"We are only as needy as our unmet needs"
​
John Bowlby
Welcome to my site and thank you for your interest in working with me!
​
I’m a UKCP registered psychotherapist and clinical supervisor; I’m also Certified by ICEEFT in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT). I work with individuals, couples and other adult pairings requiring support to address issues in their relationship (such as parent and adult child, business partners, siblings, friends). I work with clients worldwide using the Zoom platform.
​
I’m particularly passionate about relationships; the focus of my work has become over the years to help people to relate to each other (and to themselves too) in a better and more authentic way.
I found that, many other psychological problems that people experience (anxiety, stress, panic, lack of meaning, depression) seem to alleviate if not disappear completely once people start having better relationships, not just with their partner, if they have one, but with their friends and family.
Many of us grew up thinking that being ‘independent’ was good, and that needing others was not so good, but science increasingly confirms what John Bowlby (the father of attachment theory) told us a long time ago. We need others to survive. Being dependent on our loved ones (in other words, being able to and allowing ourselves to lean on others in times of need) is not only ok; it’s essential for our well-being!
​
I have experience of working with LGBTQ+ couples and I welcome people from all cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. Over the years I have developed some expertise in working with cross-cultural couples (I belong to one myself!). I strive to offer a non judgemental space where you can feel comfortable talking about any issues that are close to your heart. I can also help you decide whether you want to stay in your relationship or not, I don't measure success in terms of staying together but rather see as an objective to reach clarity and deeper understanding.
​
In the course of our sessions, I will help you become more emotionally resilient and attuned to your needs and those of the people you love. I will support you to find deeper meaning in your life, through an exploration and better understanding of your values, passions and priorities in life. I will encourage you to become the author of your life, by helping you make life choices based on mindful reflection rather than reactivity.
If I'm not able to help you directly, I can usually help you find the right support either through one of the therapists in my EFT network or by directing you to the most appropriate resources for you.
​
​
My Story
​
I was born and brought up in Italy and I came to London in 1995, in the final year of my first degree, with an ERASMUS exchange programme. After graduating from Bologna University, Italy, I was back in London, working for a few years in managerial roles, first at ad agency J Walter Thompson, then at the BBC's internal ad agency, BBC Broadcast. At some point though, my growing interest in human behaviour and curiosity about existential issues became a meaningful and increasingly important part of my life, so in 2003 I started my psychotherapy studies.
​
I was drawn to start my training with existential psychotherapy as I found that it was the approach that best answered the many questions I had about life, in particular how to live a meaningful life. In 2008 I completed my MA in Existential Psychotherapy from NSPC London/ Sheffield University.
Mila Palma MA(Psych)
Psychotherapist
UKCP registered
ICEEFT Certified
EFT Couple Therapist
ICEEFT Lifetime Member
Clinical Supervisor
UK based, seeing clients
worldwide via Zoom
“I found amazing the way you have to understand and immerse yourself in my problems. I found great help in going through an analysis with you to better understand the emotional chaos and my painful experiences with my parents. What helped me the most was to learn to look inside me and do it without judgment and attacking myself, to see myself in a more objective and compassionate way. You were great”.
​
​
​
​
“One of the most helpful things was Mila's warmth and genuine goodwill towards us. You need a therapist who cares but is not overly involved and Mila was engaged but very professional and gave us plenty of space to talk, especially my husband who had never been in therapy before and said afterwards he could not believe how good an experience it was. He felt able to say things that he could never have admitted to me on his own but this was necessary to open up old wounds and start to heal them.”
​My clinical experience, during my MA and post-qualification, included work in London as psychotherapist within the NHS at St.Thomas Hospital, as NHS Clinical Team Leader at The Awareness Centre and as Case Manager working with EAP programmes at BUPA Psychological Services.
In 2009 I also set up my private clinic, TherapyTime Group Practice, in central London. Initially I only worked with individuals, but I was also interested in working with couples. I looked for the best couple therapy training and I discovered Emotionally Focused Therapy, this amazing model I then fell in love with! I attended Dr Sue Johnson's first ever training in London, in 2010. A few years later, in 2017, on Valentine's Day, I became a Certified EFT Couple therapist.
​
As a result of the pandemic and moving out of London, in 2020 I closed my London office and I have since been working exclusively online, with clients based all over the UK and abroad.
I am very passionate about therapy and I really believe it can make a positive difference. I place a lot of importance on the relationship that develops between therapist and client, and research shows that it's the determining factor for a successful therapeutic outcome.
A good and dedicated psychotherapist never stops learning and developing professionally and this is what I strive to do. My clients’ psychological well-being is my mission!
As part of my professional growth I have more recently become a qualified clinical supervisor (my training was completed at CTSD London in 2021) and I'm also training with ICEEFT to become an EFT Certified Supervisor. I really enjoy supporting colleagues as much as I do supporting my clients. It gives me real pleasure to help others grow and flourish, both personally and professionally.
​
I live in Whitstable (Kent) with my partner, three children and a cat.
