Anna Zielinska

**Therapy that fits into real life (because life rarely follows a tidy schedule).**

I offer online counselling Monday to Friday, between 9am and 6pm (UK time).

Online therapy means you can join from wherever you feel comfortable, whether that's your favourite armchair, your home office or somewhere you can enjoy a little peace and quiet. You can even bring a cup of tea. There's no need to dress up for the occasion!

I also offer the possibility of **walk-and-talk therapy**, for those who find it easier to open up while moving rather than sitting face-to-face. Sometimes conversations flow more naturally when we're walking side by side. This can be discussed individually, depending on location and suitability.

I don't offer weekend appointments. I believe in practising what I encourage my clients to do: setting boundaries, making time to recharge and occasionally remembering that there's a life outside work!

Sessions last 50 minutes and cost £60.

If you're wondering whether counselling might be right for you, feel free to get in touch to ask about availability. You don't need a perfectly worded message or a detailed explanation of what's going on.

A simple “Hi, I'm thinking about counselling” is a perfectly good place to start.

I'm Anna, a qualified integrative counsellor and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

I offer a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about whatever is troubling you, without fear of being judged.

I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, grief and bereavement, addiction, ADHD-related challenges and the effects of trauma.

I have a particular interest in childhood trauma, emotional and sexual abuse, complex trauma, PTSD, family difficulties, codependency and the lasting impact of growing up in controlling or abusive environments, including religious trauma.

You may be struggling with overwhelming emotions, people-pleasing, boundaries, shame, self-criticism or patterns in relationships that you don't fully understand. Perhaps you're feeling lost, disconnected or simply exhausted from trying to hold everything together.

My approach is integrative, combining Person-Centred Therapy, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis, alongside elements of my training in DBT and Internal Family Systems (IFS). This means our sessions are tailored to you, your experiences and what you hope to gain from counselling.

Before qualifying as a counsellor, I worked as an interpreter in therapy settings, which inspired my journey into counselling. I have since worked with people facing a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges, including addiction and recovery.

I believe therapy should be collaborative, honest and compassionate. We can explore past experiences, understand unhelpful patterns, develop healthier boundaries and find ways to manage difficult feelings.

You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. We can start wherever you are.

Imagine carrying an invisible backpack through life. It might contain experiences, expectations, beliefs and perhaps pain that was never yours to carry in the first place. Some things may have helped you survive, while others might have become burdens you no longer recognise as such.

Therapy can offer an opportunity to put that backpack down, explore what's inside and decide for yourself what you want to keep, understand differently or perhaps learn to carry in a new way.

I'm an integrative counsellor, drawing on Person-Centred Therapy, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. My approach is warm, curious and sometimes gently challenging. I don't believe therapy is about fixing people. It's about understanding ourselves, questioning familiar patterns and discovering that there may be more choices available than we once believed.

Having personally experienced life within and leaving a high-control religious environment, I understand how complicated it can be to question beliefs, challenge expectations and begin finding your own voice. This experience has shaped my particular interest in religious trauma, coercive control and rebuilding a sense of identity.

I also work with anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, childhood trauma, relationship difficulties and self-esteem.

I won't tell you what should be in your backpack or insist that you leave anything behind. Some experiences cannot simply be discarded, and some things we carry are deeply meaningful, even when they're painful.

Perhaps therapy isn't about becoming a different person. Perhaps it's about having the freedom to discover who you are, beyond what life or other people have taught you to be.

Starting counselling can feel a little like holding a tangled ball of wool. You know there are things you'd like to unravel, but you're not quite sure which thread to pull first. And that's absolutely fine. We don't need to untangle everything in one session.

Our first session is simply an opportunity for us to get to know each other. We'll explore what has brought you to counselling, what you're finding difficult and what you might hope to gain from our work together.

You don't need to have the right words, a clear plan or even know where to begin. Some people arrive with a lot to say, while others aren't quite sure what they're feeling. Both are welcome.

I'll explain how I work, confidentiality and what you can expect from our sessions. You're welcome to ask questions, and there's no pressure to share anything you're not ready to discuss, especially when it comes to painful or traumatic experiences.

I believe therapy is something we work through together, at your pace. Sometimes we'll gently explore the past, sometimes we'll focus on what's happening in the present, and sometimes we might simply sit with whatever comes up.

Our sessions last 50 minutes and cost £60.

And remember, we don't have to untangle the whole ball of wool. Sometimes finding just one loose thread is a good place to start.