Practitioner Directory

My name is Kate Hardy, pronouns she/her, and I am a qualified, UK Registered Psychotherapist and PTSTA working online and also face to face in a beautiful, peaceful setting in west Wales 30 minutes by car from Aberystwyth or Lampeter. I have 20 years clinical experience. I have ten years' experience as a counselling clinical supervisor, and as a PTSTA I am qualified to provode supervision which counts towards the CTA. I specialise in relationships and in times of transition and personal change. I also run online and face to face personal development groups, which can be an affordable alternative to one to one therapy. My personal practice as a psychotherapist is all about you and what you need from your therapy. You might be embarking on a journey of personal development as a student. You might be looking for positive changes in health, caring, identity, work, bereavement, family problems or relationships. You might have gone through changes you did not want or ask for. You might be experiencing a lot of anxiety, or feeling sadness or low mood right now. Using TA, we will start with some simple strategies to bring things back to a place where they feel more manageable. From there, if you want to, we can look more deeply at what has led you to this point in your life, and also the places where you perhaps would like to go next on your journey.

I am a UKCP registered psychotherapist based in London, working in private practice as well as with NHS primary care. The focus of my professional practice is working psychotherapeutically with adults, to enhance their capacity for self-awareness and growth. Transactional Analysis forms the foundation of my professional practice, and is the primary modality I have trained in. I am drawn to the “I’m OK, You’re OK” philosophy of TA, and the open, accessible and collaborative way of working with clients that is embedded in this. While TA provides the foundation, I embrace a holistic way of working, integrating ideas from neuroscience, bodywork and spiritual practice into my work. I believe in the transformative power of group therapy, and in addition to my work with individuals I run several therapy groups - both online and in-person in London. In addition to my private practice, I am a Tutor with The Berne Psychotherapy Institute and offer supervision to trainee Transactional Analysts.

At Still Spaces Therapy I provide a calm, safe place for you to talk things through. I work with adult individuals and offer online and outdoor therapy, where we can explore together in a natural setting. I also offer supervision and am particularly interested in supporting people as they establish an outdoor, ecological practice. I offer a free 30 minute initial online appointment for both psychotherapy and supervision, my fees are £55 for subsequent sessions. Please get in touch to discuss how we might work together.

Hello, I'm Ruth

I have 13 experience as a psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer and my focus is to help my clients heal, grow and uncover their inner strengths. As a Transactional Analyst I will help you to uncover the unhelpful patterns in your life, where they originated and support you as you make the changes you want. I also offer EMDR which is particularly useful for treating trauma. I begin our journey by listening to your concerns, and developing and agreeing a treatment plan. This plan will form the basis of our work together, and can change over time as your needs change. We will then begin our work together, understanding the past and how it affects the present and building a future that is positive and free from the old patterns.

What can you expect from therapy? I believe therapy is about creating a safe and supportive space for exploring life transitions and challenges. The relationship with clients I aim for is based on collaboration and trust, which is an important vehicle for healing and experimenting with what is new and possible.  My practice is underpinned by Transactional Analysis, which is an accessible approach that allows people to understand themselves and how they relate to others. As children and throughout life, we learn to behave and feel in certain ways, whilst these patterns are necessary to survive initially, they may get stuck in repeating similar relationships and situations. Therapy supports awareness, adaptation and letting go of what is no longer helpful.  I integrate my core theoretical framework with other techniques and creativity so the process is flexible and allows for what can be difficult and unspoken to emerge. The client’s consent is a key principle of my work.  The therapeutic process may encompass a wide range of issues, and the goal of our work can be focused on:  - exploration (e.g. I want to explore how loss/trauma affected my life) - dealing with a specific issue (e.g. I want to deal with stress better)  - a clarification (e.g. I want to understand my relationships)  - development (e.g. I want to lead a more meaningful life)  What to expect from the initial free call/session.  During the first meeting, it is important that we get to know each other a little so you can decide if I am the right person for you. I will be gathering information about what brings you to therapy and will let you know if I feel a more specialised professional would be more appropriate. This session will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions. During the first booked session - I will be finding out more information about you and how you might prefer to work. For instance, some people want to improve their skills to deal with a specific issue, while others want to explore. We will be discussing administrative matters. As our work progresses - we will be regularly checking if you are getting what is needed from the therapeutic process.

