Be Heard, Gain Insight, and Change
Anxiety, addiction and relationship specialist in Crouch End and Muswell Hill
Accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with 18 years of experience
Are you struggling with anxiety, addiction, or relationship issues?
I’m Andrew Martin, a counsellor and psychotherapist based in Crouch End (N8) and Muswell Hill (N10), North London. I specialise in helping people with anxiety disorders such as social anxiety, OCD, health anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, and other forms of persistent worry and fear. I also work extensively with addiction and compulsive behaviours, and with relationship difficulties, both for individuals and couples.
My approach is supportive and evidence-based, but also practical and solution-focused, helping people make genuine and lasting changes in their lives.
Discover what my former clients say about their experience here.
My Approach to Counselling
The best counselling works when the approach matches your needs and goals, whether you want to explore the past or focus on practical solutions.
My integrative approach combines evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), delivered in a supportive and collaborative style.
I specialise in helping people manage anxiety disorders, overcome addictive or compulsive behaviours, and work through relationship difficulties. My practice is based in Crouch End (N8), and I also work with many clients from the nearby Muswell Hill (N10) area. My goal is to provide counselling and psychotherapy that gives you both insight and practical tools to make lasting changes.
Click here to learn more about my qualifications and experience.
What To Expect
Your first counselling session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and to explore what has brought you here. We might talk about the difficulties you are facing, such as anxiety, stress, OCD, health anxiety, panic attacks, or relationship challenges. This is also a chance for you to ask me questions about the counselling process, and I will explain everything as clearly as possible.
I will outline important aspects such as confidentiality, my approach to therapy, and what working together might look like. By the end of the session, you should have a good sense of whether you feel comfortable with me and whether you’d like to continue.
From my side, I will listen carefully, begin to understand your concerns, and share initial thoughts on the therapeutic direction I recommend. If we both feel there is a good fit, we can agree on a regular weekly session. These sessions are your dedicated time, giving you consistency and space to focus on change.
Counselling sessions usually last 50 minutes and take place at The Vale Practice in Crouch End (N8). I also work with many clients from Muswell Hill (N10), Highgate, and across North London, and my goal is to provide a space where you can make lasting changes.
What do you need help with?
I specialise in counselling for anxiety disorders, addictive behaviours, and relationship difficulties. Many people come to me for help with issues such as OCD, health anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, stress, or alcohol use. Others want support with relationship problems, whether as an individual or as part of a couple.
You can click on any of the topics below to read more about how I work with these difficulties and the types of therapy that may help.
I’m always happy to answer questions, so please feel free to contact me.
Private Healthcare Insurance
I am a registered provider with many of the leading private healthcare organisations. If you have private health insurance that covers counselling, psychotherapy, or addiction counselling, you may find that they will pay for some of the cost of seeing me.
I am a registered provider with Aviva Healthcare, Cigna Healthcare, WPA, and Vitality Health.
If your healthcare provider isn't mentioned above, it's still likely they may cover your treatment. Please feel free to email me so we can discuss it further. Unfortunately, I do not work with patients insured by Axa PPP or BUPA. I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Article: How to Reduce Resentment and Bitterness
Most people who struggle with resentment do not experience it as anger all the time. More often it shows up as a heavy feeling in the background. A sense of unfairness that will not settle. A mental replay of what happened. A tightening when a certain person or situation comes to mind.
You might notice it steals energy. It can affect sleep, concentration, and patience with others. Many people I speak with say they feel worn down by it. Others say they feel stuck in an old emotional argument that never quite finishes.
Many people have already tried to let it go. They tell themselves to move on, be reasonable, or stay positive. Usually that works briefly, then the feeling returns just as strongly. That can lead to frustration with yourself on top of the original hurt, which can feel discouraging.
Why Resentment Can Feel Hard to Shift
Resentment often lasts because the mind keeps returning to the same questions. Why did they do that. Why did this happen to me. Why was it so unfair. The brain treats the memory like an open problem that still needs solving. The more it circles, the more emotionally charged it becomes. I often see this loop keep good people stuck for far longer than they expected.
What Actually Helps it Begin to Soften
What tends to help is not forcing forgiveness or pretending something did not matter. What helps is changing how you carry the experience inside yourself. That shift is usually gradual, not sudden.
People usually begin to feel some relief when they are able to do a few simple things. To describe what hurt in clear words rather than replaying the whole story. To recognise the emotional cost of holding on tightly. To allow more than one truth to exist at the same time, including their own pain and the fact that people are often flawed and limited. To put more attention back into parts of life that feel meaningful now. These are small moves, but they add up.
Small shifts like these reduce the emotional pressure. The memory stays, but the sting reduces.
It is also important to know what does not help. Constant venting without direction often keeps the feeling alive. Going over the same story again and again rarely brings closure. Being harsh with yourself for not being over it yet usually makes the bitterness stronger, not weaker. I regularly reassure clients about this.
Resentment is common and human. It is not a personal failure. It is an emotional pattern that can change with the right kind of reflection and support.
If resentment or old hurt is taking up too much mental space, counselling can help you work through it in a steady, practical way. I offer therapy for anxiety, relationship strain, and difficult emotional patterns from my Crouch End practice.
Client's Experience
Therapy offers a space to better understand yourself and your emotional responses. It can help you to recognise patterns in your relationships, make sense of past experiences, and find new ways of relating to yourself and others.
Clinic Locations
Crouch End N8
Muswell Hill N10
Parking in Muswell Hill, and Crouch End
If you are seeing me for counselling or psychotherapy in Muswell Hill, North London, parking is free in all the surrounding roads. Try to leave an extra ten minutes just in case it is hard to get a space. Click to see a map of the local area.
For counselling or psychotherapy in Crouch End, North London, there is free parking most of the day with some exceptions. Click to see a map of the local area.
Other North London Locations
- Rutland House Surgery, 40 Colney Hatch Lane, London, N10 1DU. Get directions here.
- Crouch Hall Road Surgery, 48 Crouch Hall Road, London N8 8HJ. Get directions here.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment.
This gives us a chance to discuss what has brought you to counselling, whether it may be helpful for you, and whether I am the right therapist to support you.
All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence and handled securely. I will respond to your message as soon as I am able.