Vanessa Shipley


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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
If you are finding day to day life difficult, struggling with overwhelming emotions such as grief, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem or anger; or struggling with a relationship or relationships in general, or perhaps you are suffering from something so debilitating as panic attacks, then therapy could really help to turn things around. In addition to this, if you have been through trauma or loss, either as a child or more recently as an adult, then having a trained professional to help you navigate and process the painful, and often unconscious feelings that have developed as a result, really can be life changing.
I am a Psychodynamic therapist, which means that I work with my clients to bring about deep, long-lasting change in a very nurturing environment by looking at the root cause of difficulties, helping you to better understand, work through and overcome these issues permanently.
Qualified to Master's level, I work with a broad range of issues such as anxiety, depression, depersonalisation, relationship difficulties, bereavement, eating disorders, anger management, trauma, victims of sexual abuse and/or domestic abuse, and as we are all unique individuals, with unique experiences, I provide a tailor made approach for each of my clients, working at their pace. I also work with those diagnosed with Autism and/or ADHD, helping them to feel more able to understand and manage their emotions and relationships, in turn developing a stronger sense of self.
As a very compassionate therapist, I will help you understand and reframe your thoughts and emotions by helping you to look at your unconscious thought processes and no matter what is overwhelming you, I am here to offer a very safe, welcoming, non - judgemental space. Talking about what you are experiencing to someone who is trained to really listen and help you navigate through these difficult times so that you can find lasting relief from them, is hugely liberating.
With a wealth of lived experience, I always endeavour to put people at their ease so that the experience of therapy does not feel so daunting. These, together with my extensive training, are the tools that I use to enable you to promote deep change within yourself - one that can last a lifetime. I can help you to uncover the roots to your difficulties, helping you to process them and become more connected to yourself and the world around you.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy & Counselling helps you to do a deep dive into your unconscious mind, so that long lasting changes in all areas of your life can be promoted, improving not only your mental health but your physical health too. It is a therapy which gets to the core of issues and helps you to process, and in turn, liberates you from negative unconscious thought patterns and feelings.
To decide whether the therapy I offer is the right therapy for you, and to see if you feel that I might be the right therapist for you, I offer a free initial 50 min assessment where I will ask you a series of questions to find out what difficulties you are facing and also tell you about how I work. So, please call, text or email me and we can set this up - I always get back to enquiries within a few hours. You can book an initial (free) phone consultation with me as well .
I hold face-to-face sessions in my clinical space in Billericay and offer online sessions too. I work both shorter term and longer term with clients, depending on what the particular issues are.
About me
I spent 5 years working in the rehabilitation dept of a Forensic Psychiatric hospital and have worked as a Counsellor for MIND, for teachers in the state system and also as a Counsellor for the Government's Justice Department. I currently work for a Psychotherapy & Counselling centre in Essex, as well as having my own private practice.
Before becoming a Psychotherapist and Counsellor, I worked as a teacher trainer and language teacher for teenagers and adults for many years. This experience, I believe, has been fundamental in helping me to have a much deeper understanding of people and the difficulties that they face.
I have a Master's Degree in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Counselling from Essex University (Distinction), a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy from Durham University and a Cambridge University Diploma and Certificate in teaching.
Please take a look at my articles below to give you an idea about how I work.
Cost
I offer a free initial consultation and assessment (50 mins).
Each individual session is £55 per 50 minutes.
Concessions are available for students and those who are retired.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a Master's Degree and an Advanced Diploma in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Counselling for Adults.
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
£55.00 per session
Free initial in-person, telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
An online assessment and online sessions are £55 per session (per 50 minutes).
Concessions are available for those that need urgent support but are currently unable to pay the full fee AND to people who are retired, refugees or students.