Alison Mann

There are many different reasons we might come to therapy. You may be feeling overwhelmed, anxious or in distress, struggling to cope with complex thoughts and feelings. Perhaps you are going through a difficult event or seeing change, transition or loss in an area of your life. You might want to think through past experiences and understand how they’re affecting you today. Maybe you find yourself stuck in a pattern of behaviour you wish you could understand, or perhaps something just doesn’t feel quite right. It can be hard to know which way to turn or how to move forwards, and at times like this counselling can help.

Therapy is a way to make sense of our experiences, understand and accept past and present experiences, consider new possibilities and find a way forward.

While people often seek counselling during times of distress, you do not need to be in crisis to benefit. Therapy is also a rewarding and supporting space for personal development, growth and exploration.

The best predictor of effective therapy is a strong, trusting client-therapist relationship. As a qualified counsellor, I provide an empathetic, warm, reflective space where you can take time to explore your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and experiences.

Together, working at your pace, we’ll find approaches that feel comfortable, meaningful and effective for you. We’ll create a space that feels supportive, collaborative and responsive to your needs.

My approach is tailored to you, drawing from a range of theories and techniques rather than fixed to one therapeutic approach. I have a particular interest in attachment and developmental trauma.

Some people come to therapy with a clear goal in mind, while others want a space to explore what it is they’re experiencing. Whatever brings you to therapy, you are welcome as you are.

What therapy looks like:

• I offer short-term and long-term therapy with individual adults, in person and online

• Counselling takes place in planned, regular sessions lasting 50 minutes, once a week

• I operate an inclusive, anti-discriminatory practice

• I check-in with you regularly about what is or isn’t working, what feels right or what might need to change in our work together

Prior to retraining as a psychotherapist, I had a 20+ year career in journalism at BBC News in London, specialising in Business and Economics News. Working in a high-pressure international newsroom brings a breadth of creativity and lived experience to my therapeutic approach, and a unique understanding of the impact work environments have on mental and emotional health, identity and work-place change.

Free 15 minute telephone consultation

Choosing a therapist you feel comfortable with is an important factor in successful therapy and can feel daunting. You might be nervous about coming to therapy, so I aim to give you as much information as possible so you know what to expect. With this in mind I offer a free, no-obligation 15 minute phone/Zoom call to work out if we are a good fit together and to talk about logistics.

Choosing a therapist you feel comfortable with is an important factor in successful therapy. Taking the first step in asking for help can feel daunting. With this in mind, when you first contact me I offer a free, no-obligation 15 minute phone/Zoom call to discuss the reasons you would like to come to therapy . To arrange this initial chat, contact me at hello@alisonmanntherapy.com or via my website.

Initial Session

If it feels right and if we have matching availability, we’ll arrange a first assessment session. I’ll send you a confirmation email with the date, time and location.

This will give us a chance to meet and talk in more detail about why you’ve chosen therapy now and what you want to focus on. We’ll look at how confidentiality works, any expectations, hopes, worries or questions you might have. It’s worth noting in this session I will ask more specific questions, for instance about your life history, current circumstances and if you’ve had any therapy before.

This process is for both of us. You will want to get a feel for what counselling with me might look like, and I’ll be thinking about whether I’m the best fit for you. It is important that you feel secure and comfortable with your counsellor and there is no pressure to book more sessions. If we do decide to start working together, we can set a date and time for weekly sessions.