Anna Watkins

I am currently closed for new clients.

Whatever brings you to therapy, I offer a compassionate, confidential and non-judgmental space where you can feel safe to explore your challenges; a place for your emotions to be valued and for you to feel listened to and heard.

I work with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, family and relationships, trauma, ADHD, intimacy, attachment issues, sexuality, work-stress and career issues; miscarriage; compulsive behaviours; fertility, loneliness, loss and grief.

Seeking therapy can feel daunting sometimes but I aim to create an atmosphere of empathy, trust and acceptance where we’re working collaboratively to best support you and your needs.

I believe that every client comes to therapy with unique experiences and challenges, and with the potential for change. Together, we can build an environment where you are able to get to know yourself and better understand the issues you are facing. With self-knowledge comes choice and the possibility of positive action. Therapy might feel challenging sometimes, but listening, compassion, openness, curiosity and non-judgment are the pillars of my practice, and I aim to support you through the experience.

My therapeutic approach is relational and integrative which means I draw on different skills, and techniques (including humanistic, psychodynamic, CBT, Gestalt, existential and TA) depending on your requirements.

Often, to understand what’s happening in the present we need to go back to the past. Early experiences can have a foundational impact on adulthood, and childhood is often the place where we learn behaviours, form templates, and create stories about the world and ourselves. Therapy is a place to get curious about some of those long-held behaviours and beliefs, and to unpick the stories which are no longer serving you.

Therapy should be inclusive and accessible and my approach is LGBTQ+ affirmative, anti-racist and trauma informed. 

​I offer an initial free 15 minute telephone consultation which will give us an opportunity to discuss what's brought you to therapy, what you hope to get out of the process, and whether we might be a good fit.

If we decide to have a first session, this is a chance for you to get a sense of my approach, therapeutic style and how we might work together. It's also an opportunity for you to ask to any questions you may have about the process of counselling and psychotherapy. The initial meeting is an exploratory session, with no obligation. If we decide to go ahead, we will then arrange a weekly appointment.