Hi, I'm Anna.
I help people find relief and movement from a place of feeling 'stuck.' I specialize in working with trauma, identity, chronic pain, life transitions, shame and sex/sexuality. I also work with couples. I view therapy as a process of helping my clients listen to their gut feelings, find safety and containment and feel less alone in the overwhelm. It is my hope that through speaking about difficult or taboo feelings with me, you will feel understood and accepted, and that over time you feel more powerful in how you respond to difficulty.
Psychodynamic, trauma-informed and emotionally focused therapy with couples and individuals.
Psychodynamic and focusing-oriented therapy
Philosophy and approach
Therapy isn't easy, but it is honest
Psychodynamically, I pay attention to unconscious relational processes between us and find links between what feels distressful for you in the present and what occurred in the past.
I also integrate focusing-oriented psychotherapy, where I help you put your 'felt' sense or gut feelings into words.
Couples Therapy
In my work with couples, I am informed by both emotionally focused and psychodynamic approaches. My aim is to help couples track their unhelpful cycles, de-escalate conflict, become aware of and responsive to each other's attachment needs and integrate these changes experientially.
I view therapeutic change as embodied, relational and non-linear. This means I call attention to feelings and bodily sensations and use our relationship to draw attention to longstanding relational patterns of yours.
This gentle challenge can help you break through ways of relating that aren't serving you.
Specializations
Although I offer support for many different challenges, I specialize in working with people who are grappling with trauma/neglect, persistent pain, sex/sexuality-related concerns and sexual violence. I also specialize in work with couples.
Therapy often involves stages of unraveling before we feel integrated and ‘ourselves’ again.
This can feel confronting and disarming as we call into question protections (i.e. addictions, denial/distortions and other defenses) that once kept us safe but are no longer helpful. The trust we foster can help carry you through periods of uncertainty.
Qualifications
- PG Dip. Counselling and Psychotherapy (University of Edinburgh)
- Doctorate in Psychotherapy (University of Edinburgh)
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Certificate and Core Skills
- Psychosexual Therapy Certificate (Tavistock)
- Facilitating Reflective Practice (Tavistock)