Hanna Ehlers-Bond M.A. Registered MBACP MNCS (Acc) Integrative Psychotherapist

Helping you to transform, through your life's challenges.

I believe that your first session with me is actually a doorway to your new horizon, no matter what you may be bringing.

I’m a fully qualified Psychotherapist based in Southend on Sea / Shoeburyness, working from what I call, my Calm Cabin. It’s a cosy log cabin amongst the trees, and a ready made healing space for you to completely relax.

I’m here to guide you through life’s most complex and difficult matters. Equally I am passionate about assisting you with creating a space for your emotional and mental development so that you may encounter more inner peace and outer calm.

I am a seasoned therapist, and I’m a Registered and Accredited Member of The National Counselling Society, and a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

As an integrative therapist I'm able to pull in many techniques and skills to aid you, with where you currently find yourself. Equally I can provide psychological coaching and psycho-education for you to accelerate along your self-development path. I truly care about your well-being and promise my patients top of the line counselling and psychotherapy services no matter what your problem, or personal pains may be.

I work heavily with helping you heal and support your inner child. Equally I assist you with turning the inner critic into a more useful inner friend, so that you may create a more harmonious inner landscape.

I also offer adult Jungian Sandplay Therapy within my sessions, which is an incredibly soothing and calming practice.

Your well-being is my number one priority, and I know how daunting it can be to seek help, therefore you can easily visit me for an initial session to see how working with me may feel, under no pressure. The first session is at a reduced price.

What are my approaches:

COGNITIVE- THOUGHTS & BELIEFS
Re-framing unhelpful patterns / Releasing the Inner Critic

Creating awareness about your thinking processes can really help you to get control over how you feel. By exploring, and challenging various negative, and limited thinking patterns, and core beliefs, we can develop more room for positive change. This is the domain of the inner critic, which is an outdated protection system we all hold until challenged. CBT and TA can assist us in developing new ideas about yourself and your world and help you gain control over reactive thinking. Shining a light on your inner processes, allows us to foster new ways of speaking to yourself, and therefore shifting your emotions.

DREAMS
Exploring your inner life.

Dreams can tell us things that we aren't even fully aware of. By entering into some dream work together, we can begin to connect with your internal wisdom. Sometimes the issues and problems that are known to us on the surface, are only the tip of the iceberg. Dream analysis is a peaceful, and self-regulated approach to working through difficulties you may be facing.

GUIDED VISUALISATION
A pocket of peace.

Guided visualisation allows me to lead you into a different place, where you can relax, slow your brain down, empty your thoughts, and get into a healthier feeling state. When we know how, we can easily move ourselves out of a stressed state, and into a more positive space. I may be using some of these techniques with you in our sessions. It can also really assist with anxiety and healing from trauma.

ACTIVE IMAGINATION / INNER BONDING
Giving a voice to all parts of you.

There are times in life, where our feelings have been suppressed, or not dealt with for so long, that they clog up, and this can cause a great burden. By using active imagination, which is a combination of dream work, visualisation, and archetype/parts healing, I can guide you toward releasing all of those stones you have been holding onto. Through use of symbol and metaphor, in a deeply relaxed state, you can talk freely and connect with all your inner selves, including the inner child, inner teenager and any unheard parts that want a voice.

MINDFULNESS
A happier, healthier you.

Developing more space inside can help you feel centred, calm and less reactive to your daily stresses. Mindfulness is the simple act of observing the mind, and its constant trickle of thoughts. This permits us to occupy a deeper awareness, and leaves us less likely to identify with all of our thoughts. By helping you to develop a mindful practice, you will regain freedom and more confidence over your life.

JUNGIAN SANDPLAY THERAPY

I am one of only a handful of trained Jungian Sandplay Therapists working within the area. This is a very magical practice of working directly with your unconscious. It's good for trauma, inner child work and for moving out of generalised anxiety and depression.

Who do I help?

I am able to assist people with many difficulties. Anxiety and depression is a really common thing for many people visiting me and nothing to feel guilty about. Let’s leave all stigmas and judgements about your mental and emotional struggles at the door. It's a really tough place to be in if you are experiencing a dark chapter of your life, but you don’t have to walk it alone. It is also totally possible to move on from this place into a new chapter of your life.

Working with people who are experiencing grief / loss for whatever reason, is also something I am familiar with. Equally I am accustomed to aiding individuals who are experiencing stress, major change, and feelings of being stuck, or purposeless or who are experiencing suicidal feelings. There are many stages to transformation, and I can meet you at whatever stage you are at.

If you feel drawn to my ways of working, then I look forward to hearing from you to make an initial consultation.

Your inner self awaits your journey back home.