Black Women Therapists UK 2025: Respecting Our Bodies

MA, MBACP (Accred.), NCS (Accred.) Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Supervisor, Systemic Practitioner.

Gloria is a Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Supervisor with over 13 years of experience helping individuals, couples, and groups thrive. She holds an MA in Counselling from Goldsmiths College, London and is qualified as a Systemic Practitioner from The Prudence Skinner Clinic, St. George’s Hospital. Gloria is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and the National Counselling Society (NCS). Gloria is also a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), the Black, African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN) and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union (PCU).

Within her practice, Gloria creates a safe and motivating space for clients to face challenges head-on. She is also certified to support individuals with sight loss and works with RNIB, championing inclusivity and growth. In addition to this work, Gloria is one of the master facilitators trained by Dr Isha McKenzie-Mavinga in a ‘Black Empathetic approach to therapy and the challenge of racism’.

Gloria’s expertise spans workplace stress, anxiety, complex presentations, and transcultural issues. She has experience across diverse settings, including schools, prisons, GP surgeries and EAP’s. She currently works in private practice in Greenwich, London.

Emotional Intelligence Coach, Speaker. Psychotherapist, Author

Joy Langley is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited psychotherapist, emotional intelligence coach and speaker, based in Buckinghamshire, UK. She is author of the mental health handbook ‘Navigating Stress: How to Find Calm During Stressful Times’ (2021, Welbeck Balance). Joy believes life is about learning to navigate the positive and the negative challenges, and growing from the experience. She claims that her therapeutic background literally saved her life – helping her to rebuild confidence, self-worth and determination. Managing her own business has been a key to her journey. Joy says: ‘Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, but I wouldn’t give up the independence it affords me, to work for anyone else’. For BWTOCuk24, Joy offered a 45-minute Salon, entitled: ‘Are You Minding Your Own Therapy Business?’ Accessible at: https://onlinevents.co.uk/courses/2024-black-women-therapists- online-conference-challenging-the-strong-black-woman-archetype/

Mary is a psychotherapeutic counsellor, group facilitator and mentor in private practice, and host for BWTOC UK. Mary is also an associate tutor for the post-graduate diploma in person-centred counselling at The Norwich Centre, Norfolk, UK. She is registered with the British Association For Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and with the Black African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN). Specialising in working with transcultural issues through a person-centred lens, her approach is relational, racial justice allied and social justice allied. Within her practice, Mary offers counselling for adults, mentoring for counselling trainees and, as a group facilitator, a tailored programme of online and in-person experiential workshops offering an enabling space, in which participants can explore the impact of race and culture on well-being within the current climate, the context of their work, training or supervision.

MBACP (Accred.) Psychotherapist

Matthew is an MBACP (Accred.) Psychotherapist with 12 years experience of working in different settings, including local authorities, schools and universities and private practice.

Initially trained in Person-centred psychotherapy, Matthew has also studied other modalities, such as CBT, Solution Focussed brief therapy and Transactional Analysis (TA), and he adopts techniques and perspectives from these where appropriate. He currently works with young people, adults and couples in Nottingham, UK, and offers online psychotherapy to people across the UK.

A large proportion of Matthew’s clients are of African and Caribbean heritage. He feels that working with Black and BIPOC clients in different settings, and across different age groups, has meant he has had to develop a generational approach to what impacts mental health for Black and BIPOC individuals and families.

Working with Black and BIPOC women clients is a part of Matthew’s work and has been been pivotal for his practice. He views Black and BIPOC women as being highly motivated to make positive changes in their lives through psychotherapy.

HCPC registered Music Therapist, Primary School Teacher, Private Tutor and Musician.

