The Therapeutic Relationship
The heart of therapy is the relationship between us. It’s in this real, honest connection where healing and growth happen. I aim to build a genuine relationship with you, one where you can speak your truth freely, in a safe and respectful space. What you get from me is a real, authentic connection, grounded in trust and understanding.
Counselling isn’t just about tears; it’s about all the moments in between, including humour and relief alongside the hard stuff. We are human, after all.
As Irvin D. Yalom writes in The Gift of Therapy (2002), “It’s the relationship that heals, the relationship that heals, the relationship that heals.” That means our work together is more than techniques; it’s about the trusting, compassionate relationship that allows you to grow and heal authentically.
Anxiety
37.1% of women in the UK have reported experiencing high levels of anxiety
(Priory group, 2025).
Anxiety is a normal human response designed to protect us from danger as a
part of our built-in survival system. However, when anxiety becomes
overactive or out of proportion to real-life situations, it can start to
control our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and be very distressing.
According to the DSM-5, diagnoses of Anxiety can show up in many different
ways
Reference: (Kennerley, H., Kirk, J., & Westbrook, D. (2017). *An
introduction to cognitive behaviour Therapy: Skills and Applications*. SAGE
Publications Limited.
These include:
1
Health Anxiety (Hypochondriasis)
This form of anxiety centres around intense worry about having a serious illness, despite little or no medical evidence. You might find yourself constantly researching symptoms or seeking reassurance from doctors, which only temporarily eases your fear.
2
Specific Phobias
These are intense fears related to a particular object or situation, like flying, spiders, or heights. The fear often feels irrational but can trigger real physical symptoms, leading people to avoid certain places or situations altogether.
3
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder involves sudden and repeated panic attacks, overwhelming waves of fear that can include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or a fear of losing control. The fear of having another attack can itself become debilitating.
4
Social Anxiety (Social Phobia)
This is a fear of being judged or negatively evaluated in social situations. You might worry about embarrassing yourself or saying the wrong thing, leading to avoidance of social interactions, school, or work environments.
5
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD is characterised by excessive, ongoing worry about many areas of life, health, money, relationships, work, even when there’s little reason to worry. It can feel like your mind never rests, often leading to physical symptoms like tension and fatigue.
6
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
ASD can occur shortly after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms might include flashbacks, dissociation, anxiety, or emotional numbness. If left untreated, ASD can sometimes develop into PTSD.
7
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD
PTSD can develop after a traumatic experience and may involve flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, or a constant feeling of being on edge. Every day events can suddenly trigger intense emotional responses linked to the trauma.
8
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is the fear of being in places or situations where escape might be difficult. It often leads to avoiding public spaces, travel, or social gatherings. In some cases, individuals may struggle to leave their homes.
9
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD involves unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions) performed to reduce distress. These compulsions can take up significant time and impact daily functioning.
How can I Help You
I’ve supported many women in turning their lives around — learning to manage anxiety, create healthier boundaries, and approach life with more calm and purpose. With the right support and tools, lasting change becomes both achievable and sustainable.
Using an integrative and trauma-informed approach, I draw on counselling, coaching, and evidence-based techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. Together, we take a deeper look at your life — exploring how past experiences, patterns of behaviour, and thinking styles may be shaping the way you respond to challenges today.
Our work together will help you to:
- Identify and understand unhelpful patterns in thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
- Develop healthier, more balanced ways of thinking and living.
- Calm and regulate your nervous system, creating more space for rest, clarity, and confidence.
- Build practical coping tools that make everyday stress easier to manage.
- Gradually face and reduce fears or avoidance patterns through gentle, supported exposure when appropriate.
Each plan is tailor-made to you — shaped around your goals, pace, and preferences. You’ll be actively involved in every step of the process, ensuring that our work feels safe, empowering, and personally relevant.
Depression
We all experience low moods from time to time; it’s part of being human. But depression is more than just feeling sad or fed up. It can affect how you think, feel, and function in everyday life. For many, it can feel like being stuck in a fog, weighed down by thoughts and feelings that won’t shift. It can change the way your view yourself, others and the world.
Depression can look different for everyone. It may be constant, or it may come in waves. You might feel numb, tearful, irritable, or completely flat. Motivation can disappear. Even the simplest tasks can feel overwhelming, and it might seem like you’ve lost connection with yourself, others, or the world around you.
You may be experiencing:
Persistent sadness or low mood
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Feeling hopeless or helpless
Loss of interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy
Changes in appetite or weight
Low self-esteem or self-worth
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness
Physical symptoms like fatigue, aches, or pains
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide (please reach out – support is available)
Depression can be triggered by life events like grief, trauma, relationship breakdowns, illness, or ongoing stress, but sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere. Whatever the cause, you don’t have to carry it alone.
How can I Help You
I offer a safe, down-to-earth space where you can explore what you’re feeling without pressure or judgment. We will work with you at your pace
As an integrative therapist, I use a blend of approaches tailored to you. We might look at your thoughts and behaviours (CBT), explore root causes (psychodynamic), or focus on meaning and identity (existential therapy). We will have a good look at your lifestyle and choices and work out how you can navigate a way forward that feels more manageable and hopeful.
The therapeutic approach we use will be something we decide together. Therapy isn’t something that’s done to you; it’s a two-way process, and we’ll work collaboratively every step of the way. You’re not alone in this; we’re in it together.
You’ll get empathy and understanding, but also gentle honesty. I won’t waste your time. My aim is to help you reconnect with yourself, find hope again, and move forward in a way that feels right for you.
Grief and Loss
Grief is a deeply personal experience that comes in many forms. It’s most often associated with the death of someone close, but we can also grieve the loss of relationships, health, identity, faith, jobs, or the life we imagined for ourselves. Whatever the loss, grief can shake the foundations of your world.
