Kevin Collins

I am a UKCP registered Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with an academic background in the field of literature and linguistics. I worked for many years in education – in schools and university. Indeed, it was through my study of literature that I began to become interested in psychoanalytic practice.

I completed my training in psychodynamic practice at the University of Oxford, where I continue to work part-time in the university’s counselling team. Whilst studying at Oxford, I developed a number of research interests, most notably in dealing with issues of addiction, loss and life transitions. My Master’s research involved exploring ways of working psychodynamically with clients in gender transition, a field where I have extensive experience in supporting clients of all ages as they seek to explore their own relationship to gender.

As a psychodynamic practitioner, I seek to make use of clients’ conscious and unconscious thoughts – as well as their relationship with the past – to help to understand their behaviour in the present. Crucial to this process is the relationship between client and therapist: the building of a supportive, secure and well-boundaried relationship is significant to any progress in the counselling room. Once the therapeutic relationship is established, client and therapist can work together to reflect on resistances, coping methods and other thoughts and practices internalised by the client during his or her developing years.

Why would you come to counselling?

There are many reasons for someone choosing to come to counselling. It may be you are facing some personal crisis; or maybe you want to understand yourself better; perhaps you want to break habits of repeated, sometimes destructive, behaviours; or maybe you just want some space to try to understand your relationship with the world around you – perhaps to come to terms with some significant life event. Counselling will provide you with the space and focus to explore these personal reflections in a confidential, non-judgemental and creative space.

My Experience

My work in the charitable sector and in private practice has enabled me to build extensive experience across a range of presenting issues. Loss, problems of addiction, problems in relationships, depression and anxiety, and questions to do with identity and body image are some of the more frequent issues with which I work. Perhaps led by my own sporting background, I have also worked with a number of clients – individual and group – who are facing challenges within the world of top-level sports performance.

I also work psychodynamically with couples, where the relationship itself becomes the client. Here, I will work with the couple to explore what each partner brings to the relationship. By exploring feelings and anxieties within the relationship, more sense can be made of the present, and couples can become better equipped to manage their future relationship.

I usually work with clients over a longer term.

Blogs by Kevin Collins –

When do you need couples counselling?

What can relationship counselling help with?

What can couples counselling help with?

Facing the Green-Eyed Monster

When it comes to parenting, are you a builder or a gardener?

I never thought my son would watch pornography

Care for a dance?

Name that tune