Natalie is a registered Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) practitioner – a qualified music therapist in private practice, based in Nottinghamshire, UK. Natalie is also a primary school teacher, private tutor, music therapist for Music Works – a UK registered charity – and a performing musician. Since completing her MA in Music Therapy at the University of South Wales, UK, her work has been predominantly with children and young adults with special educational needs (SEN). She also supports children in mainstream schools who have experienced trauma. Passionate about Culturally Sensitive Music Therapy, Natalie believes that music therapy should be accessible to all – all cultures, all backgrounds. Her approach puts the client’s needs at the forefront, working with their cultural references. Her instrument is keyboard/piano and she has performed in churches, concerts, and accompanied gospel choirs. For BWTOCuk24, Natalie offered a 30-minute Studio: ‘Music Therapy: Embracing Cultural Language’. Natalie also co-facilitated a 45-minute Salon with colleague Leah Inman, entitled: ‘Unsilencing Our Identities: Making Culture and Heritage Key in Music Therapy Practice’, accessible at: 2024 Black Women Therapists Online Conference: ‘Challenging the Strong Black Woman Archetype’ –Onlinevents

Psychotherapist and Social Worker, Co-creator of The Black Women’s Rest Revolution, CEO of Happiworkers.

Ngozi is a Transactional Analyst psychotherapist and social worker. She focuses on helping Black women heal from workplace abuse and racial trauma. She is the CEO of the anti-racist workplace mental health platform Happiworkers and the Founder of The Black Woman’s Rest Revolution, which aims to transform our approaches to anti-racist practice and mental health. Ngozi champions rest as radical resistance against systemic oppression. She channels her expertise into creating culturally sensitive workplaces and holding leadership accountable, empowering Black women to prioritise rest as essential to their liberation and renewal. Ngozi is currently completing her doctoral research at the Tavistock on Black women’s leadership strategies. You can find her TEDx talk: The Shocking Reality of Black Women in Leadership | Ngozi Cadmus | TEDxKingsCollegeLondon

Founder and CEO, Thelma Matilda Alves Foundation

Rayann is Founder and CEO of the Thelma Matilda Alves Foundation, a UK mental health charity providing a vital platform for the support and empowerment of Black women in the UK. Another key area of focus for Rayann is as a PhD student investigating the experiences of Black Caribbean mothers and daughters who migrated to the UK during the Windrush era (1950s to 1960s). For BWTUK24 Rayann introduced the work of the Thelma Matilda Alves Foundation and offered practical insights into establishing and supporting similar initiatives.

MA, MBACP (Accred.) Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Coach Supervisor, UEL Associate Clinical Tutor.

Rita is an accredited member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), a registered member of BAATN (The Black, African and Asian Therapy Network), a trained Counselling Supervisor, Coach and an Associate Clinical Tutor for the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of East London (UEL).

In her practice, Rita works with individuals, couples, families and groups experiencing distress and frustration, and/or feeling lost, and unable to gain clarity. Rita helps her clients to overcome barriers by working collaboratively to create pathways towards freedom of choice for empowered living.

Rita is also author of Beauty’s Story – Some Cuts Are Deeper Than The Eye Can See (2014), a work of fiction that shows the insidious nature of domestic abuse. She can be heard in interview with academic, psychotherapist and social worker Dr Peter Blundell in Breaking the Boundaries ollective: Grenfell – Hestia’s Overnight Hotel Counselling Service

Anti-Racist Trainer, Author, Head of Therapeutic Services

Hello, I’m Tonia, Co-Host for BWTOC UK 24. I’m a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited counsellor and I work as head of therapeutic services at MAP, a youth charity based in Norfolk, UK. I qualified as a person-centred counsellor in 2007 and have devised, and delivered, anti-racist training since the mid-nineties. I am a member of the Black, African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN) with whom I have been a mentor since 2016. My counselling practice is situated in the context of a lifelong, active commitment to personal and community development, global justice and equality. I am author of the chapter ‘Effective AntiRacist Practice in Counselling and Therapy Training’ in ‘Therapy in Colour: Intersectional, AntiRacist and Intercultural Approaches by Therapists of Colour’ (2023, Jessica Kingsley Publishers). I’m pleased and excited to be Co-Host for the 1st Ever BWTOC UK. I’ll also be facilitating a 45- minute Salon, championing Rest as Resistance.