top of page

My Approach​

 

I believe therapy should feel like a place where you can exhale — where nothing about you is too much, too messy, or too complicated. Whether you come on your own, with a partner, or as part of a chosen family, we will move at your pace and follow what feels most alive or tender in the moment.

Some people I work with are navigating trauma, grief, anxiety or disconnection. Others are exploring identity, neurodivergence, chronic illness, or what it means to feel at home in themselves. I also work with those impacted by systemic oppression — including racism, ableism, fatphobia, queerphobia, or class-based exclusion — and understand how these forces shape the stories we carry and the pain we hold in our bodies.

Therapy with me is not passive. I am here as your collaborator — not just listening, but showing up beside you as a steady, engaged co-team player. I will gently challenge where needed, celebrate your resilience, and walk with you as we make sense of things together.

My practice is grounded in deep empathy, curiosity, and trust in your inner wisdom. I bring training in trauma-informed care (including advanced work at NYU), and draw from psychodynamic, somatic, and relational approaches. But more than any method, what matters most is that you feel safe enough to be fully yourself.

You do not need to translate your experience here. I welcome all of you — your culture, your body, your queerness, your questions, your fatigue, your joy. Therapy is not about fixing you. It is about remembering the parts of you that already know how to survive — and helping them take up more space.

Couples Therapy, Couples Counselling, Couples Therapy London, Therapy Services, Mental Health Support, Professional Counsellor, Counselling in South East London, Therapy Services South East London, Online Therapy UK, Local Counsellor South East London, Anxiety Therapy, Depression Counselling, Trauma Therapy, Grief Counselling, Illness Counselling Support, LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy, Kink-Positive Therapy, Sex-Positive Counselling, Therapy for Polyamorous Individuals, Counselling for Sex Workers, Neurodiverse Therapy Support, Counselling for Ethnic Minorities, Therapy for Religious Minorities, Counselling for Foreign Nationals, Nonjudgemental Counselling, Inclusive Therapy, Trauma-Informed Counselling, Empathetic Therapist, Safe and Confidential Therapy, Introductory Counselling Call, Improve Mental Health, Increase Self-Esteem, Manage Anxiety, Overcome Depression, Navigate Life Changes, Queer Counselling, ENM Counselling, Disability Affirmative Therapy
Couples Therapy, Couples Counselling, Couples Therapy London, Therapy Services, Mental Health Support, Professional Counsellor, Counselling in South East London, Therapy Services South East London, Online Therapy UK, Local Counsellor South East London, Anxiety Therapy, Depression Counselling, Trauma Therapy, Grief Counselling, Illness Counselling Support, LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy, Kink-Positive Therapy, Sex-Positive Counselling, Therapy for Polyamorous Individuals, Counselling for Sex Workers, Neurodiverse Therapy Support, Counselling for Ethnic Minorities, Therapy for Religious Minorities, Counselling for Foreign Nationals, Nonjudgemental Counselling, Inclusive Therapy, Trauma-Informed Counselling, Empathetic Therapist, Safe and Confidential Therapy, Introductory Counselling Call, Improve Mental Health, Increase Self-Esteem, Manage Anxiety, Overcome Depression, Navigate Life Changes, Queer Counselling, ENM Counselling, Disability Affirmative Therapy

Areas of Expertise

  • Managing Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

  • Overcoming Low Self-Esteem

  • Healing from Sexual Abuse and Trauma

  • Coping with Loss and Grief

  • Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life

  • Navigating Relationship Issues and Infidelity

  • Addressing Feelings of Disconnection and Lack of Belonging

  • Supporting Life Transitions
     

  • LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy, including:

    • Exploring Identity and the Coming Out Journey

    • Healing from Shame and Guilt

    • Addressing Internalised Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia, Kinkphobia, and Whorephobia

    • Coping with Social Exclusion and Marginalisation

    • Exploring Ethical Non-Monogamy and Relationship Diversity

“Yann is everything you want from a therapist - compassionate, wise, insightful and kind. He creates an atmosphere of curiosity and safety that draws out authenticity and vulnerability, allowing for radical discoveries and personal growth. And as a fellow queer person, non-traditional perspectives on identity and relationships become shorthand, so you don’t have to explain these parts of yourself - you are immediately understood and able to dive straight into the work. I cannot thank them enough.”

Qualifications

Main Qualifications:

  • Post-Masters Certificate in Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice – New York University, USA

  • MSc in Gender & Sexuality (Distinction) – Birkbeck University, UK

  • BSc (Hons) in Counselling (BACP-Accredited, Distinction) – University of East London, UK

  • Certificate in Couple & Intimate Partner Therapy - CICS, UK

  • Introduction to Psychology – Yale University, USA

  • Interpersonal Psychotherapy – IPT Institute, New York, USA
     

Secondary Qualifications:

  • L2 Certificate in Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention

  • L2 Certificate in Understanding Domestic Abuse

  • Certificate in Understanding Autism, Asperger’s & ADHD – Derby University

  • Child Sexual Abuse – Hope for Healing Training – Carolyn Spring

  • Trauma & The Body: Dissociation and Somatisation – Carolyn Spring

  • Sex Worker Therapist Training – E.S.W.R.A.

  • Fundamentals of Therapy with LGBTQ+ Clients – Simple Practice

  • Intersectional Authenticity with LGBTQ+ Clients – Simple Practice

  • Chemsex Essentials Training – London Friends

  • Bereavement Awareness Training – MIND

  • The Psychology of Social Class – London South Bank University


Volunteering Experience

  • ELOP, London

  • London Young Counselling & Royal Greenwich Trust School


Selected Writing

  • The Art of Undoing: A Queer Autoethnography on Identity, Resistance, and Self-Creation

  • Un-Closeting Shame: A Qualitative Exploration of Counsellors’ Experiences Working with Gay Shame

Services

© 2025 Beyond Labels Coaching & Therapy Ltd | Yann Phesans – Counsellor & Psychotherapist (MBACP, MSc) | GSRD, LGBTQIA+ & Sex-Positive Counselling in London and Online | Privacy Policy

bottom of page