Anna Lear
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Therapy with me provokes meaningful self-exploration to help you recognise your needs and areas of challenge. I offer compassionate, down-to-earth support as you focus on yourself away from the noise and demands of life so that you can release yourself from the weight of your challenges, whether this be entrenched shame, self-judgement, harmful patterns of relating or behaviours, low mood, anxiety or other struggles.
Maybe you question if what you wish to bring to counselling is too trivial? Or perhaps you wonder how just talking could be enough to loosen the emotional binds which restrict you. I have seen that attuned and empathic counselling can be a powerful force. I believe the strength of this has a place within all our lives, for whatever struggles we may be facing.
You may need a safe space to explore identity struggles or difficulty navigating transition and change. Maybe adjusting to parenthood has been challenging or prodded at emotional or relational difficulties you have been holding for a long time. Perhaps you are overwhelmed by life or finding it hard to maintain healthy relationships. Are you grappling with keeping your boundaries, finding you are frequently giving so much of yourself that little is left for you?
I will never advise you but facilitate valuable self-reflection, assisting you to grow your understanding of yourself. Those parts of yourself which feel most vulnerable, unwanted or shameful and your lived experiences will be respected and heard without judgement. I’ll never rush you beyond your comfort zone, but support you to venture into difficult yet important areas.
What can you expect from counselling with me?
I’m an Integrative Counsellor, so I bring together various therapeutic approaches to fit YOUR specific needs and every unique dimension of your personality. My counselling is informed by the psychodynamic approach and attachment theory so the influence of your earliest experiences will be considered as part of your present-day self. My core style of counselling is person-centred, meaning I believe in honouring your ability to work towards the life which feels most authentically yours. Working from a person-centred approach means I will seek to understand your values and perspectives and that I will be curious about how life events have diverted you from a life which feels safe and fulfilling.
I will listen attentively and respectfully. As you share your story and as I facilitate your self-exploration, we will work towards the clarity which can help you unburden yourself and find ways forward. I will help you discover the root causes of the issues which have brought you to counselling so that you can untangle the binds of these and enjoy the lifelong benefits which come from doing so.
As your sessions evolve we might use more creative ways of aiding your counselling process such as therapeutic cards, art materials, shells etc. This can be especially effective for clients struggling to express themselves or to isolate and recognise what is simmering beneath the surface.
I enjoy working intuitively with clients, enabling me to offer thought-provoking challenge and questions to assist you to delve beyond your known sense of self and peer at what is beneath the surface, creating enhanced self-awareness and self-empowerment.
What happens in the first session?
Within your first session I will be seeking to understand your hopes and expectations of your counselling experience. I will ask you for some details to help set the scene of how you have arrived at the sense of self you have today, such as your family relationships. This process helps us shape our therapeutic alliance and get a sense of how this will develop. It is also an opportunity for you to ease into sessions and become comfortable with me.
How can I start sessions?
If something of what I've said resonates with the support you are seeking, please contact me. It is so important that the counsellor you choose is the right fit for you. To help you decide this, I offer a free telephone call so we can have a brief chat. Then, if you feel happy to continue we can arrange your first session.
For more information please get in touch or see my website: www.kestrel-counselling.co.uk
Training, qualifications & experience
- Integrative counsellor trained in a range of therapeutic models, enabling me to tailor my support to best meet your unique needs
- Level 3 in Integrative Counselling - ACC
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Training with The Foundation for Infant Loss:
Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Subsequent Pregnancies after Loss
Infertility - Creative Counsellors trained in Outdoors Therapy
- The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society Accredited Registrant (Membership No: NCS23-01936)
- Enhanced DBS
- Professional insurance
- I attend regular supervision & follow the NCPS professional & ethical codes of practice
I have experience in supporting clients with the following, and more; - Anxiety
- Grief
- Unhealthy anger
- Survivors of childhood domestic abuse
- Attachment struggles
- Social isolation
- Ruptured family relationships
- Identity
- Bereavement
- OCD
- Low self-esteem
- Self-harm
- Long Covid
- Relationship difficulties
- Divorce
- Co-parenting amid and after custody battles
- Overwhelm
- Disability
- Life altering injury
- Empty nest
- Fear of ageing
- Menopause
If you haven't seen above the topic or issue you wish to explore, please feel welcome to get in touch to see how I can offer you my support.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Additional information
Sessions are 50 minutes and £50, to be had either in-person or online.
In-person sessions are held in Rowde, near Devizes in a quiet and private setting with plentiful free parking. My therapy room is ideally located for clients who would prefer a calming location and privacy.
I invite prospective clients to schedule a free brief telephone chat ahead of booking sessions. I understand that taking the first steps to embark on counselling may feel intimidating and will ensure you feel safe and supported during this process.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
Further information
We can meet in my welcoming, cosy therapy room in Rowde (which is wheelchair accessible) or have sessions online. For some clients, being able to have sessions in-person each week can be challenging, therefore I am happy to accommodate a hybrid approach by alternating between in-person and online sessions to meet the needs of clients. Sessions are 50 minutes long and weekly. These can be paid for weekly or as a block of sessions.
