8 • Specialist Clinics & Private Healthcare Retail therapy


T e founders of Self Space discuss how they’re destigmatising mental health and making it a part of everyday wellness. Words: Anna Evdokimou


JODIE AND CHANCE, FOUNDERS OF SELF SPACE


Health, Fitness & Wellbeing - brought to you by APL Media •Wednesday 17 April 2024


mental health,” says Jodie, who has over 18 years of experience in the fi eld. “There’s this antiquated, historical idea that we have to battle things on our own, but sharing is an incredible gesture towards ourselves, to acknowledge that we don’t need to be in it alone.” With locations in Shoreditch,


Soho, London Bridge and Manchester, people can step into the clinic amid their shopping trip or lunch break and have a 60-minute session right there and then. “We’ve chosen these areas because they’re incredibly busy,” explains Chance. “We have a lot of clients who pop their heads in and have a one-off session, and it’s here that many of them encounter therapy for the fi rst time in their lives. Our aim was to democratise therapy and the access to it, and that’s exactly what having clinics on the high street does.” But while the pair have certainly


“T


hey’re in therapy.” When we hear this phrase, we might assume someone


was seriously struggling with their mental health. A one-off or weekly therapy session isn’t currently part of people in the UK’s regular wellness routine.


But Jodie Cariss and Chance


Marshall are on a mission to disrupt this. In 2018, the pair founded Self Space, a private therapy clinic on the high street off ering aff ordable mental health maintenance to the everyday individual. With the aim of freeing therapy from its clinical


depiction, the founders set out to create an inviting environment where people can step in and have a one-off session, discuss what’s bothering them and leave feeling just that little bit lighter. “We’re doing everything that we can to destigmatise caring for your


made receiving therapy more accessible in the capital, it still comes at a cost, with sessions starting from £60. Chance acknowledges that this may be unsuitable for some, and notes that the team are working towards options at a lower price point, such as group therapy. They’ve also got giſt cards available to purchase, through which you can giſt one or more sessions to a loved one. While this does seem quite strange, Jodie notes that giſt ing therapy should be regarded similar to giſt ing a spa or any other type of wellness experience. And what


kinder giſt is there than the present of self-help? So, they’ve got the locations, and


it’s pretty aff ordable compared to other private mental health services on the market, but will a one-off therapy session actually work? According to Jodie, yes. “Any


opportunity we get to talk about ourselves in a challenging and supportive environment is incredibly helpful,” she says. “We shouldn’t expect miracles from therapy, and I think that’s where a lot of people get it wrong. You have to arrive with an openness to do the work and be prepared to roll up your sleeves.” A great example of this is their


90-minute MOT session, which presents an opportunity to people who aren’t looking to commit to therapy for the long-term but are interested in working on a particular area of their life. “You’ll leave with some solid ways forward and objectives that feel actionable,” says Chance. So, while therapy continues to be a


stigmatised subject, Self Space really is working to change that. By having a mental health service positioned between are usual shopping haunts and foodie spots, we may all feel encouraged to take a step inside and add a dose of therapy into our wellness routines. Self Space’s therapists are available


both online and in person from 7:30am to 9:30pm, seven days a week. Prices start at £60 for a 30-minute session. theselfspace.com


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specialising in arrhythmia management. There are a range of medications, a massive variety of pacemakers and related devices, and catheter ablation for fast or irregular rhythms. Catheter ablation has become fantastically advanced and is guided by computer systems and imaging. In the right hands, procedures are oſt en performed safely in approximately an hour as a day case. Professor Hunter sees patients with all cardiac and arrhythmia problems but has particular expertise in catheter ablation for AF and other arrhythmias. He has high success rates and low complication rates and has developed a niche helping those with previously diffi cult or failed ablation. He’s at the cutting edge of research and new technologies. He’s also a council member and research lead at the British Heart Rhythm Society. Professor Hunter, director of


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PROF ROSS HUNTER


Get in touch


Private patients: T: 020 7234 2641 T: 07359 731573 W: professorrosshunter.co.uk W: topdoctors.co.uk/doctor/ ross-hunter


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