About me
Zoe Burnay
Psychotherapeutic Counsellor | Norwich & Online
For the parts of you that haven't had a voice... yet.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“Kind,” said the boy.
— Charlie Mackesy
These simple words resonate deeply with me. Kindness is often overlooked, yet I believe it is an important part of meaningful therapeutic work. When we feel accepted and understood, it can become possible to say things we haven't been able to say elsewhere.
I'm Zoe, a psychotherapeutic counsellor offering a warm, thoughtful and non-judgemental space in Norwich and online. I believe the relationship we build in the room is central to the work. For some people, coming to counselling is the first time they've really had space to stop and reflect. For others, it may be about understanding something they've been carrying for a long time.
You don't need to arrive with the right words, a clear explanation or a neatly defined problem. We can start wherever you are. Our sessions can be a place to settle in, be yourself and take some time to make sense of what's going on, with room for humour too. A shared laugh can sometimes bring a little lightness to even the hardest moments.
My own experiences have given me an appreciation of how much people can carry, often without others knowing, and how grief, trauma, loss, addiction, shame and difficult circumstances can affect the way we see ourselves and those around us. You don't have to explain everything for me to recognise the lasting impact your experience has had on you.
Before retraining as a counsellor, I spent many years in the creative industry, where I experienced high expectations, intense scrutiny and the pressure to constantly perform and prove myself. That experience gave me an understanding of how pressure, self-doubt, perfectionism and feeling unheard can quietly shape the way we see ourselves.
Alongside my private practice, I work within homelessness services, supporting people affected by trauma, addiction, loss, adversity and complex circumstances. I have also previously worked within mental health services. These experiences have reinforced for me that there is rarely a simple explanation for why someone is struggling.
I don't see therapy as fixing people. I'm interested in understanding what has happened, how you've learnt to cope, and whether those ways of coping are still serving you. Sometimes the things we find hardest about ourselves make more sense when we understand where they came from.
My approach is pluralistic, drawing from person-centred, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapies. I don't believe there is one way of doing therapy, so we'll work together to find what is useful for you. That may change as we go along.
Carl Rogers wrote:
“When a person realises he has been deeply heard, his eyes moisten. I think in some real sense he is weeping for joy. It is as though he were saying, ‘Thank God, somebody heard me. Someone knows what it's like to be me.’”
For me, being properly heard can be surprisingly powerful. It can give us the opportunity to understand ourselves differently and perhaps give a voice to parts of ourselves that have been overlooked or silenced.
My hope is that our sessions feel like somewhere you can be yourself rather than perform yourself, a place to think, feel, explore and, sometimes, laugh.
If you're considering counselling but aren't sure whether it's right for you, I offer a free, 30 minutes no pressure zoom or phone call . You can tell me a little about what's bringing you here, ask any questions you have, and get a feel for whether we'd work well together.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 5 Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling (Prof.Dip Psyc C)
- Psychotherapeutic Counsellor - Norfolk and Waveney Mind Low Cost Counselling Service
- Locum Support Worker - St Martins Housing Trust
- Triage and Support Line Operative - Norfolk and Waveney Mind
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.
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.
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
Additional information
£55 per 50-minute session (online or in person)
A small number of concession spaces are available for those on a low income - please feel free to ask
