Photo: NASAP board portrait
Dr Georgia Costa
Psychologist · Group Analyst · Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist · Founder of Willoughby Place
BSc (Hons), DOccPsych, Dip GWP, M.InstGA, M.GASi, UKCP Registered Psychologist
From a young age, Georgia needed to understand behaviour, a curiosity that led her to study Psychology (BSc Hons and DOccPsych). Her quest to better understand herself and others did not stop there, culminating in six years of training in group and individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA).
In 1991 Georgia started tutoring children in care who had been excluded from school. Their unmet emotional needs planted the seed for what would become Willoughby Place. In 1993, she began working with victims of torture seeking asylum, work that shaped her understanding of trauma and people's responses to it.
In 1999 Georgia set up a children's home, and in 2007 transitioned the service into Supported Accommodation. Today she is the Nominated Individual and Registered Service Manager for Willoughby Place.
Between 2016 and 2022 Georgia worked as an honorary psychotherapist one day a week at a hospital with a high level of disturbance. She was struck by the lack of support for staff holding such difficult cases, reinforcing her conviction that a robust psychological support system must surround the team. Only then can staff be properly held themselves, and in turn hold the young people placed in their care.
A three-decade career in care
- 1991
Began tutoring children in care who had been excluded from school, the early experience that planted the seed for Willoughby Place.
- 1993
Worked with victims of torture seeking asylum, deepening her understanding of trauma and recovery.
- 1999
Set up a children's home, motivated by the conviction that emotional needs of children in care were not being adequately met.
- 2007
Transitioned the service into Supported Accommodation; today Nominated Individual and Registered Service Manager.
- 2016–2022
Honorary psychotherapist one day a week at a hospital working with high levels of disturbance, reinforcing her belief in robust psychological support systems around staff teams.
- Today
Board Member of NASAP (National Association of Supported Accommodation Partners), former member of the management committee (board) of GASI (Group Analytic Society International), and member of the London Course Committee (LCC) of the IGA.
Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
- Doctorate in Occupational Psychology (DOccPsych)
- Diploma in Group Work Practice (Dip GWP)
- Member of the Institute of Group Analysis (M.InstGA)
- Member of the Group Analytic Society International (M.GASi)
- UKCP Registered Psychologist
- Six-year training in group & individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy, IGA
- Accepted onto the Foundation Course at The Institute of Psychoanalysis
- Over three decades of applied experience with vulnerable children and young people
Roles & focus
- Nominated Individual & Registered Service Manager, Willoughby Place
- Board Member, National Association of Supported Accommodation Partners (NASAP)
- Oversight across all three homes
- Trauma-informed staff training, reflective practice and supervision
- Psychologically informed environments (PIE)
What these qualifications mean
Professional letters can be opaque. Here is what each one is, and how it shapes the way our homes are run.
BSc (Hons) Psychology+
An honours degree in psychology, the foundation for understanding how behaviour, development and attachment work. It underpins the way staff are trained to read behaviour as communication rather than defiance.
DOccPsych (Doctorate in Occupational Psychology)+
A doctorate in how people function within organisations and teams. This shapes how Willoughby Place is structured: rotas, supervision, recruitment and team dynamics are designed so that staff stay steady and consistent for the young people.
Dip GWP (Diploma in Group Work Practice)+
A formal qualification in facilitating groups. It informs house meetings, reflective practice sessions and the way young people are supported to live alongside each other in a shared home.
M.InstGA (Member of the Institute of Group Analysis)+
Membership of the professional body for group analysts, awarded after several years of clinical training and personal therapy. In practice this means staff teams receive properly facilitated reflective spaces rather than informal debriefs.
M.GASi (Member of the Group Analytic Society International)+
Membership of the international society for group analysis, keeping the service connected to current thinking and standards in group and relational practice worldwide.
UKCP Registered Psychologist+
Registration with the UK Council for Psychotherapy, the regulator for psychotherapists in the UK. It commits her to a code of ethics, ongoing supervision and continuing professional development, providing external accountability for the psychological approach used across the homes.
Foundation Course, The Institute of Psychoanalysis+
Ongoing study in psychoanalytic thinking, focused on the unconscious patterns that trauma leaves behind. It keeps the service's understanding of young people's behaviour deepening rather than standing still.
"Staff need to be properly looked after and supported so that, in turn, they can do the same for the young people placed with us."
— Dr Georgia Costa
"Thank you for everything. It has been a great opportunity working for Willoughby Place, I've learnt so much and really appreciate the warmth and care you show to all the young people and staff here."
— Support Worker, on leaving the team, September 2026
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