Anne-Marie Cooper-Kilroy

www.connectcounselling.co.uk

I work with individuals, young adults (ages 16 - 18), couples and groups on either a long term or short term basis. 

Please email me at helloconnectcounselling@gmail.com for up to date availability, thank you.

I am an accredited counsellor, specialising in bereavement, loss, and significant life changes (health, work, relationships etc). I work with adults, young people aged 16–18, couples, and groups, offering a thoughtful, supportive space where you can speak freely and be truly heard.

With a foundation in psychodynamic counselling, our work isn’t limited to what’s happening right now. Together, we will also explore your earlier life experiences, gently uncovering how past relationships or events may be shaping the way you feel and respond today. Understanding where things come from can be a powerful step towards change.

How might I help? Everyone struggles at times, but for some, working through difficulties can feel overwhelming—especially when they’re rooted in early experiences, trauma, relationship pain, or a deep sadness that feels too frightening to face alone. You don’t have to do that on your own. I can help you make sense of what’s going on.

It’s okay not to be okay. You don’t have to carry it all by yourself. Counselling offers a safe, compassionate space to understand your feelings, find meaning in your experiences, and move forward with greater resilience, clarity, and confidence.

My core training is psychodynamic, but my way of working is integrative and relational. This means I tailor our work to you, drawing on different approaches while placing great importance on the relationship we build together. Feeling comfortable, safe, and understood is central to effective counselling, so it’s important that we feel like a good fit.

The next step is simply to get in touch. You’re very welcome to email me at helloconnectcounselling@gmail.com with any questions or queries. If it feels right to explore working together, we can then arrange an initial consultation and assessment session.

I currently offer sessions across a range of platforms: face-to-face, by telephone, or via Zoom. You can choose the option that feels most comfortable and accessible for you. Sessions usually take place weekly, ideally on the same day and at the same time, with a dedicated 50 minutes focused entirely on you and what’s happening in your world.

For adult clients, I also offer Single Session Therapy (SST). This is a one-off, 90-minute session designed to work proactively and collaboratively with a specific concern or problem. SST is not suitable for clients who are currently in crisis.

Alongside my private practice, I work as a School Counsellor within a Pastoral Care Team. When working with young people, I encourage them to understand their worries and difficulties, and together we take a proactive, solution-focused approach to moving forward. In my private practice, I work with young adults aged 16–18. I do not work with teenagers who are in crisis.

The first session is an assessment session and can last up to 80 minutes. It’s a little longer than a standard counselling session (50 minutes) to give you the space and time to tell your story; how you’re feeling, what’s been happening, and what you hope to gain from counselling. I may also ask about your upbringing and family life, as emotional responses and attachment patterns formed early on can sometimes be carried, unconsciously, into our adult lives.

After this initial consultation, we would take time to reflect on how the session felt for you. I’ll ask whether you felt comfortable in the therapeutic space and whether you would like to continue with regular counselling. I will also consider whether I am the right therapist to support your emotional growth. It’s important that this feels like a good fit for both of us.

If we’re in agreement, we would then look at our diaries and arrange a regular day and time for our ongoing work together.

Geography is far less of a barrier than it once was, and I work with clients online across the UK and beyond. If you prefer to meet face to face, I am based in Bedford, with plenty of nearby parking available.