About me
Do you look fine on the outside, while feeling anything but okay inside? You’re not alone.
You may already sense that something is holding you back, even if you cannot yet name it. Perhaps you have become the one who copes - keeping everyone else steady, saying yes when you mean no, or pushing yourself towards burnout because slowing down feels unsafe. You may understand a great deal about yourself and still find the same emotional or relationship patterns returning. Or perhaps previous therapy brought valuable insight, but something still feels unfinished.
I’m Lilian, a Registered Member MBACP with a Diploma in Integrative Counselling Level 4. I work mainly with adults who want more than short-term coping strategies: they want to understand what lies beneath anxiety, low mood, people-pleasing, fear of failure, low self-worth or a sense of disconnection, and begin to make changes that feel genuine and sustainable.
My way of working is attentive, grounded and gently curious. You do not need to perform, protect other people or find the perfect words. We can begin with what is here.
Being an integrative counsellor means I adapt the work to you rather than expecting you to fit a fixed method. My practice is trauma-informed and rooted primarily in relational talking therapy. Where helpful, I may also draw on ideas from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Polyvagal Theory, always within the limits of my competence and in a way that fits your needs.
Alongside talking, we may notice emotions, relationships, ways of coping and what happens in your body - perhaps tension, heaviness, restlessness or difficulty settling. Creative or visual exploration can also be offered when words are difficult to find, always as an invitation rather than a requirement.
Some clients come after frightening, harmful or deeply confusing experiences, including childhood trauma, domestic abuse, controlling or psychologically abusive relationships, or losses that were never fully acknowledged. You will not be expected to explain everything or speak about anything before you feel ready. We work at a pace that supports safety, choice and trust.
My own journey through burnout and renewal has deepened my respect for the ways people learn to survive, and for the care sometimes needed when those ways of coping no longer serve them.
My long-standing experience with Systemic Family Constellations also informs the way I listen to family roles, loyalties, losses and recurring patterns. This perspective is introduced only when it feels relevant and after trust has developed; it is never imposed. Family Constellations may also be booked separately by people who specifically wish to explore that approach.
I offer shorter-term and open-ended counselling, online across the UK and in person in Crediton and Exeter. I work primarily with adults and also with young people aged 16-17 where appropriate. Sessions are available in English, with Portuguese offered as an additional language. I offer a free 30-minute initial consultation so that we can meet and consider whether working together feels right.
Training, qualifications & experience
Counselling
· Diploma in Integrative Counselling Level 4
· Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (Registered Member MBACP)
· Supervised client work began in March 2022; qualified as an integrative counsellor in July 2023
I practise within the BACP Ethical Framework and maintain regular clinical supervision, professional indemnity insurance and continuing professional development. Using dates instead of a running total of years keeps the profile accurate without annual rewrites.
· One-year Foundation Certificate in Systemic Family Constellations
· One-year Applied Certificate in Systemic Family Constellations
· Involved with Systemic Family Constellations since 2009; facilitating individual and group constellations since 2011
Selected continuing professional development
- Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry in Action
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intensive training
- Trauma-informed approaches and the effects of trauma on the brain
- Applying Polyvagal Theory to trauma, anxiety, low mood, anger and attachment
- Internal Family Systems-informed approaches
- Working with complex trauma using Internal Family Systems principles
- Strength-based approaches for working with ADHD across the lifespan
- Working safely with suicide and suicidal ideation
- Integrating artwork and creative exploration into counselling practice
These additional courses inform and enrich my integrative practice. They are used within the limits of my professional competence and do not replace my core counselling qualification.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Trans-generational Trauma
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 - £85.00
Additional information
I offer a free 30-minute initial consultation. This is an opportunity to discuss what you are looking for, ask practical questions and consider whether we may be a good fit. There is no obligation to book further sessions.
Availability: Online across the UK and in-person in Crediton and Exeter.
Monday to Thursday : 9am to 6pm | Friday from 9am to 2pm.
Counselling fees:
- Weekly counselling sessions: £60 per session
- Individual Systemic Family Constellation sessions: £85 per session
Further information
Systemic Family Constellation
Individual Systemic Family Constellation sessions can be booked as a standalone service or considered as an optional element within ongoing counselling. This approach is always discussed beforehand and used only where it feels appropriate and meaningful to the client.
My Practice
My practice is called SomaSoul Counselling. "Soma" refers to the body as it is lived and experienced, rather than the body as an object a reminder that what we feel is not only thought about but held, and that healing involves both.
Young people
I work with adults and young people aged 16 and over. Work with anyone under 18 is subject to appropriate consent, confidentiality and safeguarding arrangements, which we will discuss before counselling begins.
Languages
I offer counselling in both English and Portuguese. For bilingual clients, we can work in either language or move naturally between the two where this feels helpful.
Meaning, belief and spirituality
I am currently studying for a degree in Theology (non-denominational) with Philosophy and Psychoanalysis.
This wider academic study supports my continuing interest in meaning, identity, values, belonging and the questions people may carry during periods of change or uncertainty.
My counselling is not based on any particular religious or spiritual belief. People of all faiths, spiritual perspectives and no faith are equally welcome. Questions of spirituality, meaning or belief are explored only when they are important to the client.
Online and international work
Online counselling is offered across the UK. Work with someone temporarily or permanently outside the UK can only be considered individually, subject to insurance, jurisdiction, safeguarding and clinical suitability.
Urgent support
My Services is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger or require urgent mental health assistance, please contact emergency or an appropriate local crisis service.
