless or defeated, and experience low self-esteem or self-loathing.
Psychotherapy can be a helpful way to work through grief, anxiety, stress related with decisions about the treatment and the high cost of it. I can help you with all emotions that you experience, especially in the result of a failed attempt.
Loneliness
You may be with another person and feel completely alone and disconnected. You can spend endless hours making conclusions and assumptions about what your partner is thinking and why she/he is not there for you.
Therapy can help you mindfully practice the skills of connections through various exercises until you feel completely heard and understood.
Individual Therapy
I have learned from both professional and personal experiences that without support we can hold back ourselves from satisfying and fulfilling lives for a long time.
Whether you need help dealing with the current situation, or want to address a longstanding issue, I’m here for you.
The majority of people I have worked with came to therapy because of:
- low self-esteem, lack of confidence
- anxiety and panic
- depression
- relationship issues
- health related issues
- loss and bereavement
- singleness
- a feeling of vulnerability and confusion
- anger
- a feeling of guilt and shame
- infertility
- trauma
- lack of the sense of purpose
I listed below some of the benefits you may experience as a result of working with me:
- gain better understanding of yourself
- find relief from anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health concerns
- create some coping strategies to manage your distress
- help you feel empowered and heard
Learn to Support Yourself - explore your personal beliefs, goals, and values
- experience safe and open dialog
- bring presence and self awareness into your life
- become more connected not only with yourself but other people around
- rediscover your assets, skills or needs that you already have in you
- release your fears and negative beliefs and allow your natural strengths to flourish
“Therapy is often a matter of tipping the first domino.”
– Milton H. Erickson
About Me
My background
My multicultural training and work experience gave me the opportunity to learn and appreciate each person’s uniqueness. Working as a therapist in three different countries (Poland, USA and England) strives to connect with individuals and couples from diverse ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds as well as minority groups.
My values
I believe that an honest, supportive and confidential therapeutic relationship can be a major healing part of therapy.
When working with you I can bring support, warmth, creativity, empathy, humor as well as challenge into therapy sessions.
My qualification
I have worked for many years with therapeutic services in Poland, USA and England. My professional journey started back in 1998 when I began my study of psychology at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.
After graduating, and obtaining my first master’s degree, I decided to continue my education in the USA. In 2007 I received my second Master of Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Connecticut State University.
Before I started my private practice I worked at Yale Child Study Center providing individual, couples and family therapy. I returned to Poland in 2009 where I co-founded Totum Psychotherapy Center and collaborated with various private organizations. In 2016 I decided to enrich my professional experience by moving to Cambridge where I have established a private psychotherapy practice. I also worked as a counsellor at Anglia Ruskin University and couples counsellor at Relate.
I consider myself as a humanistic integrative practitioner. I find it useful to combine various therapeutic models such as Systemic approach, Gestalt, Psychodrama, Mindfulness and Imago Therapy.
As an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I work with the BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
I look forward to working with you.
More info about my training at Linkedin
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I’m, then I change.”
– Carl Rogers
FAQ
How do I conduct therapy?
- I offer therapy in both in-person and online formats. Additionally, I accommodate a hybrid approach for some clients, combining face-to-face and online sessions to cater to their preferences and need for flexibility. With years of experience working online, I’m comfortable delivering therapy through this medium and believe it offers numerous benefits.
Where are the sessions held?
- My practice is located at Milton Therapy Studio
Address: 12 High St. Milton, Cambridge CB24 6AJ
Prior to the initial consultation, I provide detailed instructions on how to access the studio.
How does online therapy work?
- Currently I can offer you only online counselling using DOXY platform. It’s a very secure online platform used by counsellors and telemedicine around the World.
- Doxy.me is extremely simple and easy to use for both counsellors and patients.
- It’s free to use, no download required.
- HIPAA, GDPR, PHIPA/PIPEDA, & HITECH compliant: It meets worldwide security requirements.
- I also use ZOOM platform.
How many counselling sessions do I need?
-
In individual counselling we may work together from a few sessions to a few months or more, depending on your unique needs and personal goals for therapy. We meet weekly, however, if this is not possible we can discuss other options that are more suitable for you.
- In couple counselling I typically recommend weekly sessions for the first 3-5 weeks, and then we can re-evaluate if you want to meet on a weekly or fortnightly basis. On average it is 5 to 15 sessions for most couples.
What to expect on the first therapy session?
I imagine you may feel anxious and uncertain if you really need this kind of help.
My experience is that most clients feel immense relief after the first meeting because they usually experience a release of a buildup of emotions they’ve been holding on to for days, weeks or months.
Usually one partner is more motivated and eager to seek counselling than the other who may feel hesitation or unwillingness to come. It’s completely OK.
You may expect some questions from me during the initial assessment such as: what brings you to therapy or what would you like to work on.
If you come together I would like to hear from both of you your individual perspective. We will generally concentrate on issues that you want to focus on in your relationship.
If you both have a different agenda, together we can identify what your relationship needs first and start from there.
What is the cost of counselling?
Couples counselling
60min – £95
Individual counselling
50min – £70
“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.”
– Brene Brown