If you’re experiencing anxiety that feels overwhelming, exhausting, or is beginning to take over different areas of your life, I’m really pleased you’ve found your way here.
Perhaps you’re experiencing panic attacks, worrying constantly about what might happen, avoiding situations that never used to bother you, or finding that even the simplest everyday tasks are becoming increasingly difficult.
Sometimes you might understand exactly why you’re feeling anxious, and other times it can seem to happen without any obvious reason at all.
However anxiety is affecting you, I offer a warm, compassionate and non-judgmental space where we can explore your experiences together, helping you to develop a greater understanding of what’s happening and what might be helpful for you.
I specialise in supporting people experiencing severe and debilitating anxiety, and have worked as a qualified therapist since 2017.
You don’t need to know which type of therapy you need, or even where to begin. We can be curious about that together.
I offer face-to-face therapy from my private therapy room in Milnrow, Rochdale, and online therapy for those who prefer to work from the comfort of their own home.
Book Your Free Initial Phone Consultation
There’s no obligation to book a therapy session. The call is an opportunity for us to talk about what you’re experiencing, answer any questions you might have, and explore whether working together feels right for you.
Therapy exploring past and present relationships.
Brief or long-term therapy that is free-flowing.
Talking therapies that enable and guide you to reach your preferred future.
A more affordable way to access private therapeutic services from the comfort of your own home.
Wherever you are in the world, you can join in with my weekly relaxation from the comfort of your own home.
Find out about why I chose this profession and my qualifications.
“Everyday tasks to help boost your feel-good brain chemicals”
“A total of fifty-five guided relaxations, meditations and hypnotherapy scripts.”
Anxiety can present itself in so many different ways, and what feels difficult for one person might be completely different for someone else.
I regularly work with people who describe feeling as though their world has gradually become smaller because of their anxiety.
Perhaps you’ve started avoiding certain places or situations because you’re worried about how you might feel. You might find yourself constantly checking how your body feels, worrying about your health, struggling to sleep, or imagining everything that could possibly go wrong.
For some people, anxiety can be accompanied by physical sensations such as a racing heart, trembling, nausea, dizziness, or feeling unable to catch their breath. For others, it might be the constant overthinking, worry and exhaustion that comes with feeling on edge much of the time.
You might recognise some of these experiences:
Sometimes anxiety is also connected with experiences of grief, loss, depression, difficult relationships, or things that have happened earlier in our lives.
Whatever your experiences, my starting point is always you as an individual.
Together, we can explore how anxiety is affecting your life, what might be contributing to or maintaining your difficulties, and what changes might feel helpful to you.
You don’t have to have all the answers before getting in touch.
I’m a humanistic, person-centred integrative therapist, and I’m particularly passionate about supporting people whose lives have been significantly affected by anxiety.
I’ve worked as a qualified therapist since 2017 and have been privileged to share in thousands of people’s journeys. I feel honoured to be able to work alongside people as they explore their experiences and consider how they might move towards the life they want to live.
My professional journey began in the charity sector, where I supported people and families through some incredibly challenging experiences. I loved providing that individual support, and it was my desire to continue working closely with people that eventually led me to train as a therapist.
I’ve since continued developing my knowledge and skills through further academic study, research, teaching and therapeutic training, including completion of a doctorate in counselling psychology.
I also have personal experience of overcoming extreme anxiety connected with IBS and public speaking and have regular therapy to support my well-being too. Having experienced the benefits of therapy myself, I understand how meaningful it can be to begin feeling more confident in situations that once felt incredibly difficult.
For me, therapy is about so much more than learning techniques or me telling you what to do. It’s a space where you can experience being really heard and totally accepted. A place where we create a therapeutic relationship that enables you to feel safe so that together we can develop more of an understanding of your experiences and how they impact you now.
I hold empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard at the heart of my work, and believe that everyone deserves to be met with curiosity and compassion.
I live in Milnrow, Rochdale, where I have a purpose-built therapy room that provides a private and comfortable space for our sessions.
A little more about my professional background:
Find out a little more about me
I appreciate that choosing a therapist can feel like a big decision, especially when you’re already struggling with anxiety.
You might be wondering whether you’ll feel comfortable talking openly, whether therapy will be helpful, or whether the person you’re speaking with will really understand what you’re going through.
