About me
Therapy for adults, individuals and couples, online, in Bristol and Frome, with a focus on strengthening self-confidence and self-esteem, communication, developing healthy and positive habits and behaviours, while addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, burnout, surviving abuse and trauma, addictive behaviours, self harm, relationship issues, bereavement, loss and grief.
Welcome to my page! I’m Irina, a qualified counsellor (MBACP) offering individual and couple therapy online and in person (Bristol & Frome).
If you found your way to my page, you may be going through a difficult time in your life. You might have reached a point where things feel too heavy, too uncertain, or simply stuck. You’ve tried to make sense of things on your own, but nothing seems to shift.
Clients I've worked with often describe feeling “never enough,” always on the go, or emotionally exhausted. Together, we make sense of where these patterns come from and build practical ways to move from feeling lost, overwhelmed, or disconnected to finding steadiness, clarity, and confidence again. We'll explore your story and what shaped the patterns you find yourself repeating - with compassion and curiosity, not judgment.
My style is warm, clear and collaborative; professional, but human. I believe therapy works best when you feel supported and challenged in the right balance.
Common reasons people come to me:
- Anxiety, overthinking and burnout
- Low self-confidence and imposter feelings
- Relationship or family difficulties
- Grief, loss or big life transitions
- Childhood or relational trauma
- People-pleasing and poor boundaries
How I work:
- Safe, confidential and inclusive space (LGBTQ+ affirming)
- Trauma-informed, grounded in attachment and self-awareness
- Experience with neurodiversity, ADHD, burnout, perfectionism and complex family issues and dynamics
- Short or long-term therapy depending on your goals
- Somatic and nervous system-based practices - gentle body awareness, grounding and mindfulness tools to help you reconnect with your body, notice what it needs, and find regulation and safety within
- Practical tools and a clear structure, with optional digital resources (My Toolbox) to support you between sessions
Working across cultures
As someone who has experienced leaving one country to build a life in another, I understand first-hand the complexity of belonging, identity and change that comes with living between cultures. Whether you’ve moved by choice or circumstance, the process can bring both growth and grief, loss of familiar ground, shifting roles, questions about who you are and where you fit. In our work, we can explore these layers together with curiosity and compassion, helping you find a sense of rootedness and self-understanding wherever you are now.
Couple Therapy
I help couples find their way back to understanding, closeness, intimacy and respect - even when things feel tense, distant, or uncertain.
Whether you’re navigating:
- Repeated conflict or emotional disconnection
- The aftermath of betrayal or infidelity
- Changes that have unsettled your relationship (parenthood, relocation, loss, illness, career changes)
- The impact of grief or trauma on your bond
- Communication that feels impossible or always misunderstood
Therapy can help you rebuild trust, learn to listen and be heard, and reconnect with each other on a deeper level.
How I Work - I offer a calm, compassionate and structured space where both partners can speak freely, without judgment or blame.
We’ll explore the patterns between you, understand what’s been driving them, and learn new ways of relating that bring more honesty, care, and emotional safety.
Training, qualifications & experience
I offer counselling in three languages: English, Romanian and Spanish.
EDUCATION:
- CPCAB Certificate in Counselling Studies
- CPCAB Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling (ACTO and NCS)
- Cruse Bereavement Support Foundation Course (NCS)
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest)
- Advanced Diploma in Relationship Psychotherapy (NAOS)
Currently completing:
- Complex Trauma Certification Training Level 1 & 2 (CCTP/CCTP-II)
- ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) Certification Course
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
£60.00 - £120.00
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Individual Therapy (online and in person in Bristol and Frome)
Initial individual therapy consultation: £45 (50 minutes)
Individual therapy: £60 (50 minutes)
Couple Therapy (online and in person in Bristol and Frome)
Initial couple therapy consultation: £60 (60 minutes)
Couples therapy: £80 (60 minutes) / £120 (90 minutes)
Our initial session is an opportunity to explore what your current struggles are, how we could work together in therapy, answer any questions you may have about therapy or working with me. It is also an opportunity to see if we're a good fit as it's important for you to feel safe and comfortable in our work, and for me to make sure I can offer the right support you need.
If you'd like a brief 15 minute phone call (free of charge) to discuss scheduling or any specific questions we could cover in a short call, please get in touch for availability.
