Mr Christopher James

A conversation with Christopher James

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I’ve been interested in psychology, mental health and human behaviour since 2001. My earlier career in education, including working as an Assistant Headteacher, showed me how much our wellbeing influences our ability to learn, connect and find our place in the world.
  
  I became increasingly drawn to understanding what sits beneath someone’s behaviour: their experiences, relationships and the ways they have learned to cope. Moving into psychotherapy felt like a natural extension of that curiosity and care. Since starting private practice in 2016, I’ve continued to value the opportunity to work with people in a more personal, meaningful way.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  Humanistic and person-centred ideas are at the heart of my work: respecting each person’s individuality, capacity for growth and need to feel accepted. Psychodynamic thinking has shaped my curiosity about how earlier experiences and relationships influence our present lives, sometimes outside our awareness.
  
  Mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches have also influenced me, particularly the possibility of relating to ourselves with greater compassion. I work integratively because I believe therapy needs to respond to the person in front of me, their circumstances and what matters to them.

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  I’m particularly interested in how we develop a sense of who we are, how we relate to others and what happens when the ways we’ve learned to cope begin to limit us.
  
  My interests include trauma, grief, anxiety, neurodivergence, self-esteem and relationship difficulties. I also have a strong interest in LGBTIQA+ experiences, identity and belonging.
  
  The connection between emotional wellbeing, the body and the nervous system is another important thread in my work. I’m curious about how people can move towards feeling more at ease with themselves, more connected to others and freer to make choices that reflect their own values.

• What methods do you use?

  My approach is integrative. I draw on EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, ACT, Schema Therapy and elements of CBT, alongside mindfulness and nervous system-informed practices.
  
  We might explore longstanding patterns, work with difficult memories, make space for emotions or develop practical ways to manage everyday challenges. I explain the approaches we’re considering and welcome your questions and preferences.
  
  Over 10 years of clinical experience has reinforced the importance of being flexible and paying attention to what is actually helping. The relationship we build together is central, and we regularly reflect on how the work is feeling for you.

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  It varies from person to person. Some people feel a sense of relief early on simply from being able to speak openly and feel understood. For others, developing trust and finding words for their experiences takes more time.
  
  Progress can be subtle: noticing a familiar pattern sooner, being less harsh towards yourself, setting a boundary or responding differently in a difficult moment. Deeper change may take longer and isn’t always a straight line.
  
  We talk about what progress would mean to you and review it together. If something isn’t helping, I want us to be able to discuss that openly and consider what needs to change.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  My own experience of therapy has shown me the value of having space to speak honestly, feel supported and understand myself more deeply. It has also reminded me that understanding something intellectually and feeling a change emotionally can happen at different paces.
  
  As a therapist, I value ongoing personal therapy alongside regular clinical supervision. Each offers something different: supervision supports thoughtful, ethical practice, while personal therapy gives me space to care for my own wellbeing and continue growing as a person.
  
  Being on the other side of the room reminds me of the vulnerability and trust involved in therapy. That experience brings greater empathy and humanity to how I work.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  I absolutely love my work and hope to continue it for the rest of my life. It gives me a deep sense of purpose, and I’m continually learning through the people I meet and the experiences they choose to share.
  
  What I value most is seeing someone begin to understand themselves with more kindness, feel freer to be themselves or make a choice that once felt impossible. Those moments can be quiet, but deeply meaningful.
  
  I get a great deal from the work too: the connection, honesty, shared humour and privilege of being trusted with someone’s inner world. Every person brings a different perspective, and that keeps me curious and engaged, even after many years.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Absolutely...I am human too. I’m committed to practising what I encourage in therapy, including using the therapeutic strategies I’ve learned, recognising my limits and making time for my own wellbeing.
  
  Fitness, yoga, mindfulness and breathwork are important parts of my life. Running Rolling Hills Retreat and now offering day retreats through Inner Peace Wellness, has also given me meaningful ways to bring movement, connection and creativity into my working life.
  
  Alongside personal therapy and clinical supervision, I deliberately limit my practice to four clients a day, four days a week. These choices help me stay grounded, maintain healthy boundaries and be emotionally present with clients while caring for my own wellbeing.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  For me, disconnection is one of the most significant: from one another, from our own needs and from a sense of belonging. There can be enormous pressure to appear successful, productive and okay, even when we’re struggling.
  
  That disconnection also exists within wider issues such as inequality, discrimination and uncertainty. Emotional wellbeing is shaped by the world we live in as well as our individual experiences.
  
  I think we need more spaces where people can be heard with curiosity and compassion, and where difference is met with a willingness to understand. Therapy can be one of those spaces.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  Two films I return to are Soul and Inside Out 2. I regularly draw on them in therapy and we used to watch them at my retreats. They offer such accessible ways into conversations about emotions, identity, purpose and the pressure we can put on ourselves. I love how a story can help us recognise something in ourselves that might otherwise be difficult to put into words.
  
  Music is also an important part of my everyday life. Garth Stevenson’s The Southern Sea and Ludovico Einaudi’s Nuvole Bianche are pieces I return to again and again. When I want to lift my mood, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship is a favourite. There’s room for quiet reflection and a good uplifting anthem in my life!