Vanessa Zopp

I am a qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist. I am an Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a  Registrant of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)  have held various positions in the third sector and private practice. In 2023 I specialised in Pet Bereavement & Loss after attending a 30 hrs CPD Accr. training delivered by the Blue Cross, I have a passion for nature and I made of caring my job.  My Pet Loss & Bereavement practice includes all types of pets. Whether you are grieving a dog, cat, horse, rabbit, bird, fish, snake, spider, fish, rat, or another companion animal, your relationship and loss are treated with equal respect. At the heart of my work there is One Welfare, an evidence-based approach suggesting that all animals, humans and not, are interconnected. 

My therapeutic approach is framed within Existentialism, with core professional training in CBT and Psychodynamic therapy. While I don’t offer CBT as a stand-alone service, I may integrate its techniques where helpful. I also draw on Systems Thinking and Organisational Dynamics.

I work with adults in weekly sessions, either online or in person. My counselling space is in Hornchurch, near Romford station. I offer both open-ended and time-limited therapy, and will support you in exploring your goals, preferences, and  limitations if you'd like to work within a specific timeframe.

My style is collaborative, curious, energetic, dialogical, and intentionally naive—open to questioning and discovery. I I’m an LGBTIQA+ ally, Kink and BDSM friendly, and committed to supporting self-advocacy.

If you are going through a hard time suffering from anxiety, depression, or relationship issues, or even if you are not sure yet, I am here to listen and help.

I practice across a wide range of issues. I have specialist experience in working with people with anxieties such as social anxiety, bullying, psychological or sexual abuse, depression, perfectionism, relationship issues and low self-esteem, neurodivergence, work stress and burnout, life transitions and identity,  and bereavement. I also have significant experience with loss, bereavement, pet grief, and young adult issues at the workplace and university.

If you are considering working with me after reading this, please contact me for an initial phone call. 

How can counselling help me?

Counselling has proved to be effective in improving the lives of those experiencing social anxiety, grief, family issues, feeling sad or empty, low self-esteem, abuse and work or study stress, relationship problems and many other issues of people in distress.

I am compassionate, emphatic, dynamic, and thoughtful, and I offer a space where you can be genuinely listened to in a non-judgemental, open, warm way in a safe and quiet area.

My approach

My way of working is collaborative, which means we will decide the best approach for you. My core training is Psychodynamic Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  Existential Counselling and System thinking also inform me. This means I am interested in and work with the past and present.

I am an LGBTIQA+ ally, and I am sex-positive. I am neurodivergent-affirmative and pro-self-advocacy (knowing yourself, knowing your needs, and knowing how to get what you need). I am a Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)-affirmative individual. I am anti-racist. I value diversity, and I am against discrimination in all its forms. However, I know I must do my best to learn and be constantly vigilant and aware of my blind spots. 

Psychodynamic Counselling: it explores the past in relation to how you feel and behave in the present. The purpose is to understand yourself better, which will trigger changes in your life. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on 'the here and now' to proactively change how you think and behave. Exercises and tasks are done between sessions and set collaboratively. Existential Therapy: Existential therapy focuses on philosophical themes that address the difficulties of being human and the awareness of death. The focus is on the personal meaning you give to things in life rather than on my imposition of a theoretical explanation. The aim is to help you understand more about yourself and foster the awareness that you can choose how to be in the world by changing or tolerating the way things are. 

We will do this at your pace, considering the practicalities of your life, preferences and therapy goals. Together, we will build greater awareness of your behaviours and work toward a better, more fulfilling life.

To do so, I usually allow 1/2 initial appointments so that at the end of those, we will have decided together what suits your needs better, for how long, and what the therapy goals will be. Should we conclude that you will get better help from other professionals/organisations I will help you find the right ones if you wish to. 

Online:  Aside from in-person psychotherapy, I offer video calls typically via Zoom, but I can also accommodate WhatsApp. Online sessions are offered to people living and residents in the UK. Online therapy is inappropriate for suicidal thoughts and longstanding severe mental health conditions. 

What to expect in your first session?

During the first 1/2 sessions (their name is assessment), we will look at your reasons for coming to counselling together with your hopes, expectations and aims for therapy. You will understand a bit more about therapy. 

This is also an excellent opportunity to get to know each other: for you to reflect on whether you wish to work with me, and for us to decide whether working together feels good and appropriate for you. Shall we conclude that you will get better help from other professionals/organisations I will support you in finding the right ones if you wish to. 

Choosing your therapist is a crucial step; whatever the therapy, our relationship is deemed to be the predictor of a good factor to support you. 

. I will always allow time to reflect on whether you feel comfortable working together.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to have an initial conversation. 

Pet Bereavement, pet loss. 

Single Session Therapy. 

Those struggling with alcohol issues of a loved one. 

Self- funded: £75.

Insurance, EAP and third party/employer: £80-90. Cancellations are not covered by insurers. 

I invoice Insurance directly. You will need to gather some initial information, and I will guide you through the process. More details are available on my website: www.vzcounsellingservices.co.uk

I'm passionate about nature and all its creatures - and I would like to have the opportunity to share it with others, not only to support my clients but also the wider community I am part of. 

My Pet Loss and Bereavement Services Essex is built on one core idea: all creatures are equal, humans and not; their lives are interconnected, so one's well-being depends on the other's. This is not just a statement, but an evidence-based framework called One-Welfare, increasingly used by many professionals (e.g., veterinary practices accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, RCVS), though less known to the general public. 

But how does this help my clients practically? Let's explore the principle that all animals are equal: 

• My practice does not discriminate on species: all pets deserve equal dignity and attention, including those often stigmatised, such as spiders, snakes, and rats, which are too often linked to phobias and anxiety. Also companions working on farms, such as donkeys, chickens, to name some. 
• I strive to keep inclusive language: I use "pets" as a broad umbrella term in my writing, while recognising that each human has their own way of describing their relationship with them. 'companion' and 'fellow' are used interchangeably for all animals, humans, and pets. I admit, it is still a bit difficult sometimes; my clients are a great help and inspiration. 
• I strive to be a Pet-Aware Practitioner: When clients are supporting an animal through illness, pain, ageing, palliative care, behavioural difficulties, or veterinary treatment, their own emotional wellbeing is often affected too. Recognising common signs of physical discomfort, fear, anxiety, stress, and reduced quality of life in animals helps me better understand the realities my clients may face. . As a BACP-accredited counsellor, I also have a responsibility to work within the limits of my competence and to understand the contexts that shape my clients' lived experiences. This understanding supports more informed and sensitive therapeutic work.  Therefore, I completed the Blue Cross Certificate in Pet Bereavement Support, a 30-hour training commonly undertaken by professionals working in veterinary settings, which included an overview of common euthanasia practices, including those used for horses.  I am also undertaking Fear Free® training focused on recognising and reducing stress, fear, and anxiety in cats and dogs. Veterinary professionals attend both trainings as part of their RCVS accreditation. Whilst I do not provide veterinary advice, this awareness enables me to work more sensitively with experiences such as caregiving, anticipatory grief, treatment decisions, euthanasia, and loss