Meet the Therapist: Chai-Yoel Korn
Chai-Yoel Korn is a therapist in SE1 & N2, London
What attracted you to become a therapist?
I have always been interested in the balance between how people manage their external realities and cope with their internal feelings. For the last 20 years I have worked in the fields of health, social care and youth work, helping people to take charge of their health and wellbeing.
Psychotherapy supported me to accept who I am today and have a deeper understanding of how my past affects my present. I wanted to become a psychotherapist to do something meaningful with my life and so that I could offer deeper emotional support to others.
Where did you train?
My initial therapist training was psychodynamic and transcultural (intercultural) at Lambeth College. This was important to me living in such a multicultural city like London. I wanted to offer a culturally sensitive, affirming approach to clients and to work confidently with the differences presented between myself and the client in the therapy room. Today I describe myself as an integrative body and trauma psychotherapist. I more recently completed a two-year post-graduate training in relational body psychotherapy at the Open Centre in Old Street. Previous to this I completed a diploma in trauma therapy at NAOS Institute in West London.
Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?
Relational body psychotherapy is where the body, heart, soul and mind connect. It is how we connect physically with our feelings, our history, our culture and how we interact through our body with those around us. The client presents with a past trauma and wants to understand this and build better coping mechanisms.
How does relational body and trauma psychotherapy help with symptoms of trauma?
I integrate my learning around trauma and provide a place where the client can slowly explore how the trauma has affected their identity and how their body carries their trauma. It affects the important relationships they hold around them and their general sense of wellbeing. I support them and their body to regulate after the trauma they have experienced in order to cope in their everyday life.
What sort of people do you usually see?
I offer psychotherapy services to couples, individuals and groups.
My specialisms include:
- Relational body psychotherapy
- Sex and relationship support for those who live with learning support needs or disability
- Gender, sexuality and sexual expression
- Trauma therapy
- Youth counselling for those aged 13+
What do you like about being a therapist?
I love seeing the client find a sense of healing of their past in the therapy room, seeing them develop their internal therapist week to week, build better coping mechanisms to deal with their everyday external reality and communicate their needs better in the relationships they consider important around them.
What is less pleasant?
I never thought I would say it, but I love working with clients who are facing issues around their previous trauma. It makes me appreciate and value the things we all consider important in life more. Self-care is very important to me this includes my supervision, taking breaks and having time with those I consider important in my life. This all helps me return and continue to support the clients I do.
How long you’ve been with welldoing.org and what you think of us?
My experience has been positive so far and I hope to build a strong relationship with welldoing.org so clients who may need to access my support will be able to easily.
Do you ever suggest books or apps to clients?
I use all types of resources with my clients. I sometimes work with films, apps and books. We will explore together what has helped and what meaning or understanding they have developed from it. How it relates to their own narrative.
What you do for your own mental health?
I like to take an active part in the communities that I belong to. This allows me to be part of the social changes that I would like to see in the world. To switch off I enjoy creative writing, film, modern dance, theatre, spoken word performance and reading. These days I like quiet time in the countryside as the stillness away from London helps me to really relax.
You are a therapist in North and Central London. What can you share with us about seeing clients in those areas?
I am based in East Finchley; it is a more suburban area and it used to be a village and still holds this quirkiness. I also work in London Bridge which is multicultural and lively – but being a able to walk through Borough Market or walk next to the Thames allows you slow down and see some rich sites around you.
What’s your consultation room like?
The consulting room in Central London is cosy, warm and quiet. My consulting room in East Finchley is bright, colourful, homely and relaxing.
What do you wish people knew about therapy?
My hope would be that with a therapist who comes with life, professional experience, the skills and knowledge should be able to build a professional therapeutic relationship with you. The relationship between you as the client and the therapist is the key to good outcome of therapy. The client should feel safe enough to work through what is going on in your life and in so doing so better manage your reality.
What did you learn about yourself in therapy?
The last sixteen years of individual, group therapy and personal development work have helped me understand my diversity, vulnerabilities and a time to work through the trauma of the bullying I experienced as a young person and then as a young adult. Therapy has transformed my acceptance of who I am today, build more open loving relationships with those around me, put safer boundaries in place and make healthier choices for myself.
