Oliver

I was born in London to an English father and Italian mother and am bilingual in English and Italian. I attended Westminster School before studying Philosophy at the University of Sussex and completing an MA at King’s College London.

I subsequently completed a PhD at University College London, where my research explored the relationship between psychology, religion and Buddhism. My first academic book, The Legacy of C. G. Jung’s Buddha, developed from this research. I remain an active academic researcher and writer, publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals and presenting my work at conferences in the UK and abroad. I am currently writing a second book, which has been accepted for publication by Oxford University Press.

Alongside my academic work and tutoring, I work clinically as a psychodynamic psychotherapist and continue my advanced professional training at the Society of Analytical Psychology in London. This has involved over five years of theoretical study, supervised clinical practice and experience working in mental-health settings.

My academic and psychotherapeutic work complement one another closely. Together, they have given me both a strong intellectual grounding and a sophisticated understanding of the emotional factors that can affect learning, including anxiety, perfectionism, avoidance, low confidence and difficulties with motivation.

My lessons are structured, interactive and tailored to the individual student. At the beginning of tuition, I assess the student’s current knowledge, academic skills and confidence before establishing clear priorities and a realistic plan for improvement.

I use a wide range of activities, including discussion, retrieval practice, essay planning, model answers, interactive quizzes, timed examination questions and detailed work with mark schemes. In essay-based subjects, I place particular emphasis on helping students construct clear arguments, select relevant evidence and develop effective analysis and evaluation.

My psychotherapy training is an important part of my approach. It has taught me to pay close attention not only to what a student finds difficult, but also to how they respond when they feel uncertain, frustrated or under pressure. Some students need greater structure; others need help tolerating mistakes, overcoming perfectionism or becoming less dependent on reassurance. Understanding these differences allows me to adapt my teaching carefully rather than treating every academic difficulty as simply a gap in knowledge.

Tutoring is distinct from psychotherapy, but my clinical experience helps me create a calm, thoughtful and encouraging environment in which students can become more confident, reflective and independent. It is particularly valuable when working with students whose progress is affected by anxiety, low self-belief, procrastination, perfectionism or difficulty managing academic pressure.

I also have considerable experience working with students with ADHD and other additional educational needs. I adapt the pace, structure and variety of lessons to help students maintain attention, organise their thinking and make steady progress without becoming overwhelmed.

I aim to make lessons intellectually engaging and enjoyable while retaining a clear focus on academic progress. I am patient and encouraging, but I also give students honest and specific feedback about what they need to improve. My aim is not only to help students achieve strong results, but also to help them become increasingly independent and confident in their own abilities.

Alongside tutoring, I work clinically as a psychodynamic psychotherapist and continue my advanced professional training at the Society of Analytical Psychology. I am particularly interested in the relationship between emotional life, learning, creativity and intellectual development.

I also remain actively involved in academic research and writing. Following the publication of my first book, The Legacy of C. G. Jung’s Buddha, I have continued to publish articles on the history of psychology, psychoanalysis, religion and Eastern thought. I am currently writing a second book on the Buddhist scholar and psychologist C. A. F. Rhys Davids for Oxford University Press.

Much of my professional life is therefore divided between tutoring, clinical work and writing. I value the different perspective each brings: tutoring keeps me closely connected to education and intellectual development, while my academic and psychotherapeutic work deepen my understanding of how people think, learn and respond to difficulty.

Outside work, I play football regularly for the Old Westminsters and also enjoy tennis, running and skiing. I am a keen jazz listener and pianist and try to practise whenever possible.