Hannah Duncan
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
I utterly believe that therapy "should" work: it should be practical, exploratory and safe. Yet we have to recognise that becoming our most "true self", or recovering from what has happened to us in our past, can be a sticky, messy and scary business. Traumas and negative experience can leave residues of fear, shame and immobility... and overcoming these residues, can offer an intensely satisfying and rewarding experience. Behaviours and patterns (and even the story that we tell about what has happened to us) - things that have perhaps held us back from a deeper or healthy experience of the world can become redundant as we grow and develop. It's tough going, but ultimately about doing more than surviving. We all deserve to thrive and find out who we really are. Finding the right person to help support in this process can be a bit of a minefield!
Practicing from both East Devon and Nationally/Internationally online, I sat down with my first client over 23 years ago and my first supervision of a therapist took place over 17 years ago: I am an experienced pair of hands. I am also as passionate about my work now as I was after my first session: I love what I do intensely.
I have extensive experience of working with individuals and groups and am an Accredited Member of BACP. I also have experience working with Couples and adult family groups, as well as employee groups. I hold a Certificate in Trauma Therapy, which incorporates a range of processing techniques: working with EFT, Imagery Rescripting or offering Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). I hold a Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy and a Certificate in Embodied Practice. I hold a Certificate in ADHD+ and am experienced working with Neurodiversity (what a fascinating field to work in). I continue to study in the areas of Trauma, Abuse, Sexuality and Compulsive behaviours to keep up to date with the latest evidence-based approaches. I work in a hands-on way with Trauma, Attachment and Depression/Anxiety, grief and psychosexual issues.
I am an "Integrative Relational" therapist - which for me means that I integrate theoretical models from a variety of orientations to work in a way which is real for me and (I believe) helpful to my clients. (These orientations would mainly be Person-Centred theory, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis and some CBT, Mindfulness and Psychodynamic theory). I also like to work in a creative way with other media and believe in listening to the body and somatic experience in the room.
The most important thing for me as a therapist is being real, being utterly honest and transparent and not sitting on my hands and waiting passively for a penny to drop. I feel I aim always to be prepared to be in a real relationship with my clients. I guess this typifies who I am as a therapist - I am prepared to take risks relationally with my clients, to work safely with great care and (I hope) non-judgement and kindness. Of course, I allow my clients space and time to explore themselves and they direct where we go and what we look at. However, I am not willing to pay only lip service to the process and will only work with clients where there is a two-way commitment to the work and where change is truly sought and desired. I am always happy to be challenged by my clients and enjoy working collaboratively and with passion.
I hold Certified Clinical Trauma Professional status (CCTP) and can work with a wide variety of presenting issues including PTSD, CPTSD, ADHD, Addiction (including alcohol, narcotics, other drugs, sex, pornography, gambling), Depression and Anxiety, Eating Disorders and the impact of Abuse. I am proud to truly believe in equality for all genders and sexualities and am a feminist. I welcome neurodiverse clients or those who are coming from alternative cultures. I recognise and support exploring the impact on my clients of our ableist society.
I usually work in longer-term relationships as I find this work the most rewarding (six months plus). However, I do enjoy focused and committed short-term work where there is a good match.
My diary is often full, but if my profile resonates with you, even if I am full get in touch as I can often refer out to others in my therapist network.
Training, qualifications & experience
In my professional roles, I have several hats. As a supervisor I have supported individuals working for The Donkey Sanctuary, One25 (a Bristol women's charity working with marginalised women), and also The Swan Project, (an addictions charity, also in Bristol). I formally ran this latter agency as Project Leader for many years, supervising many trainee and qualified therapists here and its compassionate and inclusive value system has underpinned my therapeutic practice, since I began first working with clients there in 2004.
Previously I was proud to offer Reflective Practice/Group Supervision for the staff at Bristol Drugs Project from 2014 to 2022, whose staff work with a wide range of addiction issues with great integrity and skill.
I have had a private practice for 20 years and have worked with a wide variety of presenting issues. Within my practice, I supervise the private practice of other professionals and see one-to-one clients. I have been working with couples/families since 2019.
I am an accredited therapist with BACP, I hold a degree in English Literature, an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and a Certificate in Counselling Supervision. I also have a Certificate in Working with Couples and Other Relationships, a Certificate in Trauma Therapy (including using EFT and Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD) and a Certificate in Embodied Therapy. I hold Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (CCTP) status. I also completed a Certificate in Psychosexual Psychotherapy (2022) and more recently have completed a Certificate in Adult ADHD+ with The Grove Practice in London (2026).
I am working towards my British Sign Language Level 2 and though I am not fluent yet in this beautiful language, I would look forward to working with clients using BSL in the future (Deaf/deaf or HOH). However, given the complexity of this language, I do not feel this is a sufficiently robust level to work with those who use BSL as their first language.
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.
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
Where my skills/attitudes and knowledge are appropriate, I wish to support people from marginalised communities. This might be those who are visually impaired, Deaf/deaf or Hard of Hearing for example, as well as those who are of minority racial groups, queer, non-Cis Hetro or who don't identify in the gender they were born to. It is important to me to own my own power as a white, middle classed, educated woman in the therapy room and I love having an inclusive and wide practice of delicious human beings who continually get me to not take anything for granted!
Photos & videos
Fees
£80.00 - £110.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I have over 22 years clinical experience: thousands of hours as therapist/supervisor, as well as extensive specialist post-qualification training. My fees have recently been reviewed (October 2025). The range £80-£105 per session depends on the therapy type needed and my availability. I hold some concession spaces & can reduce fees for returning clients/or in exceptional circumstances. Feel free to ask me what's available.
Couples therapy is chargeable at £95-£120 per session. Individual therapy is chargeable at £80/£95 per session, with some reductions to the lower range depending on your circumstances. As part of my commitment to inclusivity and access to therapy for wider demographics, I hold 4 concessionary spaces which are available at £45 per session. I will consider if I am able to provide a space if you fall mid-way between these two ranges.
Supervision is chargeable at £90 per session with a minimum frequency of an hour per month.
I also run an organisation Sometimes Therapy Services LTD, which is a low cost provision of therapy for those in the East Devon area working with student therapists. If you are interested in this service instead, please feel free to get in touch.
When I work
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Further information
It's important to me that I am the right therapist for the people I work with. I tend to use the first session to do a full assessment and then see if we both feel we can work together, see if I have the right skills and experience and to create a safe space. I also like to review the work we do together regularly, to make sure it is meeting the needs of my clients. Therapy should work! It's a serious investment in yourself and there should be a good return on that investment!
If I am not the right person, or our diaries are not going to be compatible, I do work with and have a good network of excellent therapists I hold in high regard. If I can, I seek to make onward referrals to help you find the right support.
