Venecia Howson

Verified Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

she/her
MBACP (Reg), PG Cert, PG Diploma, COSRT Student Member

About me

You might look like you are coping on the outside while internally feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, disconnected from yourself or alone in what you are carrying.

You may appear to function well day-to-day while privately struggling with anxiety, shutdown, dissociation, burnout, relationship difficulties or the lasting impact of trauma.

Many of the people I work with are autistic, ADHD or late-identified neurodivergent adults, including those exploring or questioning their neurodivergence.

Some have spent years masking, overthinking, people-pleasing or trying to hold everything together while feeling increasingly exhausted underneath.

I offer a warm, relational and collaborative space where you do not need to minimise yourself in order to be accepted or explain parts of yourself in order to be understood.

Many people come to therapy after long periods of feeling misunderstood, judged, dismissed or emotionally unsafe within relationships, workplaces or families.

Over time, therapy can become a space where things begin to feel more understandable, manageable and less overwhelming, a space where you can reconnect with yourself more fully and feel less alone in what you are carrying.

How I work
My approach is relational, trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming.

Alongside exploring past experiences, we may also pay attention to what is happening for you emotionally, physically and relationally in the present moment.

Rather than focusing only on coping strategies, therapy can help you develop greater awareness of the patterns, survival responses and relational experiences that may have shaped how you move through the world.

Together, we may explore things such as:

  • patterns of overwhelm, emotional shutdown or dissociation
  • masking and exhaustion from trying to appear “fine”
  • anxiety, hypervigilance or feeling constantly on edge
  • difficulties expressing needs, emotions or boundaries
  • self-criticism, shame or feeling “too much”
  • relationship patterns and attachment wounds
  • the impact of trauma, abuse or difficult past experiences
  • identity, belonging and experiences of difference

I aim to work at a pace that feels manageable and collaborative, recognising that trust, safety and connection often take time.

Neurodivergent & LGBTQ+ affirming support
I offer an LGBTQ+ affirming, trans-inclusive and neurodivergent-affirming space. As a neurodivergent therapist myself, I understand that safety and accessibility look different for everyone. I offer a flexible, responsive environment where diverse identities, relationships and lived experiences are understood and respected without judgement.

Many of the clients I work with have spent years feeling different, misunderstood or unsupported within relationships, education and workplaces.

Therapy can become a space where you feel safer to exist more fully as yourself, without needing to mask, over-explain or shrink parts of who you are in order to feel accepted.

Psychosexual therapy — trainee practitioner, opening for sessions in Oct 2026
I am currently undertaking an advanced Level 7 specialist training in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy with a focus on anti-oppressive and diverse practice. As part of this training, I offer psychosexual counselling and clinical sexology to individual clients under specialist clinical supervision.

This work may include difficulties relating to sex, sexual function, sexual wellbeing, intimacy, desire, arousal, sexual confidence, shame, sexual identity and the impact of past experiences on sexual and intimate relationships.

Sex and intimacy do not happen separately from identity, neurodivergence, culture, gender, sexuality, disability or our experiences of our bodies. My specialist training has a strong anti-oppressive and neuro-affirming foundation. I aim to offer psychosexual work that does not assume heterosexuality, cisgender identity, monogamy or a particular way of experiencing sex and relationships.

I welcome clients of all genders, sexual orientations and people in diverse relationship structures.

I am a trainee member of The College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT).

I currently offer this work online at a reduced trainee practitioner fee of £60 per 50-minute session. Please get in touch via email or my website to discuss session booking. 

Sessions & Locations

I offer sessions in a few different ways depending on what feels most accessible and manageable for you.

High Barnet (EN5) — limited in-person availability
Camden (NW1) — currently at capacity for new clients
Online therapy — available across the UK
Telephone sessions — available for clients who prefer not to use video


My High Barnet practice is located just off Barnet High Street, within walking distance of High Barnet tube station, with several nearby parking options.

My Camden practice is based on Delancey Street, close to Camden Town tube station. My Camden caseload is currently full; I continue to offer limited availability in High Barnet and online.

Taking the first step
I understand that reaching out for therapy can feel daunting, particularly if you are already overwhelmed, anxious or unsure where to begin.

I offer a free initial introductory video call or phone call where we can informally talk about what is bringing you to therapy and whether working together feels like the right fit for you.

How to book: You can arrange this introductory call by messaging me via this page or by clicking through to my website where you can use my online diary booking system.

Training, qualifications & experience

I trained at The Gestalt Centre London, completing both a Certificate and Diploma in Humanistic and Gestalt Counselling.

I am currently undertaking further specialist professional training in:

  • Level 7 Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy at The Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology (CICS)
    A COSRT-accredited professional qualification in psychosexual and relationship therapy. I am currently a COSRT Student Member and will begin seeing psychosexual clients as a trainee practitioner as part of my supervised clinical training.

Alongside my private practice, I have worked within specialist charities supporting adult survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse. This has given me extensive experience of working with complex and longstanding difficulties, including dissociation, chronic overwhelm, relational trauma and the impact of abuse on relationships, intimacy and sense of self.

My additional professional development includes:

  • Neuro-affirming counselling practice
  • Working therapeutically with autistic and ADHD adults
  • Neurodivergence in women, non-binary people and high-masking presentations
  • Specialist trauma training, including phased approaches to trauma work

I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy MBACP and a COSRT Student Member. I hold full professional indemnity insurance and an up-to-date Enhanced DBS certificate.

Member organisations

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Therapies offered

Photos & videos

Fees

£80.00 per session

Additional information

I offer a small number of reduced-fee spaces when available. These are currently full.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Early morning
Morning
Early afternoon
Late afternoon
Evening

Barnet Therapy Rooms, 169 High Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5 5TD

Delancey Street, London, Greater London, NW1 7RX

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Google Meet
Microsoft Teams
Whatsapp
Zoom
Doxy

Supervision

In person
Online

Relational, integrative and neuro-affirming supervision for trainee and qualified counsellors. Supervisor in Training.

View supervision profile