About me
Hello and welcome, I’m Elisa.
I am an integrative counsellor passionate about supporting people through the challenges and transitions of life. My approach is deeply relational: I believe therapy works best when you feel truly seen, heard, and accepted as you are. I will walk alongside you with curiosity and respect, offering both compassion and gentle challenge to help you gain clarity and confidence in your way forward.
My focus in private practice
I work with adults who are facing:
- Anxiety and depression – including stress, low mood, overwhelm, financial worries, and loneliness.
- Relationship and parenting challenges – difficulties in trust, communication, bonding, attachment, or navigating separation and change within families.
- Life transitions – changes in identity, career, or life direction, or adjusting to stages such as midlife or menopause.
- Cultural adjustment and belonging – for those who, like me, have moved countries and are finding their way into a new culture while seeking a sense of home and identity.
A passionate and committed approach
I am loyal and dedicated to the people I work with. When I believe in something, I go the extra mile. For example, in my work with people facing cancer, I am not only offering individual therapy but alongside I also created an innovative eco-therapy group programme in woodland settings unique in East Sussex. I bring this same energy and commitment into my private practice — to offer you not just a safe space, but the depth of care, presence, and creativity you deserve.
How I work with you
I draw on person-centred, Gestalt, and existential approaches, and I often use creative methods when words are not enough. My role is not to give you ready-made answers, but to support you in uncovering your own resources and building a more authentic and resilient life. I also take my own therapy and self-care seriously, so that I can be fully present and grounded for the people I work with.
An invitation
If you are struggling, I would be honoured to support you. Our work together can help you feel more confident, more connected, and more at home — in yourself and in your world.
I invite you to take the first step. Contact me for a free initial 20-minute session. One step at the time. See what happens.
I am offering face to face counselling in Eastbourne - outdoors - and online.
Training, qualifications & experience
My therapeutic approach
My diploma in Humanistic Creative Counselling is rooted in the following approaches:
- Person-Centred therapy, I bring empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity. These qualities help create the safety in which growth naturally happens.
- Gestalt therapy, I draw on creative techniques to increase awareness, integrate different parts of the self, and bring attention to the here-and-now.
- Existential perspective, I hold space for life’s big questions and transitions — freedom, uncertainty, belonging, meaning — and explore with you how these show up in your life.
- My work is also strongly informed by attachment theory, which helps me support you in understanding relationship patterns and cultivating a greater sense of security and connection. In particular using EFT Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, I can help you observing the dynamics in your relationship and focusing on a more intimate interaction to built again safety, respect and love.
Examples of how therapy can help
- If you come to therapy feeling anxious, we might slow down together and learn ways to soothe your nervous system, while also exploring the deeper worries that lie beneath.
- If you are facing relationship challenges, we might look at your attachment patterns, reflect on recurring dynamics, and experiment with new ways of responding.
- If you are struggling in parenting, we may draw also on my educational background to explore how you can strengthen connection with your children while feeling supported yourself.
- If you are adjusting to life in a new culture, we can explore themes of belonging, identity, and integration — and how to carry forward what matters most to you while finding your place in a new environment.
What clients often take away
Clients often share that therapy with me helps them to:
- feel calmer and more grounded,
- reduce shame and self-criticism,
- feel less alone and more connected,
- strengthen their relationships,
- and rediscover confidence in facing life’s changes.
Experience and background
Alongside my private practice, I have extensive experience working with people facing cancer and serious illness at Macmillan and Sara Lee Trust. This has given me a profound respect for human resilience and taught me the importance of adapting therapy to each person’s reality. Some need space for mourning, others for hope, or tools to manage anxiety. I carry this flexibility into all my client work.
Before becoming a counsellor, I spent more than 10 years immersed in Montessori education, driven by my passion for giving children the best possible start in life. I founded a Montessori association in Barcelona, taught at the International Montessori Institute, and integrated these principles into both professional and family life. My ongoing studies in attachment theory and parenting approaches keep me up to date with the latest research on relationships, child development, and family wellbeing.
Why these themes matter to me
My interest in attachment and relationships is not just professional but also personal. Growing up, I developed an insecure attachment style, and I know from within how much we can long for closeness while fearing it at the same time. My studies along with my own lived experiences — including navigating different models of relating — have given me both empathy and practical tools to help others create secure and fulfilling connections.
As someone who has lived in Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK, I also understand the challenges of moving countries. Integration does not always come naturally; it takes courage, patience, and self-discovery. I am especially passionate about supporting clients who are navigating belonging and identity in a new culture.
My commitment to you
I take my own self-care, therapy, and supervision seriously, so that I can be fully present and grounded for my clients.
I bring dedication and passion to this work, and I am willing to step up when it makes a difference — whether that means adapting therapy to your health and circumstances, offering creative approaches when words are not enough, or simply holding space for your grief, joy, and complexity.
Therapy is not about “fixing” you but about walking with you as you find your own way forward. My role is to help you shine a light on your path, strengthen your resources, and remind you that you do not have to walk alone.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£45.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual sessions are 50 minutes long
Online: £45.00
In Person: £60.00
*Concession available for students and low income
Couple sessions are 75 minutes long.
Online: £70.00
In person: £85.00
When I work
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Further information
Eco-Therapy - outdoors session:
I offer ‘Walk and Talk’ sessions, in all weather, taking therapy outdoors while walking.
While we can nourish ourselves through a simple walk, if we can use nature as our teacher there is the opportunity for so much more. I like to use natural elements as part of our sessions to help you to make sense of yourself as individual and as a part of an extended life.
