Martha Doniach MA BPC, UKCP
I am a Consultant Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience in mental health.
My practice is based in central London, and I also offer therapy online.
I provide psychoanalytic psychotherapy for adults and couples, alongside supervision and consultation for psychotherapists and counsellors. Sessions are available in central London or online..
For more information about the therapy process or if you have any questions, please get in touch with me via phone or email. All communications are kept confidential..
About psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy provides a space to think about emotional difficulties, relationships and recurring patterns that may be causing distress. Together, we explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences that may lie outside immediate awareness, creating the possibility of greater understanding and lasting change.
"It's a joy to be hidden and a disaster not to be found."
Donald Winnicott
Therapy can be helpful for a broad range of issues at different stages of the life-cycle, including the following:
Depression, feelings of emptiness, unexplained sadness or anger, loneliness, suicidal thoughts
Panic attacks, stress or anxiety, low self-worth, communication challenges
Trauma, illness, bereavement and loss
Career issues, workplace conflicts, unemployment and redundancy
Relationship and couple difficulties including patterns of forming or maintaining relationships, conflict, parenting, sexual issues, and infertility.
Difficulties related to sexuality, sexual orientation, body image, eating disorders, addictions, obsessions.
Rooted in psychoanalytic theory, psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy aims to help you understand your current difficulties by exploring your unique personal history and present life situation.
Understanding
Individuals and couples from all backgrounds can benefit from psychodynamic or psychoanalytic work. This therapy aims to recognise, explore, and, if appropriate, change how you think about yourself and your relationships.
This might involve uncovering unconscious feelings and attitudes that stop you from living the life you want.
Psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy offer significant benefits to individuals and couples seeking to enhance their self-awareness and gain a deeper understanding of their personal issues, rather than simply focusing on managing symptoms.
Benefits
Research confirms that therapy can help individuals and couples in managing anxiety, depression, relationship problems, low self-esteem, feelings of being stuck in unhappy relationship patterns, and those with a history of childhood trauma, such as loss or abuse..
Many people seeking psychotherapy often find themselves repeating painful relationship patterns, struggling with intimacy or self-esteem, or feeling disconnected from themselves or others in ways that are hard to articulate.
Therapy benefits anyone unhappy with their life or relationships, regardless of the specific problem.
It can help individuals feeling dissatisfied or unhappy, not just those facing particular issues like bereavement or relationship breakdown.
If you would like more information, please contact me.
Starting therapy
We will initially organise an initial consultation comprising at least two 50-minute sessions, scheduled no more than one week apart. This will give us the opportunity to meet and to further explore your reasons for seeking therapy at this time, as well as whether this approach suits your individual needs. At this stage, there is no obligation to commit to ongoing work.
If you decide to continue, we will agree on regular times and days on a weekly, ongoing basis. Each session lasts 50 minutes. Establishing regularity in terms of time and place is an important part of therapy because it helps create a safe and supportive structure, which is essential to the overall psychotherapeutic process.
“People go to Psychotherapy because they want to hear the truth they cannot tell themselves."
Adam Phillips
About Me
Martha Doniach, MA, BPC and UKCP
With over 30 years' experience in mental health, I trained initially as a social worker, counsellor and family therapist before qualifying as a psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapist at WPF and Tavistock Relationships. I have worked extensively with adults and couples throughout my career and maintain a particular interest in applying psychoanalytic thinking to complex clinical situations.
I spent 20 years working in the NHS, including 15 years in a specialist outpatient adult psychotherapy service in central London, where I was Principal Psychotherapist and led specialist psychological therapies. Alongside clinical work with adults, couples, families and groups, I developed and oversaw a well-established honorary training scheme for psychotherapists seeking NHS experience.
Teaching and supervision have been central to my professional life. I have taught and supervised at a number of training institutions, including the Tavistock Clinic, Tavistock Relationships (TR), the British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF), and the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA). I currently teach psychoanalytic theory and facilitate clinical groups on couple psychotherapy trainings.
My writing focuses on couple relationships, infertility, assisted reproduction and changing family forms. Recent publications include a chapter in 'Couples as Parents' (Routledge, 2025), and an article on solo motherhood by choice in 'Couple and Family Psychoanalysis' (2026, Karnac). I also serve on the editorial board of 'Couple and Family Psychoanalysis.'
My approach is thoughtful, collaborative and grounded in curiosity about the complexities of emotional life. I work with people facing a wide range of difficulties from acute crises to longstanding patterns that have been painful and limiting.
Qualifications and training
I am an accredited member of both the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) and of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKPC), and abide by their code of ethics. I am a full member of The Foundation of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Tavistock Relationships Alumni and The Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology. These are the graduate bodies of my training institutes. I am qualified to work in both time-limited and open-ended work, depending on the particular needs of the individual/s. I am also trained to work in more intensive psychotherapy - eg more than one session a week and on the couch.
- Clinical qualification in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Tavistock Relationships
- MA in Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, University of East London/Tavistock Relationships
- Clinical qualification in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Wpf Therapy
- Specialised clinical qualification intensive Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (2x weekly), Wpf
- Clinical Qualification in Mentalisation Based Psychotherapy (MBT), Anna Freud Centre
- Clinical Qualification in Dynamic Interpersonal Psychotherapy(DIT), Anna Freud Centre
- Certificate in Reflective Practice, Institute of Group Analysis
- Pg Diploma in Psychodynamic Studies, Roehampton University/Wpf Therapy
- Pg Diploma in Systemic Psychotherapy, Tavistock and Portman Trust
- Diploma in Social Work (DipSw), University of North London
- BSc Hons in Social Science (First Class), University of London
My Practice Address
My consulting room is approximately five minutes walk from Farringdon, (Circle/ Metropolitan & Hammersmith and City lines and Thameslink) and from Chancery Lane (Central) tube stations. It is about 10 minutes walk from Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines) tube. There are several bus nearby routes.
It is well situated for those people living or working in Clerkenwell, Farringdon, Shorditch, Old St., Liverpool St., St. Pauls, Islington, Hackney and Barbican. There is metered parking and an NCP parking lot next to the premises in which I am located. There are also 'Boris Bicycles' available in Hatton Garden.
Fees & Availability
Therapy sessions are scheduled on a regular basis, on days and times that are agreed upon mutually. The initial consultations are conducted in two 50-60 minute sessions, depending on whether it is for an individual or a couple.
If we decide to work together, each session will last 50 minutes, at £105 for individuals and £150 for couples. I do have some lower-fee spaces.
You will be billed at the end of each calendar month. I accept on-line payment. Payment, including any other practical matters, will be discussed in the initial consultation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
-George Eliot
Making Contact
You can contact me by the following phone number or email address. Both are strictly confidential and are only used by me in my private practice. Please leave your name and number and times that would be convenient for us to speak. All your enquires are treated promptly and is strictly confidential.
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*All illustrations have been provided by Iona Doniach