Counselling in Totnes

Hello. I am an experienced integrative therapist offering sessions in blocks of six to eight weeks, focussing on a specific issue in a targeted way. Perhaps you are reading this because you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of the way forward. Perhaps you are having difficulties relating to career, relationships or family life, or with emotions such as anger, anxiety or low mood. You might be struggling with addictions, with life changes or transitions, or you might be suffering with a sense of alienation or a crisis of meaning in your life. If so, I hope you will read on and get in touch if my approach resonates with you.

Hello, I'm Hannah; I'm a counsellor based in Totnes. In our sessions together we will work to explore how you feel - you may not have had the chance to tell your story or your share your innermost thoughts before with someone non-judgemental. If you have low self-esteem, mood problems, history of trauma, relationship issues or other concerns, I can help you to find a way to build resilience and increase your wellbeing.

Anxiety is normal. Yes, I just said that! Yet many of us grow up with the idea that anxious feelings are negative and to be avoided at all costs. I spent years trying to escape my anxiety, which only made it worse. The more I pushed, the more it pushed back, until I spent all my time pushing. It was exhausting, resulting in OCD behaviours and panic attacks. Then I learnt to change my relationship with anxiety. I realised that to be anxious is to be human. I stopped struggling and instead began to work with my anxiety in new ways that gave me more options, both in the moment and in the long term.

I have a lot of respect for anyone who chooses to begin counselling. It takes courage to be open with someone, and I don't take that for granted. As an Integrative counsellor, I have a range of therapeutic tools to help towards a breakthrough, particularly for clients who live with anxiety, depression, or present difficulties relating to past traumas.​ As human beings, we are wired for survival, and continually adjust to protect ourselves from threats and challenges. As our circumstances change through life, we may notice that the patterns which once kept us safe are now holding us back.

Sessions are individually tailored to suit you the client as this is your journey , I provide a safe, consistent therapeutic relationship and encourage collaborative working. So, if you have a preference for an approach, please do feel free to communicate this. I as your counsellor will stand alongside you being curious and helping you to find the tools you had all along by assisting in removing some of the obstacles that have helped to hide them. Acceptance and understanding of who we once were and who we are now can provide the opportunity for growth and the space the client needs to explore and be comfortable with the future.

I’m a caring and experienced counsellor, who can support you wholeheartedly in helping you to move forwards. I work from a warm and comfortable room in Totnes.

I can help with many common troubles, such as anxiety, depression, pain, emotion regulation, self-worth, panic attacks, identity worries, family life, attachment, trauma, abuse and more. Many of the clients I have worked with needed help in seeing, accepting and loving their true self. Often these have been young people and adults with a divergent neurotype, whose feelings and authenticity have been masked for far too long.

It takes courage to seek support when life isn’t going well, and we would like to work out why. Counselling can help in difficult times, and also in times when we wish to understand ourselves better. With awareness, we have the choice to change our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. I offer safe, confidential and free from judgement counselling sessions, either face-to-face in the heart of Totnes, South Devon, or online via zoom. I offer a free no obligation initial consultation 30 min phone call to discuss what brings you to counselling, answer any questions you may have and to ensure I'm the right therapist to help you.

In my experience we may all at times face hurdles too daunting to negotiate alone. I work with a wide range of issues focussing on clients who have suffered sexual abuse, as well as young people and adults experiencing stress, anxiety, trauma, panic attacks, depression and low self esteem. We may have issues and patterns of behaviour from the past that we are ready to leave behind. I offer a safe, confidential therapeutic space to be heard and feel safe. In some cases I work in the here and now, in others I believe in order to understand and find our inner resources to change present behaviour we need to delve into our past.

