Catherine Deeks Gnocchi

I am a mindfulness-based psychotherapist, educator, and Japanese ikigai practitioner who supports individuals navigating anxiety, life transitions, cultural adjustment, identity exploration, and the pressures of modern living.

Grounded in compassion and reflective dialogue, I help clients understand their emotional experiences as meaningful guides toward growth, connection, and purpose. Rooted in the Japanese philosophy of ikigai, I encourages a deeper connection to one's authentic self, values, and sense of belonging, fostering emotional balance, self-acceptance, and sustainable wellbeing.

Areas of Support

I work with individuals facing anxiety, life transitions, cultural adjustment, and identity exploration, as well as the pressures of modern living. I support clients in reconnecting with their values and sense of purpose, helping them move toward greater emotional balance, self-acceptance, and sustainable wellbeing.

Therapeutic Approach

My therapeutic approach is integrative, reflective, and values-based, combining mindfulness-based psychotherapy, ikigai (The Kemp Framework), and evolutionary psychology. I help clients understand anxiety not as pathology, but as meaningful information, supporting emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and greater self-compassion. Central to my work is the practice of kindfulness, blending mindfulness with kindness to foster resilience, self-awareness, and a deeper sense of identity and purpose.

Who I Work With

I work with individuals navigating anxiety, life transitions, and cross-cultural experiences, including those exploring questions of identity and belonging. My culturally sensitive approach draws on experience across psychotherapy, education, mentoring, and humanitarian work in Europe and Asia.

Professional Experience

I hold an MSc in Psychology from the University of Essex, where my distinction-awarded research explored the relationship between anxiety and empathy. I am a founder of estibasho, a community focused on emotional wellbeing, self-compassion, and purpose. I have experience across psychotherapy, education, mentoring, and humanitarian work in Europe and Asia, that brings a culturally sensitive approach to supporting individuals navigating life transitions and cross-cultural experiences.