Hello and welcome!

I understand that seeking a therapist can feel daunting, especially when life weighs heavy or the path ahead feels obscured. Yet, it’s often in those uncertain spaces where the most profound shifts can begin. I believe that the right therapeutic relationship isn’t just about conversation, it’s about being deeply seen, heard, and gently challenged.

When you find yourself overwhelmed, disconnected, or caught in emotions that seem too vast to name, therapy can offer more than support, it can open a door to the parts of you that remain hidden, waiting to be understood. This is a space where words are only the beginning, and discovery unfolds in its own time.

I know the transformative power of being met with empathy and without judgement—I’ve lived it myself. And now, I offer that presence to those who are ready to look beneath the surface. Together, we can explore anxiety, depression, addiction, relationship struggles, or simply the restless sense that there must be more to life than this.

If that curiosity stirs in you, perhaps this is where your journey begins.

My approach

I am a qualified counsellor trained at the Bath Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, level 6 equivalent, and a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, abiding by their Ethical Framework. I also hold a MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) certificate from Oxford Mindfulness Foundation and studied law (LL.M).

Humanistic and Integrative counselling focuses on the individual as a whole. It encourages self-discovery and facilitates achieving your full potential as human being. It also draws on different tools from various modalities to tailor a personalised approach for the client which will improve the efficiency of the therapeutic process.

The results of therapy can be immensely rewarding, transformative, empowering and can lead to shifts in the way we feel about ourselves and others. It often involves the consideration of whether there are any changes we might make to improve our quality of life, changes that can happen in complex, systemic, rippling ways.  As your therapist, my goal is to support you on this journey, to facilitate your exploration and expand your understanding of your experience. I place great value on the relationship, working with you in mind, and I believe that ‘The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives’ (Esther Perel). I aim to create a trusting and non-judgemental relationship that helps you to increase your awareness of what might be happening in your life, how you might move forwards to a more satisfying place, and how to heal yourself.

As a counsellor, I’ve worked with a generous range of people including those experiencing: anxiety, addiction, negative self-perception, decreased sense of self, depression, abusive relationships, personal boundary issues, terminal illness, loss, social stigma or discrimination. I have provided counselling at The Swan Project for more than three years, and I have learned that addiction is often a way of trying to cope with human suffering.

I care deeply about continuing to learn and grow, both for myself and for the people I work with. I’m always curious about approaches that offer new ways of understanding our experiences. Some of the professional development that has shaped my practice includes engaging with Esther Perel’s work on intimacy and infidelity in couples, exploring the complexities of Chemsex, and most recently completing a training on anxiety that integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Exposure & Response Prevention for working with GAD, panic disorder, OCD, social anxiety and phobias.

My approach is tailored to your needs, helping you navigate what is relevant for you. Through our work together we’ll both explore your story with empathy and curiosity, aiming to really understand what had happened to you in the past, and how this might be affecting your present.

Fees and availability

Sessions last for 50 minutes and cost £60 (concession rate for low income earners- limited availability).

I offer a free 30 min online initial consultation.

Your well-being is the priority. If cost is a concern, I’m happy to discuss a plan that works for you.

I work with individual adult clients (18+ years) and offer long- and short-term therapy sessions.

Contact 

If you would like to find out more and arrange an initial appointment with me, please feel free to contact me at irina@irinacounselling.co.uk or visit my website www.irinacounselling.co.uk  .

I will be pleased to offer you a free 30-minute introductory online session to discuss what brings you to therapy or answer any questions you might have. That will give both of us a sense of the prospect of working together.