Authentic, empathic therapeutic relationship; Integrative, Person Centred, Somatic Focused, Internal Family Systems(IFS); for help with Adult ADHD, Relationship Issues, Developmental Trauma, Attachment Issues, Anxiety, Depression, OCD Behaviours, Intrusive or Obsessive Thoughts, Addictions, etc.. My approach is Integrative; Person Centred, Gestalt, CBT, IFS, Somatic Focused, influenced by ten years experience as a practitioner of Integrated Energy Healing (mind/body therapy). Focusing on what is happening in the here and now, we have agency to affect healing and change.

I am an experienced Integrative CBT therapist. I utilise a variety of research backed approaches to support and enhance your experience of the therapeutic process. These include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Rational Emotive Behaviour therapy (REBT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), trauma informed Polyvagal Theory and Hypnotherapy. In this way, I formulate treatment to meet your individual needs. This ability to work flexibly has a significant impact on how quickly you begin to feel better.

I offer support and understanding to people struggling in all sorts of ways and I believe everyone has a unique healing journey. I work with people experiencing stress, loss, depression, anxiety, and the many ways mental health can impact day to day life. This can include relationship problems, destructive behaviour patterns, intrusive thoughts and feelings of being blocked, off balance or held back. I work deeply and gently with suffering and pain while allowing for the growth that suffering can bring us to. I believe that therapy should empower you to support your own healing.

As a psychotherapist working with children, young people and adults, I use my professional skills and experience to provide a safe, judgement-free space for children, young people and adults to explore what might be underlying their difficulties. I support clients with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, anger, isolation, identity, sexuality, low self-esteem, school difficulties, friendship issues, loss, grief, bullying, abuse, neglect, parental separation and other issues. I also provide parent work sessions for parents who have concerns about their relationship with their child/children and family dynamics.

I see therapy as a close and creative collaboration, where together we can be with what concerns you and find out how are you relating with it. I can support you to understand how you respond to life and how you hold off from it. Let’s find out what happens in you, that limits the possibilities. We do this together, by listening closely, whilst I support you to pay attention to your present experience, because this gets us closer to understanding and is empowering. I trust this is more fruitful than working hard to try to figure things out. It gets below the rounds of thinking you have probably got caught in if you're struggling.

Hi.. I am an experienced Counsellor specialising in Relationship issues for Individuals and Couples. I'm caring and don't mind swearing, which is handy, because people often do... I work from a lovely private room in Totnes, or Online drawing on different techniques and experience into a holistic, caring approach. Talking helps to gain understanding, perpective and insight into issues, and for clients who wish to work on the more sub-conscious patterns and historical issues which are usually at the root of our stories, I provide a range of effective techniques that help to move things forward effectively

I know what it feels like to be anxious. I spent many years feeling out of place in the world and thinking everyone else must have it sorted. The road that led me to decide to train to be a counsellor was challenging and I can truly empathise when clients tell me they feel worried, anxious, lost, lonely, scared, vulnerable.

I have lots of experience working with relationship issues, anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, abuse and work related problems. During our first meet we will discuss and agree how we can best work together, the frequency and duration of the therapy and desired outcome, whether that's just wanting to feel better in some way, or something more targeted. This will then form a kind of contract which we will base the work on whilst reviewing it periodically. Usually sessions will be held on a weekly basis during the same time slot each week. I integrate a range of different psychotherapeutic approaches subject to your needs.

My aim is to bring together effective approaches incorporating a variety of therapeutic models such as relational therapy, humanistic, psychodynamic, attachment theory, person centred and neuroscience. This will also depend on your individual needs. My experience also covers body psychotherapy and energy work along with solution based therapy and mindfulness. I offer both short and long term therapy and the length of therapy will depend upon the presenting issues and your wishes. Is there a particular problem you would like to talk through and explore? This could be to do with a relationship, work related or a repeating pattern.

I work with individuals on an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period, with the aim of enabling you to enhance your life and to live it more fully. Psychotherapy and counselling is often called the 'talking cure'. People often value such help during a time of transition and change, crisis or loss when it is difficult to know 'what to do'? I believe it is always possible to improve the way in which people tackle their problems and to use times of difficulty to make changes for the better.