Petra Smith
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Life may feel heavy right now, and some days you're just getting through the basics.
Maybe you're constantly switched on, holding it all together for everyone else, while inside it’s chaos.
You’ve been carrying so much for so long, and you're exhausted.
You might look fine but you feel like falling apart. You wish there was someone who could hear “I’m not okay” without judgement or fear of not knowing how to help. You want to talk to someone who gets it - without pressure, just someone who’s really there for you.
Anxiety that doesn’t switch off. A sadness you can’t explain. A loss that’s left a hole in your world. Or maybe you’re simply feeling stuck – not quite yourself, and not sure how to move forward.
Often, my clients say things like:
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“I feel like I’m just existing, not really living.”
“I smile on the outside, but inside, I’m falling apart.”
If any of that sounds familiar, I want you to know: there’s space for all of that here.
- My approach is gentle, honest, and real. More than techniques or tools, I believe the relationship we create together - the trust, safety, and connection we build – is at the heart of the healing process. In the process, you will also build your personalised toolbox of helpful techniques and learn lots about yourself!
This is a space where you can take the mask off. You don’t need to have the right words. You don’t need to have it all together. Together, we’ll make sense of what you’re going through, at your pace. I believe healing happens in the safety of being seen, heard, and accepted – just as you are.
We can talk about the hard stuff – but there’s also space to breathe, be real, and sometimes even laugh. Therapy doesn’t have to be serious all the time.
I understand how our minds can become tangled in patterns that feel impossible to break – and how painful that can be when you’re anxious, low, or feeling lost. I’m here to help you gently explore what’s going on beneath the surface, and to support you in finding clarity, relief, and direction.
- How I can help
Everything we do is tailored to you – there’s no one-size-fits-all. My role is to walk beside you as you reconnect with your strength, your voice, and your sense of self.
With a degree in psychology, diploma in integrative counselling and Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapy, I offer a flexible and personalised approach to therapy – because I believe that no two people are the same, and neither are their struggles. Drawing on a range of therapeutic models, I’ll work with you to find what fits you best – whether that’s exploring thoughts and patterns, processing deep emotions, or simply creating space to breathe and be.
I'm very interested in the mind-body connection – how our emotional experiences, especially trauma, live not just in our minds, but also in our nervous system. Whether you’re feeling anxious, low, overwhelmed, or disconnected, we might gently explore how your body holds your story too – helping you reconnect, release, and feel more grounded in yourself.
I also want you to leave with practical tools and insights you can use in everyday life. Whether it’s learning how to use gentle techniques to regulate and ground yourself, or strategies to gently shift unhelpful thought patterns.
- Our work isn’t just about what happens in the session – it’s about helping you start building trust in yourself, feel more empowered and supported in the rest of your life too.
This space is yours. There’s no pressure, no judgment – just support that meets you where you are, and walks with you at your pace.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BACP registered Integrative Counsellor. I have a degree in Psychology from Birkbeck College, London, along with qualifications in Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) and Coaching. CBH qualification is evidence based, combines CBT & Hypnotherapy and is endorsed by the British Psychological Society.
Additionally, I work as a specialist mentor, supporting university students with Autism and ADHD diagnoses. I also volunteer at a hospice, supporting individuals through bereavement.
I have experience as a support worker, supporting clients with complex mental health needs and everyday challenges.
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 - £65.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£65 for 1hr session.
£60 for 50min session.
Minimum 2 sessions a month.
A free initial call helps you get a sense of whether we are the right fit to work together.
When I work
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