Zandra Austin

I am currently offering counselling and CBT online via Teams or Zoom.

My name is Zandra Austin and my belief in the importance of prioritising mental health in order to get the best out of life led to me training as a Psychotherapist. Being trained in Brief Psychodynamic Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, I have had experience working with a wide range of clients presenting with different mental health problems. I’ve worked in a range of settings, including NHS Wellbeing Services and charities offering low cost counselling services, providing both online and in-person counselling. I have experience of working with a range of different disorders, including Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Social phobia, PTSD, Trauma and Panic disorder. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and and Accredited Member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).

It is common to feel apprehensive approaching a counsellor for the first time.  For this reason, I offer a free 20 minute consultation so that you can assess whether I can be of help to you and if you would feel comfortable working with me.  This can take place by phone or online.

I offer both Psychodynamic Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

My psychodynamic approach to counselling involves working collaboratively with you to identify repetitive patterns of relating which may be impacting your mental health.

We will agree the focus of our work together, aiming to identify central patterns which characterise your emotional life, in your inner world and your interpersonal relationships. The aim is to enable you to gain insight into core conflicts and underlying ways of relating which may lie at the root of the problems you are experiencing.

CBT is a structured, short term psychotherapy focused on solving current problems and modifying unhelpful thinking and behaviour. It is a therapy in which we both take an active role, often requiring you to work between sessions on mutually agreed tasks designed to challenge your thinking and change your behaviour.  

I offer a safe and confidential service.

Counselling and CBT sessions are 50 minutes long.  The first session may be longer as we will need to gather information about you and your situation and to decide the best way of working together.