For when life hasn't gone the way you pictured
Counselling and EMDR in Hove and online.
What you’ve been carrying can start to feel heavier over time...
Maybe it's the family you hoped for and haven't been able to have, or a fertility journey or birth that left more behind than anyone saw. Or becoming a parent in a way that doesn't match what you pictured, and grieving that gap. Or maybe there is something from the past that still affects you more than you expected. From the outside, things might look fine, even good on paper, which can make it harder to explain why you're struggling.
You may have become very good at carrying on. You tell yourself other people have it worse, or that you should have moved on by now. Perhaps you’ve tried to talk about it and been offered advice or a silver lining, when what you needed was space and someone to listen.
Sometimes, it helps to have somewhere you don’t have to explain away your feelings or convince yourself that you’re fine. Somewhere you can talk openly about what’s difficult, without fear of judgement or pressure to have all the answers.
I work with individuals and couples in Hove and online, particularly where the road to a family hasn't gone as hoped, including infertility, childlessness and loss, as well as trauma more broadly. Therapy with me means having someone alongside you who will listen, take your experience seriously and help you explore what's going on, without rushing you or minimising your feelings.
How I can help
Individual therapy
You might notice patterns in your behaviour, find yourself reacting in ways you don’t fully understand, or feel held back by experiences from the past. This might be infertility, a life without the children you hoped for, a difficult birth, or experiences from the past that still feel present. Therapy can help you explore these things, develop a deeper understanding of yourself, and consider what you’d like to change.
We can work at your pace, finding a way forward that feels right for you. I offer talking therapy and EMDR, depending on what feels helpful for you.
Couples Therapy
When things feel difficult between you, it can be hard to understand what is happening or how to move forward. This is often when something has changed between you, such as infertility, loss or a difficult birth. Couples therapy offers a chance to slow things down, hear each other more clearly and explore the patterns you find yourselves caught in.
Together, we can work towards a better understanding of what is happening between you, what matters to each of you, and what you want to do from here. There is no assumed outcome. The aim is to help you find greater clarity about your relationship and the way forward that feels right for you.
A little about me
I’m Danielle, a counselling psychotherapist working with individuals and couples in Hove and online.
My approach is grounded in warmth, honesty and connection. I bring care and curiosity to understanding your experience, including how past experiences, relationships and patterns can shape how you feel today.
I don’t believe therapy is about fixing you. It’s about getting to know yourself more fully, finding a way to feel more at home in your own skin, and making choices that feel true to you, rather than being shaped by everyone else’s expectations.
Therapy is a process we work through together. I've trained in fertility counselling and childless-affirmative therapy, as well as working with trauma. I bring my training and professional understanding, alongside an interest in getting to know you and seeing things from your perspective. We can explore what feels important to you and what might help, while respecting your choices and the direction you want your life to take.
How I Work
There isn't one way to make sense of what you're going through. My approach is collaborative and trauma informed, shaped by an understanding of how our experiences, relationships and past events can affect how we feel and respond to the world around us.
I draw on different therapeutic approaches, depending on what brings you to therapy and what feels helpful for you. We might explore patterns that keep repeating, experiences that still affect you today, or feelings that have been difficult to understand. I adapt the pace and structure of our work to suit you.
The aim is to help you make sense of your experiences and find a way forward that feels right for you, without losing sight of what matters to you along the way.
Accredited member of the BACP (400326)
Getting started
Taking the first step towards therapy can feel like a lot. You might know something needs to change, even if you’re not quite sure what that looks like yet.
If you’d like to explore working together, you’re welcome to get in touch. We can start with a conversation about what brings you to therapy and whether working together feels right for you.
