Mandy York Ford

Name: Mandy York Ford
Address: 23 Wood Street, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6JF, GB
Telephone: +441789628730
Price range: £60.00 per session

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Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6JF

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01789 628 730 01789 628 730

About me

“When someone really hears you without passing judgment on you, without trying to take responsibility for you, without trying to mold you, it feels damn good.”
Carl Rogers

I’ve been described as brutally honest which probably is not what you'd expect to read in a therapist’s bio. But it’s true. And it matters.

I bring honesty into the room because it creates space for your honesty too even the parts you usually keep quiet.

Together, we can look at what’s happened, tease apart what it means, and ask: what now? What happens after you’ve said the thing you’ve never said?
After you’ve felt what you were afraid to feel?
After you’ve stopped running from the parts of yourself that just needed to be accepted?

That’s the space I offer: one that’s real, compassionate, and strong enough to hold the truth not just the tidy version of it.

As a person-centred counsellor, I believe that your feelings are not problems, they are communicating something important. Every emotion, every moment of distress, offers insight into what you’ve experienced and what you might need. I work from the perspective that distress is not a flaw or weakness, but a natural response to life’s challenges and circumstances, a way of showing us where we might need to pay attention to what's going on internally. When you start to see your feelings as worth your attention, you're not just noticing emotions, you’re beginning to trust yourself.

With trauma-informed awareness, I recognise how life experiences shape the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and influence emotional and physiological responses. I understand that unresolved trauma can contribute to states of hypervigilance, dissociation, or emotional shutdown, and that healing begins with creating a sense of safety and self-regulation. Drawing on Polyvagal Theory, I support clients in understanding their nervous system responses and developing strategies to move toward greater balance and connection.

In addition to my person-centred approach, I completed further training in: Internal Family Systems (IFS), this theory promotes the idea that we are made up of different internal parts that serve specific roles, especially in response to past experiences. By fostering curiosity and self-compassion, I help clients explore and integrate these parts whether they manifest as protectors, wounded inner children, or critical voices, so they can cultivate greater harmony and self-leadership. This non-pathologising approach allows clients to embrace all aspects of themselves with understanding rather than judgment, leading to deeper healing and personal growth.

I'm invested in authenticity, self-awareness, and empowerment, I work collaboratively with clients to help them gain clarity, confidence and resilience.

Training, qualifications & experience

I am a fully qualified Person Centred Counsellor and a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy).

(MBACP) 380374

You can learn more about what this means below:

https://www.bacp.co.uk/membership/registered-membership/

For the past five years, I have been practicing in Stratford-upon-Avon, working closely with clients navigating a wide spectrum of challenges—each as unique as the individuals themselves. It has been a privilege to support people through their journeys, offering a compassionate and tailored approach to their needs.

Before establishing my practice, I worked with agencies and charities across Birmingham, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, providing vital support to individuals in distress. My counselling training was equally diverse, allowing me to work with young people in a secondary school, support individuals experiencing loss and grief in a hospice, and undertake specialist trauma-informed training with a charity dedicated to survivors of sexual violence, rape, and sexual abuse.

These experiences have shaped my deep commitment to creating a safe, understanding, and empowering space for those I work with.

Compassionate Inquiry Dr Gabor Maté

Polyvagal theory and trauma Deb Dana

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Online Therapy institute (Moving your practice online)

A Disorder for Everyone - exploring the culture psychiatric diagnosis, creating change

Warwickshire Pride- LGBT+ awareness training

First Person Plural -Trauma Related Complex Dissociation

Myton Hospice - loss and bereavement training.

Safeline Warwick - OCN Working with survivors of rape and sexual abuse including trauma. 2018

FdSc Counselling and Psychotherapy (person centred) 2019

Level 3 Certificate in Counselling skills 2011