Andreia Jennings

Existential – Integrative Psychotherapist

I am an Existential-Integrative Psychotherapist. I’ve worked in different mental health settings since 2007 and have been in private practice for 5 years.

My process of self-discovery

When studying for my first degree (BA Philosophy) I grew interested in the works of the existential philosophers and writers. I read widely in the existential literature and found the ideas stimulating and relevant to many experiences and situations in life. When I decided to become a psychotherapist I trained at a school specialising in the existential approach. I gained an MA in Existential Psychotherapy; my training was a process of self-discovery and I was able to explore the field further.

My approach to psychotherapy

As a psychotherapist I draw upon my existential training and on the phenomenological method, which allows my clients and I to gain an understanding of their way of ‘being-in-the-world’. I also draw upon ideas from other disciplines within psychotherapy, and complement my practice with insights from these approaches.

The existential approach is a holistic approach, which takes into consideration all aspects of a person’s life:

  • Physical – our relationship with our body and the physical environment
  • Social – our relationship with the social environment, our interactions, how we relate to others
  • Psychological – the way we are within ourselves, how our personal world feels to us, how we are in connection with our past and our future
  • Spiritual – how we relate to the unknown

My own experience of emotional eating

My interest in eating disorders arises from my own experience of ‘emotional’ eating. It took me many years of self-exploration to reach a place where I now feel content within my own body and I am able to enjoy food without feeling any shame or guilt.

I know how painful a bad relationship with food and one’s body image can be and I like helping others to get out of this circle of pain. An unsatisfactory / anxious relationship with food, and an unhappy experience of our own bodies, are complex issues, which can be untangled by looking at our whole experience of ‘being-in-the-world’ as a person.

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