About me
I'm Hannah, a BABCP-accredited psychotherapist in Bristol and online, I specialise in birth trauma and baby loss.
You might be here because of the scan photos you can't bear to look at. The panic when someone mentions another pregnancy. The sense that you failed at something your body was supposed to just do. Or because you're grieving a baby, and everyone else seems to have moved on. It's heavy, it's so common, and hardly anyone talks about it. You may have been told "at least you're both okay". That can be true without being the whole story.
I work part time in an NHS Maternal Mental Health Service and part time in private practice, so this isn't a side interest for me. It's what I do every day. In the NHS I've met too many parents who were struggling quietly and didn't meet the threshold for specialist help, and that's a big part of why I also see people privately.
I'm warm, direct and down to earth. I'll be honest about what therapy can and can't do, we'll go at a pace that feels manageable, and if I'm not the right person for you, I'll say so and help you find someone who is.
What happens next: Book a free 15-minute intro call or send me an email. On the call, we'll talk about what's happened and what you're hoping for, and you can ask me anything. If we decide to work together, we'll book a first session, where we'll talk through your story at your own pace and agree what you'd like to work on.
I see people in person in central Bristol, Clifton Village, and online across the UK, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Training, qualifications & experience
Accreditation and training
BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
IPTUK-accredited Interpersonal Psychotherapist
Trained EMDR therapist
MSc Psychology of Health and Wellbeing
Experience
I have 15 years of clinical experience. I work in an NHS Maternal Mental Health Service supporting women with birth trauma, baby loss and tokophobia, alongside my private practice. I also supervise trainee clinical psychologists from the University of Bath who are on placement in the service.
Teaching and research
I supervised on the University of Exeter High Intensity CBT training programme for three years, and I still guest lecture for the Exeter clinical psychology trainees on the perinatal mental health module. My MSc project was a service evaluation of how effective EMDR and CBT are for birth trauma and baby loss. I've also delivered CPD and workshops on trauma-informed care, birth trauma and baby loss, including for women's health physiotherapists.
How I work
I use EMDR and CBT (including ACT and compassion-focused approaches) to help you process what happened, whether that's a traumatic birth, a loss, or both. Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy can help when grief or the move into parenthood feels overwhelming. We'll choose the approach together.
I'm registered with AXA, Aviva and Cigna Global Health.
My core therapeutic approaches are:
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), including Acceptance and Commitment
- Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
- Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (PGDT)
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.
The BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the practice, theory or development of CBT. BABCP also provides accreditation for CBT therapists. BABCP accredited members adhere to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, and are willing to be scrutinised in this adherence as required.
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
Birth trauma, traumatic birth, tokophobia (fear of childbirth), stillbirth, neonatal death, termination for medical reasons (TFMR), fear of another pregnancy or birth
Therapies offered
Fees
£110.00 per session
