Ralitsa Stancheva

Available from 01/09/2026.

I believe every human being thrives when they feel seen, heard and understood. Whether you are a child, a young person or an adult, I want you to know that you deserve support and that support is available. Life comes with challenges and sometimes having someone walk alongside you through your struggles gives you the strengths to overcome adversity and get back to where you need and want to be in your life and relationships.

I take every issue that a client brings seriously and with respect. I aim to offer a warm, genuine and supportive therapeutic relationship. My approach is integrative, which means I can be flexible in our work, to suit your therapeutic needs, communication style and preferences. As I work with children, young people and adults, I tailor my therapeutic approach to the developmental stage, life experiences and emotional needs of each client. This may take many forms - in my work with children, this may take the form of play or art making as well as talking; with young people – it may involve guidance, developing coping strategies or a deeper exploration of identity; my work with adults may primarily take the form of talking, however there is room for creative expression and non-verbal self-exploration. We all have inner strength, resources and creativity – it is my aim to support you in finding yours.

I hold a Postgraduate qualification in counselling and psychotherapy with special focus on children and young people. For the past few years, I have provided therapeutic support to children and young people in both primary and secondary school settings, which has allowed me to develop a working knowledge of the difficulties children and young people face in their lives, whether at school or outside of it.

My therapeutic approach is collaborative and client-led, which means I do frequent check-ins to make sure the counselling work is of value and benefit to you. I draw on a range of theoretical disciplines: psychodynamic, attachment-based, person-centred, solution-focused, systemic and play- and art-therapy-based. The benefits of this approach are a flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of individual clients. 

Children and Young People

In my work with children and young people, I also collaborate with parents and carers at review times, offering guidance and support to ensure continuity of therapeutic progress.

I support children and young people with a range of emotional challenges such as:

• Anxiety and overwhelm

• Bereavement and loss

• Childhood trauma

• Family conflict and challenges

• Emotional regulation

• Family separation and divorce

• Feeling angry

• Friendships

• Exam pressure

• Identity and sense of self

• Life transitions and change

• Low mood and sadness

• Low self-esteem and confidence

• Relationship difficulties

• School-related challenges

• Self-harm

Adults

My approach to working with adults is based on respect and collaboration. I am here to support you in understanding your behavioural and relational patterns and their origins, in making choices that work for you and in approaching the ups and downs of life with integrity. I also have a special interest in mental health during the perimenopause.

I support adults with

• understanding and overcoming unhelpful relational and behavioural patterns,

• perimenopause-related mental health difficulties,

• navigating life stresses,

• dealing with challenging life events,

• relationship difficulties,

• and others.

I offer a free 20 min initial online/phone consultation for us to have an opportunity to talk about your needs and expectations and see if we can work together.

If you think I may be of help to you, please contact me to arrange a free initial consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!

If after the initial consultation we decide to work together, I will offer an assessment session in person, which is an opportunity for me to learn more about you and your reasons for seeking therapy, and for you to ask me any questions you may have.