Lacanian Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy · London E1
A space to speak,
and to be heard.
I work as a psychoanalyst psychotherapist in London E1, in English or French and on Zoom. When anxiety, repeated difficulties in relationships, loss, addiction, low self-esteem or a persistent sense of dissatisfaction have started to feel like something you can’t move past on your own.
What brings people here
Many people come to see me not knowing quite where to start
You don’t need to arrive with the right words for it. Finding them, without searching too hard, is most of the work.
- AnxietyA constant sense of unease, panic, or dread that’s hard to put into words.
- Loneliness/low mood and depressionA heaviness that won’t lift, a felt isolation even in company, or a flatness even when life looks fine.
- RelationshipsThe same painful patterns repeating, conflict, or a loss you can’t move past.
- Addiction and compulsionsSomething you reach for, or can’t seem to stop, that has begun to cost you.
- Feeling stuckInhibition, or the sense that life has quietly stalled.
- Low confidencePersistent self-doubt, a harsh inner critic, guilt, a sense of never quite being enough.
What to expect
A confidential space to think aloud, at your own pace.
A first meeting
We meet to talk through what’s brought you, and what you are hoping for. There are no forms or questionnaires — nothing is expected of you beyond speaking about what’s on your mind. You can ask me anything about how I work, and there’s no obligation to continue.
Ongoing sessions
Usually once a week at a regular time, and more often if your situation calls for it. There’s no set programme or number of sessions decided in advance — how long we work together, and at what pace, is something we review together as things unfold.
Held in confidence
What you say stays between us, within a clear ethical framework. I work in both English and French, whichever you find easier to speak in. If at any point I think someone else would be better placed to help, I will say so and point you towards them.
The approach
A Lacanian orientation: this work doesn’t try to remake you into an ideal.
Rather than measuring you against a standard of “happiness” or “normality,” psychoanalytic psychotherapy takes seriously what is most particular to you — your history, your words, and your desire. It begins from a simple wager: that by speaking freely, you can come to hear what has been shaping your suffering, and loosen its hold. Symptoms are not treated simply as problems to eliminate, but as something that may have meaning. Psychoanalysis proceeds by listening closely to the way a person speaks, allowing unexpected connections and new knowledge to emerge.
The aim isn’t to turn you into someone else, but to help you arrive at something truer to you. It draws on the work of Sigmund Freud and the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, and on more than fifteen years of clinical practice.
Read more about Lacanian psychoanalysis →
About Stéphane Preteux
A route into this work that began, unusually, in mathematics.
I came to psychotherapy by an indirect path — a degree in applied mathematics in Paris, then a few years in film visual effects in Soho, before turning toward the human sciences. That movement between languages and ways of thinking is part of why a Lacanian orientation feels like home to me.
I trained at the Metanoia Institute and WPF Therapy, and hold an MSc in Psychotherapy from the University of Roehampton. I have worked with people from many different backgrounds, including those struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, addiction and periods of crisis. Alongside private practice, my formation has included extensive psychoanalytic training and supervision. I work both in English and French.
“Stephane Preteux’s clinical skills are very advanced. His work is fully in accordance with the highest standards in the profession and bears witness to excellent reflexivity.”
— Dany Nobus, Professor of Psychoanalytic Psychology, Brunel University London
Fees & getting in touch
Taking the first step is often the hardest part.
If you’re wondering whether this way of working might be helpful, you’re welcome to get in touch for an initial conversation, or have a look at some common questions first.
Prefer to reach me directly?