I thought it might be useful to share some of the experiences of people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside.
A client experiencing severe panic attacks and health anxiety
This client described experiencing severe panic attacks and debilitating health anxiety that were having a significant impact on everyday life.
They described feeling genuinely listened to and understood during our work together, and valued having practical tools and greater insight into their anxiety.
A client who felt nervous about attending therapy
Another client shared that they were able to talk about their experiences without feeling pressured to discuss anything before they were ready.
They particularly valued feeling comfortable, respected and in control throughout our sessions.
A client struggling with anxiety around driving
I have also worked with people whose anxiety had begun to restrict their independence, including someone who had become unable to drive on motorways because of severe anxiety and panic attacks.
Through our work together, they described gradually rebuilding their confidence and beginning to travel more freely again.
Everyone’s experiences and progress in therapy will be different, and what is helpful for one person may not be the same for another.
For me, what matters most is understanding your individual needs and working together in a way that feels helpful for you.
Having the opportunity to sit with someone in a safe, non-judgmental space, where you can explore your concerns with curiosity and compassion, can feel incredibly powerful.
When anxiety becomes severe, it can sometimes feel as though you’re caught in a cycle of thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours that are difficult to understand or change.
You might notice that certain situations trigger feelings of fear, that you avoid things to help yourself feel safer, or that you spend a lot of time anticipating what might go wrong.
Often, the ways we’ve learnt to cope have developed for very understandable reasons.
Some of these ways of coping may have helped you to manage difficult experiences earlier in your life. However, sometimes they continue with us long after we first needed them and no longer serve us in quite the same way.
Together, we can gently explore these patterns, with curiosity rather than judgement.
We might spend time understanding your earlier experiences and important relationships, exploring what happens when you feel anxious, or considering how your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours influence one another.
We can also be curious about what is maintaining your anxiety now, and whether some of the things you’re doing to feel safer might unintentionally be keeping those difficulties going.
My approach is integrative and person-centred, which means I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy.
Depending on your needs, our work might draw upon person-centred psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural approaches, compassion-focused therapy, acceptance and commitment approaches, solution-focused psychotherapy, clinical hypnotherapy, or creative relational methods.
You don’t need to choose between these approaches yourself. We discuss these throughout our sessions, considering and talking together regularly about what might be most helpful for your individual experiences.
Sometimes our work might involve exploring the deeper roots of your difficulties. At other times, it might involve learning practical ways of responding differently to anxiety, experimenting with small changes, or developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
We will regularly review how things are going and consider what feels helpful and what might need to change.
People I’ve worked with have often described developing a greater understanding of themselves, recognising unhelpful patterns, and becoming less critical and more compassionate of their responses to difficult situations.
Rather than automatically responding to anxiety in the same way, they may begin to recognise what is happening and consider other ways of responding that feel more helpful.
Therapy holds a focus on supporting you to understand yourself with greater curiosity and compassion, so that you have more freedom to make choices that feel right for you.
And we can work towards that together, at your pace, in your way.
I understand that taking the first step towards therapy can sometimes feel quite daunting, especially if you’re experiencing severe anxiety.
You might feel nervous about speaking to someone you don’t know, worried about what you might be asked, or unsure about what you want to say.
This is one of the reasons I offer a free initial consultation by phone so that we can have an opportunity to talk before you make any decisions about attending therapy.
1. Choose a date and time that suits you
You can use my online booking calendar to choose a convenient time for our phone conversation.
2. We’ll have a chat about what brings you here
I’ll call you on the time and date you booked.
This is an opportunity to tell me a little about what you’ve been experiencing, ask questions, and find out more about how we might work together.
You don’t need to explain everything that’s happened in your life during this call. We can simply begin with whatever feels most important to you. Some people prefer to start with what it was that made them decide to book the free initial consultation.
3. You decide what happens next
After our conversation, you can take some time to consider whether you’d like to book a therapy session.
There is absolutely no obligation to do so.
In fact, the only way to book a paid session with me is for you to arrange it yourself, at a convenient time, after our conversation has ended using the link to my booking calendar.
I choose to work this way because I believe it’s important that you remain in control of your decisions, without feeling under any pressure.
