About me
Hello. I’m Valerie — Trauma Therapist, Psychotherapist, and founder of The Quiet Root — a space for those living with long-term grief, trauma, or quiet overwhelm.
I often work with people who are carrying a lot — those who seem steady on the outside but feel something quietly fraying beneath the surface.
Many of the people who find their way here have been coping for years. They’re reflective, emotionally aware, and have often tried therapy before — but still feel something in the body that hasn’t quite settled.
My Approach
I offer a steady, relational space for those living with trauma, emotional overwhelm, or long-held experiences that haven’t yet had room to be processed — especially when those experiences are still living in the body.
Trauma can take many forms. It might show up as anxiety, shutdown, overthinking, or the sense that you’re constantly bracing inside — even when everything on the outside looks fine.
Some clients come to me after years of managing life well on the surface, but feeling increasingly disconnected underneath. Others are navigating specific events — a loss, a relationship rupture, a traumatic birth, a difficult upbringing — that never felt fully understood or supported.
I work with what’s unfinished in the nervous system — not just what’s been felt, but what the body never had time, safety, or support to express.
My approach is both somatic and relational. This means we work at your pace, in a way that’s collaborative and body-aware. Together, we make space for slow noticing, emotional repair, and a deeper relationship with the parts of you that have been quietly carrying so much.
My Background and Training
I studied at The City Literary Institute (CityLit), where I undertook years of experiential training. This allowed me to connect with my own difficult experiences and begin a deep process of self-discovery and healing — so that I could learn to hold space for you safely, as we work through whatever feels most pressing.
I later qualified in Trauma Therapy with the NAOS Institute, completed a course in Somatic Trauma Therapy with Babette Rothschild, and I’m currently undertaking training to become a Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner.
I’ve worked in a range of settings and have experience supporting people with anxiety and generalised anxiety disorder, depression and its varied presentations, sexual abuse, relationship issues, domestic abuse, rape, sexual assault, trauma, post-traumatic stress, pregnancy loss, sudden infant death (SIDS), and self-injury. I also bring over 20 years of personal experience in supporting and working with autism.
Getting Started
It can feel like a big step to begin therapy — especially when your grief or trauma has been quiet for so long.
If you’re considering working together, we’ll begin with a short email exchange or a free 15-minute phone call or Zoom to get a sense of whether the space I offer feels right for you.
I currently offer one-to-one sessions online or in-person in Islington (subject to availability). I work with adults only, and sessions are 50 minutes long.
Some people arrive with a clear sense of what they want to explore. Others simply know that something inside feels tired, stuck, or unfinished. You’re welcome either way.
When you’re ready, you can contact me directly through this platform or by email. I’ll meet you from right where you are.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training & Experience
I studied at The City Literary Institute (CityLit) where I undertook years of experiential training. This enabled me to get in touch with my difficult experiences, and begin the process of self-discovery and healing, so that I could learn to safely hold you as we work together through whatever experiences feel most pressing to you.
I later achieved a qualification inTrauma Therapy with the NAOS Institute, completed a course in Somatic Trauma Therapy with Babette Rothschild and am currently undertaking training to become a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.
I have worked in a variety of settings and have gained experience of working safely with anxiety/generalised anxiety disorder, depression and their various manifestations, sexual abuse, relationship issues, domestic abuse, rape, sexual assault, trauma, post-traumatic stress, pregnancy loss, sudden infant death (SIDS) and self-injury. I also have over 20 years personal experience of working with autism.
Qualifications / CPD
- Somatic Experiencing ™ (currently in training)
- PG Dip. in Trauma Therapy
- Somatic Trauma Therapy (CPD)
- Certificate in Person-Centred Supervision
- Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Person Centred)
- BSc (Hons) Psychology
Ready to Get in Touch?
Why not call me today to discuss your needs? I am ready to welcome you!
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.
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
Fees
£100.00 - £150.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I currently practice online only. Please see my fee schedule below:
Weekday Private Practice: £100 for a 50 minute session
Organisational and Media Fee: Please get in touch to discuss my rates
Couples and Families: from£130 for a 60 minute session
Supervision: £70.00 per hour
When I work
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Please get in touch to discuss your availability
