Anna Ferris

I offer in person and remote appointments on Mondays / Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I work from Sidmouth and online.

1-1 counselling, EMDR and coaching in person and remotely. I also offer outdoor ecotherapy.

My therapeutic work is integrative and holistic in approach. I draw upon a range of theories and techniques and can tailor my approach to meet your individual needs and preferences. Whichever way we choose to work together, I will hold a deep respect for you and the difficulties that you have brought to the therapy. I will offer a safe and confidential space where you will be listened to with care, acceptance and full attention. You will have the opportunity to explore your current or past issues at your own pace, to reflect and to discover what may be hidden from your awareness. I will support and encourage you to move through any difficult feelings and to help you towards clarity, compassion and acceptance. 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy) - EMDR is a form of therapy that helps you to process and move on from past experiences that are impacting your health and wellbeing. EMDR follows a specific structure that can help you to process negative images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations associated with traumatic memories. EMDR is best known as a therapy for treating trauma and is NICE and WHO recommended for PTSD. It can also be effective for treating a range of other mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression, behavioural and relationship difficulties as many of these difficulties are rooted in some kind of trauma (maybe bullying, criticism or abuse in the past).

Ecotherapy - Spending time outdoors helps depression, stress and anxiety as well as promoting physical health and wellbeing. Ecotherapy helps us to engage directly with the natural world. This could be through walking, grounding and breathing exercises to bring us into our bodies, by connecting with our imagination and sense of wonder or by appreciating beauty. Ecotherapy sessions draw on elements of the natural world as a way of making sense of the issues you are finding difficult in your life. Ecotherapy may touch on feelings around man's destruction of nature or fears around climate change. I will support you to stay with these difficult feelings and to honour and transform them in creative ways. I will provide you with nature connection and resilience practices to use in your time between sessions.

When you first make contact with me we will arrange a free 30 minute introductory session on Zoom or by phone. I will help you to clarify what you are looking for from therapy. I will ask you about any previous experiences of therapy. The aim of this discussion is to help me to understand what you need from the therapy and how we can best work together.

I appreciate that it can feel like a daunting step contacting a therapist and I will not push you to say more than you feel comfortable with. Confidentiality, respect and trust are key elements in a therapeutic relationship and it is important to find the right therapist for the way you are and for what you need right now in your life.

Following our initial session I understand that you may wish to take time to think about whether I am the right therapist for you before you book your first full session.