Daniela D'Alessio
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hello and welcome to my counselling and psychotherapy profile.
I am an experienced counsellor and psychotherapist and a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and bound by their code of ethics. My practice draws on strengths from different schools of therapy, including humanistic, psychodynamic and transpersonal. I like to work holistically to integrate mind, body and soul.
I believe we are all complex and multi-faceted beings with different needs and concerns at different points in life's journey. My job is to listen deeply and create a safe environment in which you can be yourself, explore your feelings and thoughts, look at your life choices and start to make sense of things. I have a natural interest in people; my approach is warm and reflective and I believe in the power of relationship to heal.
I have worked with clients in a number of areas, such as bereavement, depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, loneliness, despair, cultural issues, stress-related illnesses, disability, spiritual crisis and existential issues such as loss of meaning and direction in life.
Getting started
Please get in touch with me by phone or email if you have questions about therapy or to set up a first session with me. If we then decide to continue working together, we will meet weekly or fortnightly according to your needs.
Training, qualifications & experience
My initial professional training was at WPF Therapy, one of the leading academic and clinical institutions for psychotherapy in the UK, where I obtained a Certificate in Counselling Skills and Pastoral Care in 2003. I then trained at ReVision, Centre for Integrative Psychosynthesis from 2006-2009, obtaining a Diploma in Integrative Transpersonal Counselling in 2010. I went on to complete ReVision's UKCP-accredited Psychotherapy training from 2010 to 2012. I obtained a Post-Graduate Certificate in Integrative Relational Supervision with Relational Change in 2020.
I am British/Italian and moved to the UK from Italy in 1989 to attend drama school and I pursued an acting career for ten years. Following this, I had a brief stint in advertising and then worked in the charitable sector. I also worked as a volunteer counsellor for a number of years which led to my professional training in psychotherapy.
I am passionate about healing and personal growth and the power of expression and ritual to help us heal. As a young woman, I experienced first-hand how acting brought me out of myself and gave me an avenue for self-expression. Enacting archetypal stories of struggle and transformation on the stage, I discovered a greater context in which to understand my own difficult feelings and to start making sense of things.
In my experience, therapy can bring us into more intimate contact with the painful stories we hold within us. These stories, which are often hidden even from ourselves, can have a huge impact on our wellbeing and creativity. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung said 'When a situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate'. In other words, we cannot release what we don't understand, and we can't understand what we reject out of fear. Working together, we can start to make sense of the challenges you have faced. Compassion for our own suffering is the ground which makes change possible, gradually unravelling the contracted knots within that stand in the way of living a fulfilled life right now. My job is to create a safe space in which this process can unfold naturally, and to stand with you throughout.
In my practice I draw on years of mindfulness and meditation in helping to support clients therapeutically, to help gently regulate difficult feelings and build inner strength and resilience, which is especially important for clients suffering with depression and anxiety.
I also offer 'Walk and Talk' therapy in the local countryside and woodlands, walking at a pace to suit you. If you prefer a more dynamic style of therapy, love the natural environment and feel connected to nature's healing energy, this may be a good option for you. The only difference between counselling and Walk and Talk therapy is that the session is conducted outside whilst walking. Walking or sitting in nature often creates a relaxed, easy atmosphere and opens up possibilities for change.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).
Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.
Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.
All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I also work with people who suffer with physical symptoms where the underlying cause may be psychological. The body holds and expresses emotional issues, grief, anxiety and the effects of trauma and I help clients to work with the body towards gentle release.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
One-hour (60-minute) session: £60. Some concessionary rates available.
I offer an initial 15 minute phone consultation if you have any questions.
When I work
Flexible availability.
Further information
My practice is in central Stroud.
I also offer online therapy.
I work flexible hours.
