Damien Kelly
Attachment-Based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, London
Relational psychotherapy with capacity for whatever you’re carrying
It's a scary thing, coming to see a psychotherapist. Most people arrive unsure of what they're meant to feel, say, or do — wanting things to change, while worrying about what opening up might mean for how they see themselves.
You don't need to arrive knowing what you need. Part of the early work is finding out together what you're looking for and what successful therapy would actually look like for you.
Hello, I’m Damien, an Attachment-Based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist working with people experiencing overwhelming emotions, relationship and intimacy difficulties, long-standing trauma, and patterns that feel deeply ingrained or hard to shift. I often work with those who feel sceptical about therapy or unsure what to expect — including people who have tried therapy before and found it didn't reach the depth they needed — and who want something thoughtful, serious, and grounded rather than superficial or directive.
Before training as a psychotherapist, I spent over a decade working in London, both as an Assistant Clinical Psychologist in secure services and as a team manager at Inspired, a specialist personality disorder service. Through this work, I developed a deep understanding of complex emotional difficulties, but became increasingly drawn to approaches that address the deeper psychological causes of distress rather than focusing solely on coping strategies or symptom management.
My work is relational and depth-focused, with an emphasis on building trust over time. I don’t rely heavily on diagnostic labels; instead, I focus on how past experiences, relationships, and attachment patterns continue to shape the present. Many clients work with me long term, particularly when difficulties have persisted for many years.
Therapy with me is done with you, not to you — it isn’t about being told what to do but about understanding yourself more fully and creating meaningful, lasting change.
I offer sessions in Cavendish Square / Harley Street and Highbury Fields.
About Me & My Approach
I'm direct, and I'm warm – clients tend to find me reliable in both. I don't give advice. Instead, I help you think things through in a way that builds your agency.
I use psychoanalytic thinking to explore what sits beneath the surface. I'm less interested in diagnoses than in who you are – and in the parts of yourself you find difficult to voice or show anyone: the ones that feel too painful or too shameful to sit with alone. My work is about making it possible to bring those parts into the room, where they can be understood and worked with, in a way that is ultimately life-affirming.
I first trained in psychology at Trinity College, Dublin, and later completed an MSc in Clinical Psychology at Goldsmiths.
Before qualifying, I worked across NHS and voluntary-sector services supporting people living with trauma, intense emotions, and experiences sometimes diagnosed as EUPD — work that showed me how often emotional pain is rooted in lived experience rather than pathology.
I went on to complete four years of UKCP-accredited psychotherapy training at the Bowlby Centre.
Many people I work with experience longstanding emotional difficulties shaped by early relationships and past experiences:
- Intense emotions
- Anxiety, feelings of overwhelm
- Shame, self-criticism
- Attachment difficulties
- Emotional loneliness
- Trauma
- Childhood sexual abuse
- Feeling misunderstood
- Emotional dysregulation
- Sex, intimacy, sexuality
Services
Therapy with me is in person and has a clear structure: an initial consultation, then — if we agree to continue — four preliminary sessions, then ongoing weekly work. Moving from one stage to the next is something we decide together — but if you ever want to end, that's your call.
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is an opportunity for us to meet and discuss what has led you to seek therapy. We will explore your goals and what you hope to achieve through our work together. This session also gives you a chance to ask any questions you may have and to determine whether we might be a good match.
Preliminary Sessions
After the initial consultation, we will begin with four preliminary sessions. These give us time to understand your history, emotional patterns, and what you’re seeking from therapy.
This early phase lays the foundation for deeper work and helps us establish a rhythm for it.
Psychotherapy
Ongoing psychotherapy sessions take place weekly. This weekly consistency is what allows deeper feelings and patterns to emerge and be worked with.
Locations
Cavendish Square / Harley Street
Located beside Harley Street, this consulting room offers a discreet and steady setting in the heart of Marylebone. Its central position makes it a grounded base for beginning therapeutic work.
17a Cavendish Square, London, UK
Phone: 07521 246 241 Email: kelly.therapy@pm.me
Highbury Fields
Situated alongside the greenery of Highbury Fields, this room has a softer, more contained feel. Close to Highbury & Islington station, it provides a calm environment well-suited to reflective, relational work.
1 Highbury Crescent, London, UK
Phone: 07521 246 241 Email: kelly.therapy@pm.me
Memberships
