Dorothy Thompsett

Therapy can help you improve your life and become more of the human being you were born to be.

Do you sometimes feel something is not quite right, not working or missing? Do you maybe feel you are living behind a social mask, playing a role or have trouble relating with others in an honest way? Are you subject to sudden states: withdrawal or daydreaming, numbness or hyperactivity, sleeplessness or violent reactions? Do you desire to be truly known and understood by yourself and others?

In our regular meetings you can tell me anything and express your actual feelings without fear that I will try to fix, judge, suppress or take over with my own reactions. As you begin to relax and settle into the process, to trust me and to feel soothed in the sessions deep parts of yourself will come to the surface, strong emotions will arise and heavy realisations will land, and you will begin a process of deep, inner change.

Shining a torch into dark, forgotten (maybe scary) corners of yourself can be daunting alone. Together we can embark on this extraordinary journey. I am warm, dependable and trustworthy, experienced, knowledgable and calm. I can be consistently with you as we gently consider your actions and behaviours, examine your physical and emotional states and unpick your patterns of relating, so that you can free yourself and begin to make choices, rather than acting from fear, compulsion or conditioning.


I am a qualified person-centred counsellor with a postgrad certificate in art psychotherapy. I have a Doctorate and a Masters in expressive art. I have worked in schools, prisons, alcohol services and currently work for an inner city low cost counselling service that helps people with depression and anxiety as well as other painful issues. I am a professional member of the BACP and follow their guidelines and ethical framework. Before retraining I was a professional artist and universtity lecturer for many years, working and exhibiting in the UK and abroad.

I have worked with adults encountering significant life changes and transitions; also people wanting to repair themselves from childhood adversity or later traumas (such as lockdown or school bullying for example) who are now suffering from various problems.

I also specialise in working with young adults (16 plus) who may be suffering from various symptoms and conditions such as depression, anxiety, self harm, disordered eating or ADHD and who are seeking an alternative to medication. I work both face-to-face and online, and offer an individually tailored therapeutic experience (that can include creative work as well as talk therapy) to each of my clients.

Although I do believe that present-day, deeply rooted difficulties and problems usually have their basis in childhood experiences and relationships, I do not advocate a single therapeutic style that holds all the answers, so I take an integrative approach. I have trained in person-centred counselling, and a range of other approaches. This allows me to be flexible and tailor the work to meet your individual needs.

The fact that you are reading this is a very positive sign that you are ready to think about the issues you are struggling with. However, I do understand that taking the first step can feel very daunting, so with this in mind, I would recommend an initial single consultation where I can answer your questions and give you a ‘sense’ of how I work and if you feel comfortable to proceed with me as your therapist.

I offer a 4 week assessment period. From here we can decide how to progress. With my younger clients I offer an initial session with parents or guardians if wanted.

Therapy can help you improve your life and become more of the human being you were born to be.

Do you sometimes feel something is not quite right, not working or missing? Do you maybe feel you are living behind a social mask, playing a role or have trouble relating with others in an honest way? Are you subject to sudden states: withdrawal or daydreaming, numbness or hyperactivity, sleeplessness or violent reactions? Do you desire to be truly known and understood by yourself and others?

In our regular meetings you can tell me anything and express your actual feelings without fear that I will try to fix, judge, suppress or take over with my own reactions. As you begin to relax and settle into the process, to trust me and to feel soothed in the sessions deep parts of yourself will come to the surface, strong emotions will arise and heavy realisations will land, and you will begin a process of deep, inner change.

Shining a torch into dark, forgotten (maybe scary) corners of yourself can be daunting alone. Together we can embark on this extraordinary journey. I am warm, dependable and trustworthy, experienced, knowledgable and calm. I can be consistently with you as we gently consider your actions and behaviours, examine your physical and emotional states and unpick your patterns of relating, so that you can free yourself and begin to make choices, rather than acting from fear, compulsion or conditioning.


I am a qualified person-centred counsellor with a postgrad certificate in art psychotherapy. I have a Doctorate and a Masters in expressive art. I have worked in schools, prisons, alcohol services and currently work for an inner city low cost counselling service that helps people with depression and anxiety as well as other painful issues. I am a professional member of the BACP and follow their guidelines and ethical framework. Before retraining I was a professional artist and universtity lecturer for many years, working and exhibiting in the UK and abroad.

I have worked with adults encountering significant life changes and transitions; also people wanting to repair themselves from childhood adversity or later traumas (such as lockdown or school bullying for example) who are now suffering from various problems.

Although I do believe that present-day, deeply rooted difficulties and problems usually have their basis in childhood experiences and relationships, I do not advocate a single therapeutic style that holds all the answers, so I take an integrative approach. I have trained in person-centred counselling, and a range of other approaches. This allows me to be flexible and tailor the work to meet your individual needs.

The fact that you are reading this is a very positive sign that you are ready to think about the issues you are struggling with. However, I do understand that taking the first step can feel very daunting, so with this in mind, I would recommend an initial single consultation where I can answer your questions and give you a ‘sense’ of how I work and if you feel comfortable to proceed with me as your therapist.

I offer a 20 minute free phone session to discuss your requirements. Please call or email me to set up this initial chat where we can discuss what you want to get out of therapy.