If we both feel that working together might be helpful, we can talk about what that could look like. If another type of support seems more appropriate, we can discuss that too.
Book Your Free Initial Phone Consultation
Free to book. No obligation to continue with therapy.
How much does therapy cost?
Our initial telephone consultation is completely free.
If you decide that you’d like to continue with therapy, sessions are booked and paid for in advance through my online booking system.
£145 per session | 50 minutes
You can find details of my current fees, including any available block booking discounts and payment plans, on my Fees page.
I would generally recommend attending your first session before committing to a block booking, so that we can both be sure our work together feels right for you.
Do I need to know which type of therapy I want?
Not at all.
I work in an integrative, person-centred way, which means I draw upon different therapeutic approaches depending on your individual needs.
During our consultation, we can discuss what you’re experiencing and consider what type of support might be helpful for you.
Some people feel strongly that there are certain therapeutic methods they do not want to experience and this is also okay to discuss and set in place for our work together.
What if I feel anxious about attending therapy?
It’s quite understandable to feel nervous, particularly if this is your first experience of therapy or you’ve found it difficult to speak openly about your feelings in the past.
My aim is to offer a warm and non-judgmental space where you feel comfortable and accepted.
You won’t be expected to share everything straight away. We can begin wherever you feel comfortable and explore your experiences together at a pace that works for you.
Will I have to talk about my childhood or difficult experiences?
Not necessarily. These are your sessions and it is entirely your decision as to what you want to share with me and what you may choose not to share with me.
Sometimes exploring earlier experiences can help us to understand patterns that are affecting us now, but that doesn’t mean every session needs to focus on the past or that we must venture there if it does not feel comfortable and safe for you.
We might decide to explore current difficulties, practical strategies, relationships, the future, or earlier life experiences, depending on what feels most relevant and helpful.
Our work will be guided by your needs, and we’ll regularly review how things are going.
What if my anxiety feels too severe for therapy?
If anxiety is having a significant impact on your everyday life, you’re welcome to book a free consultation so that we can talk about what you’re experiencing.
I specialise in supporting people with severe and debilitating anxiety, including those experiencing thoughts of suicide and intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, people struggling to leave their bed, and other difficulties that have begun to restrict their day-to-day lives. Whether you feel your anxiety symptoms and experiences are severe or mild, common or less common, you are welcome to experience therapy with me.
Every person’s experience of anxiety is unique to them and I am not here to judge you for your experiences and what has happened to you. My role is to walk alongside you throughout this difficult time.
During our conversation, we can consider whether the support I offer is appropriate for your needs, or whether another service or additional support might be more helpful.
Can I have therapy online?
Yes.
I offer sessions online, as well as face-to-face appointments from my private therapy room in Milnrow, Rochdale.
We can discuss which option might be most suitable for you.
How many sessions will I need?
This will vary from person to person, depending on your experiences, your needs and what you’d like to achieve through therapy.
Some people benefit from shorter-term work, while others prefer to explore whats happened to them and how to cope with trauma they have experienced in more depth over a longer period.
We can talk about this together, agree on an approach and regularly review our progress. You remain in control of whether you’d like to continue.
Will what I share be confidential?
I take your privacy and confidentiality very seriously and work in accordance with professional ethical standards and data protection requirements set by the British Psychological Society and the Health and Care Professions Council.
I’ll explain confidentiality and its limits as part of our work together.
You can also read more in my Privacy Policy.
If you’ve reached this part of my website, perhaps you’ve been considering whether therapy might help you with the anxiety you’re experiencing.
You might have been struggling for some time, or perhaps things have recently become more difficult and you’re beginning to notice how much anxiety is affecting your everyday life.
Whatever has brought you here, I want you to know that you don’t need to know exactly why you’re feeling this way, which type of therapy might be helpful, or even what you’d like to say during our first conversation.
We can begin by getting to know a little about your experiences and exploring what might be most helpful for you.
I would be very happy to have a chat and answer any questions you might have.
When you’re already feeling anxious, the last thing you need is pressure to make a decision. I will never pressure you to book further sessions. You can take your time and decide what feels right for you.
Book Your Free Initial Phone Consultation
One conversation, at a time that suits you, with no pressure to make any decisions.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warmly,
Tania
