Lisa Alhadeff
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
When clients come to see me, they often feel like they've tried everything. Therapy can feel like a last resort. They are living with overwhelming emotions and feelings and it's exhausting.
You might be feeling hopeless, and yet somehow you need things to be easier.
Having to hide how you feel can be lonely. Whether you’ve been through an overwhelming event, or have struggled for a long time, I can support you in taking steps to make life feel easier. If you're feeling overwhelmed, especially if you've felt that way for a long time, it's hard to know where to start. I understand how impossible it might be to imagine feeling okay, and work with you at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
I offer a no-cost initial 30-minute consultation either face-to-face or online. You can book this via my website or contact me by email, telephone, WhatsApp or text message to set this up.
I have experience providing emotional support in a crisis through several years of volunteering with Samaritans, as well as a good working knowledge of the mental health services in Sheffield. This means I understand the journey to find support you have followed – and how difficult that might have been. Living with high levels of distress, anxiety or low mood can be unbearable. I will work with you to get you to a place where you feel able to cope with the challenges life brings.
How I Work
I’m an integrative counsellor which means I bring a toolkit of techniques (such as talking therapy and CBT) to help you get what you need from the therapy - and if something doesn’t work for you, we move on. Being trained in a variety of techniques means that I can find ways of working together that will really work for you.
As well as issues like anxiety, depression, self-criticism, and low self-esteem, I have significant experience in working with trauma and work with clients who have:
- Physical, emotional and sexual abuse
- Grief and bereavement (including traumatic losses)
- Eating disorders
- Bipolar disorder
I work in a trauma-informed way, recognising that that you may have had experiences that may have deeply affected you. Part of our work will involve keeping you emotionally safe and preventing you from being re-traumatised. We will identify your triggers and empower you to manage them.
At times, I work with clients to educate and understand why they are experiencing certain symptoms – this is called psychoeducation, and can be a really useful part in giving you the tools you need to recover from experiences like grief, trauma and eating disorders.
What does therapy for Eating Disorders or Disordered Eating look like?
Assessment phase:
- An initial session which allows me to understand more about what your relationship with food is, and to explore what might be keeping you stuck.
- Two 90-minute assessment sessions, during which we will formulate a plan for working with your eating.
Core therapy phase:
- Regular weekly sessions.
- Work to address the things that are keeping disordered eating going, helping you to become more flexible and comfortable around your eating habits.
- Recognising experiences that might have impacted you in your life and working with self-esteem.
- Dealing with difficult emotions and finding coping strategies to manage stress.
Maintenance and recovery phase:
- Step-down to less frequent sessions, moving to monthly and 3-monthly follow-ups or email support.
- Planning for coping with future challenges to your relationship with food.
Throughout the therapy, you will be offered:
- Ongoing monitoring of your progress through an app (or word document if preferred).
- Between session support via the app.
- Access to multidisciplinary support.
We will usually plan to work together for three months or more, reviewing after the first assessment phase.
What to expect from your first session
We will start with a no-cost 30 minute consultation (either by telephone, Zoom, or face-to-face) to get a feel for how working together would be, and talk about how sessions work.
If we decide to work together, we will then have a longer 60-minute assessment session, charged at the normal session rate.
Training, qualifications & experience
- BPS-approved Autism and Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating (ARFID) - National Centre for Autism and Mental Health.
- Level 5 diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Practice (NCPS accredited).
- Diploma in Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders - National Centre for Eating Disorders (NCFED).
- ABC awards & Certa Awards Quality License Scheme Working with Personality Disorders, Level 3.
- ABC awards & Certa Awards Quality License Scheme Community Mental Health and Psychiatry, Level 4.
- QA Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace (RQF).
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 National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 per session
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
The fee for a counselling session is £65 for a 1 hour session.
The fee for working with eating disorders/disordered eating is £75 per hour. For more information, see my website.
I may be able to offer discounted rates for low income clients or those in receipt of benefits. Please contact me directly to dicuss this.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
Further information
As a member of BACP and NCPS, I adhere to their ethical frameworks and engage in continuous professional development and regular supervision. This ensures I stay updated with new therapeutic approaches and maintain a high standard of work.
Sessions are usually weekly, but I can adjust as needed. I primarily offer in-person sessions but can accommodate online appointments for accessibility reasons.
