About me
Hi, I’m Vicki, an integrative and creative psychotherapist and founder of Woven Self Therapy.
People come to therapy for many different reasons. You might be feeling overwhelmed, anxious, burnt out, or stuck. Perhaps you are trying to make sense of a diagnosis, a change in your health or capacity, relationship difficulties, grief, loss, or a period of transition. Sometimes there is no clear explanation at all, just a sense that something no longer feels manageable or that you would like some space to understand yourself better.
My approach is warm, collaborative and person-centred. I believe that you are the expert in your own life. My role is not to tell you who to be or how you should live, but to work alongside you to explore your experiences, relationships and circumstances, understand patterns that may be affecting you, and consider what feels important to you now.
How I work
I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. As an integrative psychotherapist, I draw from different therapeutic approaches depending on your individual needs.
Sometimes words come easily; sometimes they do not. As a trained creative psychotherapist, I can also offer different ways of exploring your experiences, including imagery, metaphor, journalling, mindfulness, art materials, or other forms of expression.
You do not need to consider yourself creative, and there is never any expectation to work creatively. These are simply additional possibilities available to us.
Neurodiversity-affirming and needs-led practice
For me, neurodiversity-affirming practice is about recognising that people communicate, process information, regulate themselves and engage with therapy differently. Whatever your neurotype, I offer an affirming approach for all, as I believe whether diagnosed, questioning, or neuro-typical a needs-led approach benefits everyone.
I also have a particular interest and experience working with chronic illness, burnout, changing capacity, identity, grief and major life transitions.
However you identify, my aim is to offer a space where you can bring your whole experience without repeatedly having to explain or defend your needs. I offer adaptations that will help to remove any barriers you may have to therapy, whether this is supporting communication preferences, processing time, movement, sensory needs, camera use, or accommodating fatigue and fluctuating capacity.
Sometimes therapy is about change. Sometimes it is about understanding, grieving, adjusting, finding different ways of meeting your needs, or developing a more compassionate understanding of yourself.
Starting therapy
Starting therapy can feel daunting, particularly if you are unsure what you need or have previously felt misunderstood.
I offer a free 20-minute online consultation where we can talk briefly about what has brought you to therapy, you can ask questions about how I work, and we can consider whether working together feels like a good fit. There is no obligation to continue.
Sessions are 50 minutes and currently take place online, with in-person sessions planned for the future in the North Merseyside area. Weekly or fortnightly sessions can be discussed depending on your circumstances and needs.
Training, qualifications & experience
Core qualifications
- PG Dip CYP-PT: Working therapeutically with Learning disabilities and Autism (Study currently ongoing)
- MSc Counselling & Psychotherapy (Contemporary Creative Approaches)
- Graduate Certificate (Level 6) Advanced Counselling Skills
- CACHE Level 2 Counselling Skills
- Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Mindfulness Now
Additional training and professional development
- Counselling Children and Young People
- Online & Telephone Counselling - NCPS & ACTO
- Anxiety, grief and life transitions
Anxiety Disorders and Supportive Strategies
- Counselling for Chronic Illness
- Counselling Clients with Ambiguous Loss
- Working with Grief and Bereavement
- How Adverse Circumstances Can Complicate Grief
- Working Therapeutically with Clients Experiencing Menopause; Supporting Maternal
- Mental Health
Risk, trauma and complex presentations
- Preparing to Work with Sexual Abuse; Working with Clients Who Self-Harm
- Suicide Awareness
- Working with Eating Disorders
- Polyvagal Theory
Relationships, families and caring roles
- Working at Relational Depth
- Supporting Parents of Children with Special Needs
- Counselling Carers
- Understanding Gender and Gender Identification
- Attachment in the therapy room
My CPD is ongoing, and I regularly attend various courses, training events and workshops.
Experience
I have worked in mental health and wellbeing for over eight years in the community, schools, charities, CICs and private clinical settings. My experience has included one-to-one therapeutic work with adults and young people, group facilitation, mindfulness-based work, creative wellbeing workshops and educational support.
My clinical experience includes supporting children & young people and adults across the lifespan. I have worked with carers, parents and siblings of children with disabilities, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, grief and loss, Trauma, self-harm, emotion-based school avoidance, PDA, OCD, relationship difficulties, life transitions, neurodivergence, burnout, chronic illness, and changes in identity or capacity.
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Additional information
I offer a limited number of concessionary spaces for students and people on lower incomes. Please feel welcome to ask about availability.
I also offer a free 20-minute initial consultation.
Further information
I currently offer online therapy to adults across the UK, with plans to introduce face-to-face sessions in the North Merseyside area in the near future.
I offer a free 20-minute online consultation before starting therapy. This gives us an opportunity to meet, talk briefly about what has brought you to therapy, discuss any questions or accessibility needs, and consider whether working together feels like a good fit. There is no obligation to continue afterwards.
Sessions are 50 minutes and can usually take place weekly or fortnightly depending on your needs and circumstances.
I aim to make therapy as accessible as possible. If communication, sensory needs, executive functioning, chronic illness, fatigue or fluctuating capacity affect how you access therapy, please feel welcome to discuss this with me. We can consider adjustments such as camera use, movement breaks, additional processing time, pacing, or other ways of working that make sessions more manageable.
I am a Registered Member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), fully insured, and hold an Enhanced DBS certificate.