There’s no right way to grieve; it can feel messy, unpredictable, and different for everyone. You might feel sadness, anger, numbness, guilt, or even relief, sometimes all in the same day. You may feel completely overwhelmed, or like you’re just going through the motions. Some people find it hard to talk about their grief, while others feel like they can’t stop.
You might be experiencing:
Difficulty accepting the loss
Feeling stuck or numb
Intense sadness or loneliness
Guilt or regret
Anger or resentment
Changes in sleep or appetite
Anxiety about the future
Isolation or disconnection from others
A sense that life has lost meaning
Grief has no timeline. Whether your loss is recent or something you’ve been carrying for years, it’s okay to reach out. You deserve space to grieve in your own way, without judgment or pressure to "move on."
How can I Help You
I offer a gentle, grounded space where your grief can be witnessed and held with care. I won’t rush you, try to “fix” you, or offer clichés. Instead, we will walk alongside you as you make sense of your loss and begin to heal in your own time.
Together, we’ll explore what the loss means to you, how it’s affecting your life, and what support you need right now. I draw from a range of therapeutic approaches, including person-centred, psychodynamic, and existential therapy, to meet you where you are. If helpful, we can also use creative or mindfulness-based tools to process feelings that are hard to put into words.
The therapeutic approach we take will always be discussed and agreed upon together. Therapy is not something that’s done to you; it’s something we do together. I see our work as a real, human relationship built on honesty, empathy, and trust.
Whether you need a few sessions to talk things through or longer-term support, you are welcome here, just as you are.
Relationship Issues & Conflict
Relationships are a big part of our lives; they can bring connection, support, and joy, but they can also be complicated, painful, or confusing.
Whether it’s your partner, a friend, a family member, or someone at work, relationship difficulties can affect your mental and emotional well-being in a big way.
You might be feeling:
Stuck in cycles of arguments or silence
Misunderstood, criticised, or emotionally drained
Lonely, even when you’re around others
Conflicted about staying or leaving a relationship
A loss of connection or intimacy
People-pleasing or struggling to set healthy boundaries
Constantly walking on eggshells
A pattern of choosing unhealthy or toxic relationships
Guilt or anger over how things have gone
Struggles to communicate or express yourself clearly
Exhausted from always being the “fixer” or the one holding everything (and everyone) together
Sometimes we fall into the role of the rescuer, constantly trying to fix other people’s problems, carry their emotional load, or smooth things over. While this might come from a place of care or survival, over time, it can lead to burnout, resentment, or losing touch with your own needs. Therapy is a space where we can gently explore this pattern, where it comes from, and how to create more balanced, respectful relationships, without taking on the world.
How can I Help You
In therapy, we can unpack what’s really going on in your relationships, not just on the surface, but underneath. I provide a safe, neutral space where you can speak freely, explore your patterns, and understand why certain relationships feel so difficult or painful.
We’ll look at how you communicate, what your emotional needs are, how boundaries are set (or crossed), and what’s getting in the way of healthier connections. Conflict doesn’t always mean the end; it can be an opportunity for growth, understanding, and change, if handled in the right way.
You don’t have to be in couples therapy to work on relationships. Individual therapy is a powerful way to reflect on how you show up in relationships and how to manage conflict more confidently and calmly.
As an integrative therapist, I use a range of approaches to support this work, from person-centred and psychodynamic therapy to practical tools from CBT and communication strategies. We can also explore how past experiences or attachment styles may be shaping your current relationships.
We’ll work collaboratively, and therapy isn’t something that’s done to you. It’s a two-way relationship where we build trust and honesty, and where you can speak your truth without judgment or pressure.
Whether you want to repair a relationship, set boundaries, or understand yourself better in connection with others, you’re in the right place.
Trauma
Trauma is very common and affects many people in different ways. It’s not just about one-off events; trauma can come from ongoing stress, unsafe relationships, childhood neglect, abuse, or experiences where you felt overwhelmed, powerless, or unseen. Sometimes, you might not even realise that what you’ve been through is trauma.
Trauma is a psychological and emotional response to a deeply distressing or overwhelming experience that exceeds a person's ability to cope.
It’s not Just What Happened…
Trauma isn’t only about the event itself — it’s about the impact it has on the person. Two people can go through the same event, but only one may experience it as traumatic.
Common signs of trauma:
- Feeling stuck in the past or reliving events
- Being constantly on edge or hyper-alert
- Difficulty trusting others, feeling safe or forming healthy relationships
- Physical symptoms such as fatigue, tension, or panic attacks
- Feeling numb, disconnected, or emotionally detached
- Persistent fear, anxiety, or sense of danger
- Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares
- Trouble concentrating or frequent mental fog
- Negative self-talk, guilt, or shame
- Chronic stress, fatigue, or physical tension
- Sleep problems or changes in appetite
- Avoiding people, places, or situations that trigger memories
- Using substances or distractions to cope
- Repeating unhealthy relationship patterns
How can I Help You
Our work is deeply relational, grounded in trust and authenticity. Healing begins when you feel truly seen, heard, and accepted within a safe and genuine therapeutic relationship. From this foundation, we can begin to restore your sense of safety, rebuild confidence, and support your nervous system to feel calmer and more balanced.
Together, we’ll explore what has happened and how it has shaped your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. We’ll also gently notice where you might be holding the impact of trauma in your body and use grounding techniques to help soothe and regulate your nervous system.
This process moves at your pace. You won’t be rushed; we’ll work slowly and safely, creating space for you to reconnect with yourself, find balance, and begin to experience a deeper sense of calm and peace.
©Penny Tierney
powered by WebHealer