Christiane Espinelli

I am an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist, offering clinical supervision to trainee and qualified counsellors who are looking for a reflective, supportive and professionally grounded space to develop their practice.

My core training is person-centred, and my work is also informed by Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Brief Therapy, coaching and mentoring approaches. I have completed Level 5 training in CBT and I am currently undertaking further training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. I also bring additional training and experience in Islamic counselling, Islamic psychology, trauma-informed work, domestic abuse, bereavement and women’s emotional wellbeing.

My supervision style is collaborative, warm, reflective and practical. I aim to offer a space where you can bring your client work honestly, think deeply about your process, explore ethical questions, strengthen your clinical judgement and grow in confidence as a practitioner.

I am particularly interested in supporting counsellors who work with women, trauma, abuse, anxiety, self-esteem, relational difficulties, cultural identity, faith-sensitive practice and emotional independence.

Supervision, for me, is not simply about case management. It is a space for reflection, learning, ethical awareness, personal development and professional identity.

I work in an integrative and mentoring-informed way, which means I will support you not only to think about your clients, but also to think about yourself as the practitioner in the room. We may explore your interventions, therapeutic relationship, boundaries, risk, safeguarding, cultural factors, emotional responses, confidence, blind spots and areas for growth.

My approach combines support and gentle challenge. I believe supervisees need to feel safe enough to be open, but also encouraged to think critically and develop clinical independence. I will help you reflect on what is happening in the work, what may be happening in the relationship, what theory may be useful, and what ethical or practical steps may be needed.

I offer a complimentary 15-minute consultation for new supervisees.

This first meeting gives us the opportunity to explore whether we are a good fit. We can discuss your training, experience, client work, supervision requirements, preferred way of working and what you are hoping to gain from supervision.

We will also talk about practical arrangements, including frequency, fees, confidentiality, record keeping, emergency procedures, ethical responsibilities and the supervision contract.

The most important part of this first conversation is for you to get a sense of how I work and whether you feel comfortable bringing your clinical work into supervision with me.

I am currently accepting new clients. 

Hello, I’m Chris Espinelli, a Qualified Integrative Counsellor, MBACP, and Level 5 CBT Therapist.

I believe therapy begins with seeing the person before seeing the symptoms, the diagnosis, or the struggle. You are not simply “an anxious person”, “a people-pleaser”, “too sensitive”, “too emotional”, or “difficult”. 

Very often, the ways we think, feel, respond, protect ourselves, avoid conflict, overgiven, shut down, or become overwhelmed are connected to what we have lived through.

My approach is trauma-informed, integrative, neuroaffirming and faith-affirming. This means I work with the whole person: your life story, your nervous system, your relationships, your thoughts, your emotions, your culture, your values, your identity, and, when important to you, your faith.

Many women come to me feeling exhausted, confused, emotionally overwhelmed or disconnected from themselves. Some have experienced relational trauma, abusive or controlling dynamics, domestic abuse, divorce, grief, low self-esteem, anxiety, PTSD, C-PTSD, religious OCD, OCD, people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, anger, emotional dysregulation, or a deep fear of disapproval.

I do not see you as a problem to be fixed. I see you as a person who has adapted, survived, protected herself and done the best she could with the emotional tools, experiences and circumstances available to her at the time. Therapy can offer a safe space to understand those patterns, create a new narrative, and begin responding to life from a place of more self-awareness, self-compassion and choice.

Together, we can work towards helping you understand why you feel and respond the way you do, strengthen your emotional regulation, build healthier boundaries, reconnect with your identity, and begin creating a life that feels more aligned, safe and emotionally free. 

My style is warm, grounded and non-judgemental. I can also be clear, structured and gently challenging when needed. If you are looking for a therapist who will listen deeply, but also help you recognise the beliefs, fears and habits keeping you stuck in the same emotional cycles, you may feel at home here.

As an integrative counsellor and CBT-informed therapist, I blend emotional depth with practical tools. Together, we can explore what is happening emotionally, cognitively, relationally and behaviourally, while also developing a clear plan to move forward step by step, at your pace, with structure and compassion.

I also bring lived experience to my work. As a neurodivergent therapist with lifelong ADHD, I understand both professionally and personally how attention, motivation, emotional regulation, rejection sensitivity and self-esteem can affect daily life. My practice is neuroaffirming, which means I do not see neurodivergence as something to “correct”, but as an important part of how a person experiences, processes and relates to the world.

Faith is also an important pillar in my own life, and I understand how deeply values, spirituality, culture and belief systems can shape the way we experience pain, identity, guilt, hope and healing. My practice is faith-affirming and welcoming to people of all faiths, spiritual backgrounds, and those with no faith. I must disclose I am Muslim but I welcome whole heart any practice. 

I share carefully that I have also experienced depression, postnatal depression, significant grief after losing my father, and the personal work of learning self-acceptance through therapy. I do this because many clients find it reassuring to know that their therapist understands human pain not only through training and professional experience, but also through lived understanding.

The first session is an important initial assessment where we’ll take the time to get to know each other. It’s your opportunity to share what’s going on in your life, what challenges you're facing, and what you're hoping to achieve through therapy. I’ll gather information to help us understand the core of what you're struggling with, so we can develop a tailored treatment plan that works for you.

During this session, there’s no pressure, you can go at your own pace. Together, we’ll explore your history, emotions, and goals, which will guide us in crafting a clear path forward. The aim is to identify your strengths and areas where you'd like to see change, ensuring we create a plan that feels right for you.

If you have any concerns or are unsure about something, don’t hesitate to ask, this session is all about making you feel heard, comfortable, and supported. Let’s take this first step toward positive change, together.