Alison O'Connor

I am a BACP Accredited counsellor with 20 year’s experience of helping adults and young people make sense of life’s challenges. I have worked in the NHS, in the third sector and in private practice.

I offer a warm, collaborative approach, working with kindness to help people reflect on their lives, make sense of difficulties and make the changes they want and need. 

Much of my work has been in the field of complex trauma, with people recovering from difficult childhood experiences and also with military veterans and families. I am interested in moral injury, work-related stress and burnout and helping people recover from this. I am experienced in working with anxiety, depression, difficulties with drugs and alcohol, adapting to life changing diagnoses,  and grief and loss.

I worked for several years as a Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy and am experienced in working with students and young people, helping them navigate the challenges of Higher Education.

I am a passionate LGBTQI+ ally and work in a way that is inclusive, anti-racist and non-judgemental. 

I believe the challenges of the last few years, and the Covid pandemic have impacted us all, in different ways, and having a space to reflect, recover and re-evaluate life, may be needed. 

I offer short- and long-term therapy. Sometimes, people find a few sessions are all they need to work things out and get back on track. For others, a longer-term approach may be helpful, particularly if difficulties have been there for a long time. 

I am an integrative therapist, which means I draw from a range of approaches including CBT, Compassion Focused Therapy and humanistic counselling.  I have an interest in Self-Compassion which uses mindfulness  to help people develop a kinder way of relating to themselves, and overcome self-criticism and intrusive thoughts. I offer Trauma-Focused CBT and the Rewind Technique, which are approaches to help overcome traumatic memories and experiences.

In the first session I will invite you to talk about what has brought you to therapy and what you hope to achieve from our sessions. I will listen deeply and help you identify what it is you think you need. I will tell you a little bit about me and how I think we may be able to work together. If it seems that I am not the right person to help you at this point, I will try to signpost another therapist who may be better suited to help you. 

I am a highly experienced supervisor with a postgraduate diploma and MA in Consultative Supervision.  I worked for several years as a Lecturer in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Consultative Supervision at University of South Wales and am passionate about supporting supervisees to grow and learn. 

I see supervision as a collaborative endeavour which enables practitioners to learn through reflective practice, deepen their understanding of their clients and reduce feelings of isolation, burnout and self-doubt which can arise in our profession.

I am committed to providing high-quality, collaborative supervision which enables supervisees to share the weight and complexity of their work, develop their clinical practice and feel supported. 

I enjoy working with qualified and trainee counsellors and therapists, nurses, arts practitioners and other frontline staff.

I offer group and individual supervision, creating a safe space for supervisees to reflect on their client work, and identify and work through areas of challenge and growth. I offer supervision on zoom or at my practice in Cardiff Bay. 

I share the belief that supervision is a relationship in which we reflect on other relationships. Our first session will be  a chance to get to know a little  about each other and for us to decide whether or not we would be a good fit to work together. I will ask you about your previous experiences of supervision, what you have found helpful or unhelpful and what you are looking for in a supervisor right now. If we feel I am not the right person to work with you, I will try to signpost another supervisor who may be a better fit for your needs and preferences.