Trauma informed therapy, counselling & coaching for women
Why Trauma-informed?
You're holding a lot - work, relationships, family, everyone else's needs - and mostly, you manage it. But then something small happens: a comment from your partner, a look, a moment with a family member, a request at work, and suddenly you're flooded. Anxious, angry, tearful, shut down. Bigger than the moment calls for. And afterwards, you're left wondering why did that hit me so hard?
If that's familiar, you're not overreacting, and you're not alone. That reaction has a reason. Something in the moment reminded an older part of you of something it once needed to protect itself from and it responded the way it learned to, a long time before now.
Why this happens
These patterns usually have roots, shaped by earlier experiences and the beliefs we formed about ourselves and relationships along the way. Especially for women juggling work, partners, children, and family, there's rarely space to actually feel what comes up in the moment. So it gets pushed inside the body, and then comes out sideways - a rupture in a relationship, anxiety, low self-esteem, addictive behaviours, health issues and overwhelm.
In my work, I help you gently understand what's underneath your triggers and reactions, at your own pace, in a way that feels safe, not overwhelming. When feelings are acknowledged rather than pushed down to keep going, the mind and body have a natural capacity to settle. And relationships with your partner, your family, and yourself start to feel less reactive and more possible.
It's a bit like being in the ocean. Fighting the current is exhausting. Learning to move with the waves brings a different kind of steadiness and safety.
“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”
Haruki Murakami
What clients often come to me looking for :
Counselling for relationship difficulties
Exhaustion & overwhelm therapy
Therapy for Anxiety
Low self esteem counselling
Women’s burnout therapy
Women’s health support
Career counselling
Therapy for parenting challenges
My work embodies experience as a trauma informed therapist (studied under the Compassionate Inquiry programme - Gabor Maté), coach and counsellor. Underpinned by a passion for people.
I work with people who are looking for a safe space to feel supported and held to help navigate life’s challenges. The sessions are mind-body focused but totally non contact. The format is a more relaxed version of a traditional psychotherapy or counselling session.
Why Me
I trained under the Compassionate Inquiry programme -Dr Gabor Maté, hold a Level 3 Diploma in Counselling (TQUK), am CPD-accredited in coaching, and accredited by The International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (together with full insurance). I also spent several years as a Samaritans listener and outreach worker, sitting with people in crisis.
Before this work, I spent years in a fast-paced career in fashion, travelling and performing — while quietly carrying more than I let show. A move to a coastal life prompted a swap of the catwalk for a different form of creativity, as a consultant in human development; green smoothies replaced cocktails and cold water swimming for nightclubs!
Twenty years of doing my own inner work, alongside the training, is what I now bring into the room with clients. I understand what it is to be holding a lot - career, relationships & parenting and to be triggered by things that don't make sense until you understand where they come from.
What an insightful journey we are on! I am learning so much about myself - unravelling my limiting self beliefs and habitual patterns to achieve a new life ambition.
Karen, Marketing Director
I not only found my voice but regained confidence and discovered a new energy for life. Learnt lots, cried lots and also laughed lots too. Thank you Vanessa.
Gemma, Bodyworker
Thank you for all your intuitive guidance, presence and constant encouragement. I have found my North Star.
Linzi, Designer
What to expect from a session
Gently seen and deeply heard - a space where nothing needs to be hidden or judged
Safe to explore at your own pace - no pressure to have it figured out
Understanding your triggers and beliefs - instead of being ambushed by them
Calmer relationships - with your partner, your family, and yourself
A quietening of the inner critic - meeting yourself with more kindness than judgement
A sense of possibility - a growing trust in your self and your ability to make good choices
FAQ
What is trauma informed therapy? The format is a more relaxed version of a traditional psychotherapy or counselling session, but deeply healing. We look at the big picture of one’s life story without getting lost in it and recognise that trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you.
How is it different from counselling? The sessions are mind-body focused but totally non contact. It is talking therapy but we also use. the body to help understand where our behavioural patterns have come from and how we can heal them. We work at the pace you set.
How much does therapy cost ? First session £60 to test if a fit for you. thereafter £75. I also hold a limited number of free sessions for those in financial need.
How long does therapy take? Sessions are 50 minutes.
Does online therapy work as well as in-person? Clients consistently tell me therapy is just as effective remotely, I offer both in person and online. Spaces in London and Lyme Regis, Dorset (areas covered Lyme Regis, Axminster, Bridport, Chard, Honiton…)
What happens in a first session? We would explore your current situation and what you are hoping to gain from the therapeutic process
“Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you”
Gabor Maté
Get in Touch
I offer a free, no-pressure 15-minute call — to see if it works for you.