Anna Bradford

If moving positively forwards in your life seems to be impossible, or overwhelming, it can be helpful to seek therapy.  

In a psychotherapeutic relationship with me, you may find the courage to pause, listen to your needs and desires, and explore the complicated underlying obstacles that prevent you from making positive change.

Whether life feels stressful, confusing, challenging, or disappointing and pointless, it is worth taking that important step to looking after your self, and finding a therapist who provides the right conditions for you.

I am a skilled therapist with a feeling of vitality for my work, actively engaging with my clients through attentive listening, and considered non-judgemental responding from the very heart of me.  I am open and gentle, but also not afraid to challenge the obstacles to your fulfilment.  

You may have already identified those obstacles, having come up against them due to changing circumstances at this point in your life, such as bereavement, or loss of relationship or work, in which case shorter term counselling work for these ‘problem focused’ issues may be sufficient.  Sometimes the work addresses deeper issues; such as if you feel you have been struggling for a long time, that life in general is a problem, suggesting that internal, underlying reasons may be stopping you from leading a fulfilled life, in which case we can work at a deeper, longer-term psychotherapeutic level.  It is important to say that I go at your pace and do not prescribe, but stay alongside you in this decision.

Counselling with me is an exploration, whereby I am alongside you, really noticing how behaviour, thoughts or circumstances seem to be holding you back from allowing a full, enriching and rewarding life. The first step might be to allow yourself to contact a few qualified practitioners who you are drawn to, and from there, to find someone that you feel you ‘fit’ with.  This is very personal, but is helpful in going forwards.  It can be useful to ask yourself - How open can I be with this person, and in their presence might I grow to find the courage to also be really honest with myself, speaking from the most basic and true part of me?

Therapy can be challenging.  There can also be humour, creativity, fear, sadness or joy.  At times it may simply be necessary to feel the wonderful release of offloading. I offer you this confidential, non judgemental space to really voice your fears and desires, committing to the heart of your self, allowing you to live more consciously.

I offer you the opportunity to meet me as yourself, to express yourself free from judgement, and alongside you I believe I can help you to re-engage with a life that is yours to be lived, consciously.

I am a qualified counsellor, working one to one with adults, and am fully accredited with UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy) as well as the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling, whose ethical frameworks I commit to in my work.

  The next steps

For a fuller picture of what I offer, please visit my website - www.annabradfordcounselling.co.uk

You may feel worried about where to start, or even if you really ‘deserve’ to focus on yourself.  It is quite common to feel stuck even when surrounded by kind offers of help from friends and family, as sometimes the closeness can feel limiting, but learning to manage your life and feelings without others’ expectations can be very rewarding and fruitful.  The first step to look for a counsellor can take courage - I offer a brief phone call if a client has left me a message by e-mail or phone, so that you can get a sense of me.  This phone call also helps me to gauge the issues you are dealing with, and whether an in-person (or online) assessment/open appraisal of your issues, is the next step. 
 

• DipHIC - BACP accredited Diploma in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling from BCPC.
• Fully Accredited with UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy)

Individual: Initial session £30, and £60 thereafter £60