Hannah Duncan

Becoming our "true self", or recovering from what has been done to us in our pasts, can be a sticky, messy and scary business. Sometimes trauma leaves residues of fear, shame and immobility... and yet in overcoming these residues, there can be an intensely satisfying and rewarding process. 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.

Practicing from both East Devon and Nationally and Internationally online, I sat down with my first client over 20 years ago and my first supervisee 12 years ago. I have extensive experience of working with individuals and groups and am an accredited member of BACP. I have experience working with couples, hold a Certificate in Trauma Therapy, which incorporates working with EFT and offering Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), hold a Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy and Certificate in Embodied Practice. 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, 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 usually work in longer-term relationships as I find this work rewarding. However, I do enjoy focused and committed short-term work.

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!

Couples therapy is chargeable at £85 per session. Individual therapy is chargeable at £75 per session, £65 for those who are keen to engage, but for who the higher fee is too much of a stretch. I hold 3 concessionary spaces at £40/£45 per session (currently full). Students have a reduced rate of £65 per session.

Supervision is chargeable at £75 per session with a minimum frequency of an hour per month. 

Group Trauma Therapy (new online in January 2024) is offered from £45-£65 per week. An initial intake meeting to look at C/PTSD symptoms is offered for £25. This also checks its going to be a safe/supportive space for each individual member. This is a small online group on a Monday evening currently, but we will aim to do an In Person group in Devon in the Spring, so if you are interested, please contact me to put your name down.

NEW: from January 2024 I will be running a new online therapy group for up to 6/7 people called "Sometimes, Trauma..." Clients can be included with all types of trauma, including attachment as well as abuse issues. Please contact me for details. 

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!