About
Hi, I’m Raquel
Therapist, founder of Step Into Yourself, and firm believer that therapy works best when you can be completely yourself in the room.
My story
From the stage to the therapy room
I was born in Spain and came to psychology through the arts. I studied theatre at New York University, which taught me a lot about emotion and expression. That curiosity took me to forensic psychology at John Jay College in New York, and then to clinical work, where I found what I love most: helping people find their way through their emotional world.
I’ve lived on four continents and speak five languages. That shapes how I work: with curiosity about where you come from, and respect for the many ways people feel and express things.
I’m currently on a five-year journey around the world, studying how emotions are experienced and expressed in remote cultures, and working with clients online wherever I am.
How I work
Safe, open and flexible
Safety comes first: we go at your pace, and nothing happens without you agreeing to it. I’ll always be open about what we’re doing and why. You won’t get a script or a one-size-fits-all programme. We work it out together, and I adapt as you change.
I’m trained in DBT, EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS), and I draw on them, along with other approaches, depending on what you need that day. Most of my clients use a mix: some practical skills, some deeper healing, and a lot of honest conversation. There’s room for laughter, and for the hard stuff too.
serious work. not too serious people.
Why Step Into Yourself exists
No waiting lists. No session caps.
I founded Step Into Yourself in 2021, during the pandemic. The Inspired Westminster Personality Disorder Service, the only public DBT service in West London, had been decommissioned. I was part of that team, and I saw what it meant for people to suddenly lose the support they relied on.
So I built an alternative: therapy you can start within 24 hours of your first call, with no cap on how many sessions you have, and room to be a whole person rather than a diagnosis.
Background
New York, London, and now everywhere
- 2013–2016New York
Study
BFA Drama & Theatre Studies
New York University
Cum laude, with a minor in Psychology. Where the fascination with emotion began.
Study
Degree in Psychology
Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)
- 2017–2019New York
Study
MA Forensic Psychology
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Summa cum laude and a merit scholarship. Research assistant in two psychology labs, including research for the FBI Investigative Psychology Unit.
- 2018New York
Training
DBT Skills Training
John Jay College, CUNY
First formal DBT training, alongside Mental Health First Aid and forensic assessment courses.
- 2018–2019New York
Clinical work
Mental Health Advocate & Clinical Case Manager
Mount Sinai SAVI Program · EAC Network
Crisis support in A&E for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, including live English–Spanish translation, and weekly one-to-one skills work with clients with complex needs.
- 2019–2020London
Study
MSc Psychology
University of West London
Graduated with distinction.
- 2020–2021London
Clinical work
Mental Health Specialist
One Housing Group
One-to-one psychological support, CBT formulations and risk assessments for people living with psychosis.
- 2021London
Clinical work
DBT Practitioner
Inspired Westminster Personality Disorder Service
Individual DBT and DBT skills groups, plus training in DBT Essentials and running skills groups with the Association for Psychological Therapies.
- 2021Online
Step Into Yourself
Founded Step Into Yourself
Online, worldwide
No waiting lists, no session caps, and a flexible, collaborative way of working.
- 2023
Training
EMDR Therapy training
PESI
Training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, adding trauma reprocessing to the toolkit.
- 2026
Training
Internal Family Systems (IFS) training
PESI
Training in IFS, a gentle, “parts”-based way of understanding the different sides of yourself.
Degrees
- Degree in PsychologyUniversidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)
- MSc Psychology, DistinctionUniversity of West London · 2020
- MA Forensic Psychology, Summa Cum LaudeJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York · 2019
- BFA Drama & Theatre Studies, minor in PsychologyNew York University · 2016
Therapy training
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)PESI · 2026
- EMDR TherapyPESI · 2023
- DBT: Running Skills Development GroupsAssociation for Psychological Therapies · 2021
- DBT EssentialsAssociation for Psychological Therapies · 2021
- DBT Skills TrainingJohn Jay College, CUNY · 2018
- Mental Health First AidMental Health First Aid USA · 2018
Let’s see if we click
Start with a free 30-minute call. After that, sessions are £60 (€70 / $80) per hour.
no pressure, no commitment