Lisa Alhadeff

I currently have availability for new clients for outdoor sessions in Sheffield (S8) and the Peak District (S32).

Sessions in the Peak District take place on Tuesday daytimes, and sessions in Sheffield are on Thursday mornings and Fridays.

As well as working outdoors, I have a therapy room in Sheffield.

You can see my availability and book a free initial consultation online through my website.

Outdoor therapy in Sheffield and the Peak District

I’m Lisa Alhadeff, an integrative, trauma informed counsellor offering walk and talk therapy and ecotherapy in Sheffield and the Peak District. I’m an accredited member of the NCPS and a registered member of the BACP, with specialist training in autism, ADHD, trauma and eating disorders.

You might not know what you need, only that you want things to change. When clients come to see me, they often feel like they’ve tried everything. They are living with overwhelming emotions and it’s exhausting. Some find sitting face to face in a therapy room difficult. Walking side by side can make it easier to talk and to slow down. We can walk, pause or sit, whatever feels right on the day.

I work with how your experiences connect, rather than treating each issue in isolation, and I offer a space to explore what is shaping your reactions and to support you in finding your own ways forward.

How I work

I work with you in an active, collaborative way. As well as talking and reflecting, that might include practical, creative or somatic work. Where helpful, I can bring in strategies from CBT, ERP and DBT, adapting them to fit you. If something isn’t working for you, we try something else. I’m neurodivergent affirming and LGBTQ+ friendly.

I have particular experience with trauma (including domestic, sexual and childhood abuse), bereavement, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, OCD and intrusive thoughts, BPD, and intense or overwhelming emotions.

What is ecotherapy?

Ecotherapy involves working with nature, and your relationship with it, as part of the therapy. Working outdoors gives you an opportunity to think and process in a different way that can feel slightly less formal. Being in nature can help the focus to move away from thoughts and feelings that make you feel trapped, and help you to be more in the present.

What I work with

Being outdoors can help calm your nervous system, and also takes the pressure off making eye contact or filling the silences. Many people with ADHD, autism or AuDHD find their brains are calmer when they're doing something active.

With trauma, feeling safe comes first. Moving, noticing what's around you and spending time in places that feel calm can help your body learn what safe feels like again.

Eating disorders are often about control, but underneath that there is often a lot of fear. Working outdoors can give you the opportunity to connect with your body in a different way, but outdoor therapy isn't always the right fit for eating disorders, and it's something we'd think about together.

You don't need a diagnosis to get in touch.

Where we meet

I mainly work from two locations: a large area of parkland in S6, and a slightly wilder spot in the Peak District, approximately 10 miles from the city. Sessions in Sheffield are an hour long. Sessions in the Peak District are one hour 15 minutes, to give us a chance to get away from the car park and more into the countryside.

My first session details

Before we start, I offer a free 25 minute initial consultation by phone, Zoom or face to face. It's a chance to tell me a little about what's bringing you to therapy, ask any questions, and think together about whether working outdoors feels right for you.

Your first session is charged at my usual fee. We'll spend time getting to know what you'd like from therapy, and I'll go through the practical things, like where we'll meet. You don't need to have everything worked out before you come.

You can book online through my website, or contact me by email, telephone, WhatsApp or text. There's no pressure, but I'd be happy to hear from you.

I work daytimes and evenings. Please contact me to enquire about my current availability. Generally, evening slots are in higher demand than day time slots.

When clients come to see me, they often feel like they’ve tried everything. They are living with overwhelming emotions and it’s exhausting. Having to hide how you feel can be lonely.

You might not know what you need, only that you want things to change.

Many of the people who come to see me can’t define exactly what feels “wrong”. Experiences overlap, change over time, and interact, making it hard to know where to begin. You don’t need a diagnosis, a crisis, or one single defining event for what you’re going through to be worth exploring here.

I offer a trauma-informed space to explore what is shaping your reactions and to support you in finding your own ways forward. Our work together is more than simply talking things through. It is a chance to notice patterns, build awareness and begin to relate to yourself differently. Together we will work to develop a toolkit to support you now that you can continue to draw on in the future.

I offer a no‑cost 30‑minute initial consultation. To arrange this, contact me by email, telephone, WhatsApp or text message.

Specialist Therapy, without “putting you in a box”

Most of us can’t neatly describe what we’re struggling with in just one headline.

Your experiences interact and shape who you are. My work focuses on how these experiences link, rather than working with one while overlooking the rest.

Many people come to see me because they are looking for specialist understanding that takes the whole of their experience into account, particularly if previous approaches focused on one area haven’t felt like a good fit.

Drawing on specialist training across eating disorders, trauma, BPD, autism and ADHD, I work with these connections rather than treating issues in isolation. I use strategies from a range of approaches, including CBT, ERP and DBT, adapting them to fit you rather than following a single model. Where helpful, I also bring in grounding and regulation techniques such as EFT tapping, focused breathing and sensory grounding.

Using approaches that fit you best

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, I draw on a range of therapeutic tools and techniques to help you make sense of what’s shaping your reactions, while also supporting emotional regulation and coping. I adapt tools to meet your needs and play to your strengths. If something doesn’t feel helpful, we adjust our approach.

Working with interconnected experiences

Many therapies are organised around single issues. That can make it harder when your experiences overlap or don’t fit neatly into one category. I work across eating disorders, trauma, autism and ADHD, so your work can reflect the whole of who you are rather than just one part.

Active, involved work

I work in an active and responsive way, regularly checking in on pace, safety and what feels helpful. Sessions may include trying things out together, practising skills, or using structure and tools that support focus and regulation, so the work feels supportive, flexible and grounded.

Building trust and working at your pace

Therapy isn’t a quick fix. Meaningful change takes time. The first steps are about building trust and getting a sense of what feels safe and helpful for you, so we have a steady foundation to work from. Whatever you bring, and whichever approach we use, research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship between you and I matters most. 

Beyond talking

Therapy isn’t just about talking. As we talk, we notice what’s happening for you and respond to it together, giving you the chance to explore and develop new ways of responding so old patterns can gradually loosen. We can also draw on experiential and creative ways of working when helpful.

Working with Neurodivergence

Therapies that don’t fit how your brain works can feel unhelpful or demoralising. I adapt sessions to suit neurodivergent needs, making practical adjustments around eye contact, imagery, movement, interests, fidget tools, or breaks when helpful.

Starting counselling

I offer a no-cost 30-minute initial consultation by phone, Zoom or face to face. You can contact me by email, telephone, WhatsApp or text to arrange this.

During the consultation we’ll talk about what’s going on for you and I’ll explain how I work. You can then take time to decide whether you would like to continue.

If you decide to continue, I’ll send you my contract and we will book a 60-minute assessment session at the usual rate. In the assessment I’ll ask some guided questions to help us define what you want from sessions and begin to shape your goals for therapy.

Sessions

Sessions last 60 minutes and are usually weekly, though this can be discussed. I work mainly face to face, with online sessions available when needed.​

Location

I work from a private therapy room in my home in Sheffield. It is warm, light and quiet. If you have sensory needs, let me know and I will make adjustments where possible.

Please note the room is accessed by stairs due to the building being Victorian. If you have mobility needs, contact me so we can explore alternatives such as online sessions or a different location.

Fees

My standard rate is £70 per hour.

Counselling for eating disorders/disordered eating is £85 per hour.