I'm also an affiliate therapist with WPA Health Insurance. If your sessions are covered through workplace benefits, please get in touch with me for more details.
When I work
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Further information
Online Therapy
I'm highly experienced in working with clients via video-sessions and have facilitated and seen results in my clients' processes which has led me to recommend online therapy as equally effective as in-person sessions.
Online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for various mental health conditions, but also to support you in changing any unhelpful habits or behaviours. Same as in-person therapy, it encourages open and honest dialogue about issues that cause you distress.
Testimonials
With clients' permission to share the below (anonymised through pseudonyms), I'm grateful I can share some of the feedback received (you can find more on my website):
"Irina's professional but personable nature was so welcoming to me and I know that it is such a huge factor for why I managed to stay in the process for so long.
I felt so comfortable exploring everything with her and can't thank her enough for all the help and support she's given me. It's been a journey and I daresay I think I have actually enjoyed it! I can't recommend Irina enough." (Ella, 2025)
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"You’ve helped me understand myself during some very difficult times - with the loss of my grandfather and grandmother, and in navigating some tough situations at work.
I’m really grateful to have had this space with you where I didn’t have to shy away from my feelings, and where I learned to accept them and make them part of who I am. A big, big thank you!!" (Clara, 2025)
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"Working with Irina was a wonderful journey in which I learnt more about myself and found new methods of coping with issues I struggled with - loss, grief and stress. Through my time with Irina, I developed a stronger ability to understand my stress - how it appears, what the signs are and methods to use to alleviate it - and built confidence in my ability to deal with complex, and often difficult, emotions." (Tom, 2025)
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"I think we had a great relationship. Being from neighbouring countries definitely made me feel understood better than in previous counseling experiences.
I gained a better understanding of how to move forward with my life in a healthy manner and what aspects I need to focus on more. I understood the concepts of mental and emotional burnout and gained clarity of what it was I experiencing. This has been invaluable to letting move forward." (Nina, 2025)
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"Irina was incredible, she made our sessions feel like such a safe space and truly helped me to unpick everything I had been feeling for so long. We worked on how I could give myself more empathy and how to feel better equipped in processing a past relationship. I have found myself able to respond to my emotions rather than be reactive. I have been able to have a more gentle approach to how I empathise with myself. I am truly grateful for the sessions I had with Irina." (Bo, 2024)
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"In the six months I was seeing Irina, she created a space I really felt accepted and safe to be in and be vulnerable.
We worked through some pretty heavy trauma, but I felt supported and like I was leaving the sessions with a self care plan. In this time I learnt a variety of concepts that help me on a daily basis and I've seen growth and development within myself that I wouldn't have otherwise achieved in six months.
I enjoyed Irina's suggestions of different techniques during the course of therapy, and I always felt like I was ultimately in control of the conversation." (Ria, 2024)
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"I really feel like you helped me get through a every confusing and very intense period of grief and depression that'll stay with me forever and you've helped me come out the other side with my head held high.
I cannot stress enough how thankful I am for the tools you've armed me with to keep on keeping on in this life, with a smile on my face that I wasn't sure I'd ever get back. You're an absolute credit to your profession!" (John, 2024)
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"We addressed the main issues that I faces mainly the self image and self esteem issues. Stayed with them slowly and as they came up organically in sessions and issues relating to my life. Helped me view bad situations with more resilience and patience when things go wrong. Helping to bounce back and feel more secure in myself.
I really benefited from the whole experience, learning about myself and the relationships around me in a simple and non-judgemental space." (Ben, 2024)
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"I can’t express how much you have done for me over our time together. I had been in a worrying place for a long time but with your help I have felt more myself again.
I was always really impressed with how listened to me talk for quite a long and uninterrupted period, but then summarised the issue perfectly in a way that was a lightbulb for me.
From the bottom of my heart thank you. " (Adam, 2023)
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"The sessions have given me back self confidence, something that has been buried for a long time. I feel more myself than I have in a long time. The sessions helped me understand some stressful relationships in my life a lot better and I learnt how to have clearer emotional boundaries.
I am truly grateful for the experience and how much it has helped me, and I would highly recommend Irina's services." (Anna, 2023)