Life events may have left you feeling that sharing your feelings may be dangerous or feel unsafe. When we are younger the decisions to stay safe will have been important for survival. In a safe and trusting environment. I believe that sharing your thoughts and feelings can feel like a relief and can help with reflection and self-awareness. Self-awareness is the key to taking back control of your life. I work collaboratively and am respectful of your pace and inner resources, offering a supportive and non-judgemental approach while appropriately challenging you. The aim is to help you to realise your full potential and to develop new strategies where old strategies are no longer helpful. Developing self-awareness is an important goal and can lead to spontaneity and the capacity for real and meaningful relationships. No change will be instantaneous but can be full of rewards. My aim is to actively and empathically listen to what you have to say in order to help you to get in touch with, understand and express your thoughts and feelings about issues that cause you concern. I want to help you to explore probable sources of your concerns and develop strategies for managing these thoughts and feelings and their accompanying behaviour.

I offer counselling and psychotherapy services to individuals and couples. I support clients experiencing grief, depression, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, stress, low mood and low motivation. I have had training in the nervous system and support clients to understand their body reactions to stress and trauma. I offer an accepting and validating space for you to share your experiences and learn new ways of being. I work creatively and differently with each client depending on their personality and needs. I am passionate about people's ability to grow and change through life's many challenges and appreciate the privilege of being able to be alongside individuals during these times. Many of us have had unmet childhood needs and these affect how we interact with the world in adulthood. By gaining a deeper understanding of who we are and what has shaped us we can change our ways of communicating and feeling, thus deepening our relationship with ourselves and those around us.

I am a neurodivergent person, who is fascinated by people and by the human condition. My early training was as a mathematician and then in statistics and economics. My work career began in business and international trade. In 2007, after my second marriage broke down, I decided to change direction, and took a degree in psychology. This led to a placement as a bereavement counselling volunteer with CRUSE Bristol in 2011, and then I met my first client in a counselling room in 2012. During the last 10 years, I have noticed the one thing that unites the people that I have worked with and have listened to – we all want to be loved, we all have love to give. If you choose to meet me, I will accompany you on a journey of self-discovery, amazement and acceptance of life in all its diversity. You will be able to build skills to achieve the joy and connection human beings long for. I offer you a safe space to explore difficult issues, to be listened to and to be heard, to become aware of thought and behaviour patterns that prevent you from being your healthiest self. My private practice is in Bristol, where I can meet you in person. I work online and offer sessions via Zoom.

Experienced Psychotherapist and Supervisor.

My approach is based on establishing a clear contract where both you and I agree on what the work is to be done and transparency in that I share the methods and concepts that will inform our sessions together My way of working looks to understand where we have been in order to understand who we are now, and what needs to change to allow us to be who we want to be in the future. Part of my own journey with my mental health has been periods of therapy so I understand and own my own processes in the therapy room. It also allows me to offer a real understanding of what it’s like to be on the ‘other side of the room’.

Drawing on over 35 years of experience of working with clients in various settings and organisations I now find myself wandering through woodland paths with my dog alongside clients. I am enjoying this culmination of psychotherapuetic understanding, physical movement and the incorporation of the wonderful natural world into my practice. Many people come into Psychotherapy with me because they are struggling to make meaning of unresolved trauma, relationship issues, patterns of behaviour that are unhelpful to them or have lost a sense of direction and purpose etc I also work with children and young people who particularly find an animal or nature an easier place to experience psychotherapy and to express themselves. I work alonside parents with this work and will invite the parents to become involved in 'parent support' sessions if needed to understand how best they can support their child.