Trainee Psychotherapist: Helen Lister

Helen Lister 17 September 2025

Hi, I’m Helen (she/they).

I am a trainee psychotherapist offering sessions in-room and online. Weekly therapy can offer you support with a specific challenge you may be facing in life, such as a bereavement or relationship breakdown, or it can support you more generally to better understand yourself, others and the world we live in. We will build a supportive relationship together that allows you to do this at a pace that feels right for you.Helen Lister 17 September 2025

I welcome the opportunity to work with clients of all genders, sexualities and cultural backgrounds. We are all affected by the cultures and political systems that surround us, and therapy can be a space to unpack this. I am part of the LGBTQIAP+ community, and have previously worked as a therapist in specialist charity settings exploring gender identity, sexuality and relationship diversity. I also have several years’ experience working with adults of all genders in sexual violence services.

Some of the other key themes I have worked with include, but are not limited to:

  • Low self-worth
  • Family relationships
  • Grief / Loss
  • Spirituality
  • Childhood trauma

I offer in-person sessions in central Bristol or online. We can work together for a fixed amount of time or open-ended, which means you decide to finish when it feels right for you.

If you are interested in finding out more, I invite you to book a reduced-cost initial consultation appointment (£25/50m). The initial consultation is an opportunity for me to learn more about what has brought you to therapy, and for you to learn more about me and my way of working. My standard rate is £55 per 50-minute session.

To book your initial consultation, please contact me on: helenlistertherapy@gmail.com

UKCP Reg. Trainee Psychotherapist (2011185585)

 

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Mental Health Awareness Week: 12 to 18 May

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week which highlights mental health in the wider community, and this year it’s that very word ‘Community’ that is the theme for this year.Mental Health Awareness Week

Community is all about relating and including, and forming those relations in the community leads to inclusion. The sense of community is good for mental health generally, of course, but it can be overlooked amongst the other specific and individual positives that improve and maintain mental health.

As the Mental Health Foundations’ website says:

‘Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone. Communities can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and give us a sense purpose.’

Here are the Mental Health Foundation’s tips on how to get involved with your community.

  • Make it fun – choose an activity you enjoy. Join a club or group centred around your interests.
  • Get outdoors – get out and moving in nature for more mental health benefits.
  • Find like-minded people – build connections with people who share your interests and values. However, do try and meet people who are different from you too.
  • Show kindness to others – connect with your community through acts of kindness which benefit you and others.
  • Show your appreciation – smiling or saying thank you can strengthen a relationship.
  • Connect online – healthy online communities can make you feel safe and valued.
  • Give back – helping others is a great way to build community and give you purpose.
  • Care for your local community – increase your part in your community by getting involved in local campaigns and events.
  • Welcome others – make new people joining your community feel welcomed and included.
  • Find peer support if you feel you are struggling – connect with other people who may be going through the same experiences as you.

…and here is the link to their website, with all the information and resources they make available, both about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week in particular and mental health in general.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week

 

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Integrative Counsellor: Elanor Gibson

4-April-2025-slightly-bigger-file-Elanor-photo

4-April-2025-slightly-bigger-file-Elanor-photoLife can be messy, sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees. However, I believe we all have the capacity within us to find the direction and pace we want to be moving in and an idea about where we want to go.

Perhaps first, a space to slow down, stop and reflect in this busy world, is what you need right now.

You may feel that the future is daunting and you are facing a steep climb ahead of you, or that issues from the past are drawing your attention back. You might feel stuck in the mud or trudging an arduous path day to day. Whether you are processing the loss of a significant person in your life or dealing with a big change. Or coping with relationship struggles or distressing past experiences – causing you low mood, anxiety and stress. Maybe you feel overwhelmed or stuck and would like to make changes in your life.

A safe space to talk, think, feel… can often be enough to find clarity and a way through life’s challenges.

My experience, qualifications and therapy practice:

I am an experienced BACP registered, integrative counsellor. I offer short-term and long-term counselling. I have 7 years post-qualifying experience. This includes supporting people processing past traumas, complex relationships, past or recent losses, anxiety and depression, adjustment to diagnosis/illness and bereavement.

I have 15 years experience working within psychology teams in the NHS, with adults and older adults who have long-term neurological conditions – particularly dementia, as well as working therapeutically with carers/partners. This was primarily a person-centred and systemic approach.

I have also worked in an organisation specialising in addiction recovery (mainly alcohol), supporting those in recovery and family members/partners affected by someone else’s substance use (past or present).

I have a Diploma in Professional Studies Counselling from University of West of England (UWE) and an MSc in Neuropsychology from Bristol University.

I draw mainly from Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Gestalt and trauma-informed approaches, whilst adding a neuropsychological perspective to understanding the brain-body relationship. I work relationally and creatively.

‘Some therapists combine creative activities with talking therapy as part of their sessions.’ (www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/creative-therapy). I am experienced in integrating various therapeutic approaches to best suit each person, which can include working therapeutically outdoors, such as ‘walk and talk’, or bringing natural items or found objects into an indoor space to work with creatively.

My experience includes therapeutic drawing, writing, use of metaphors and imagery. I also believe in the effectiveness of the therapeutic relationship itself. I aim to offer you a calm, curious and connected presence, and a chance to be yourself, find yourself, understand your relationships and life circumstances (past and present) and even heal old wounds.

This is all possible.

I offer 50 minute face-to-face counselling sessions or ‘Walk & Talk’ therapy (please see my website below). I can also offer online sessions when it is more feasible.

Fees: £55

What I can help with:

Abuse, Addictions, Anxiety, Bereavement, Child related issues, Cultural issues, Depression, Disability, Health related issues, Identity issues, LGBTQ+ counselling, Loss, Neurodiversity, Obsessions, Personal development, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy related issues, Relationships, Self esteem, Service veterans, Sexual identity, Sexuality, Spirituality, Stress, Substance Dependency, Trauma, Work related issues

Contact: Tel: 07856364307

Email: elanorgibsoncounselling@gmail.com

Website: www.elanorgibsoncounselling.uk

 

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Trainee Psychotherapist: Marianne Green

Marianne Green March 2025

Do you know why you do what you do?

Together, we can explore what’s driving you. You might be experiencing a challenging time, loss, depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem or self-confidence, relationship issues or challenging family dynamics. I work with individuals, or those of you in a relationship together.
Marianne Green March 2025

As a trainee psychotherapist, I work within a Transactional Analysis framework. You can find out more about that in our sessions, but it means plain speaking, better understanding and working towards autonomy !

About Me

I am a trainee psychotherapist and work with adult clients (18+). I offer both long- and short-term therapy, tailored to your needs. Sessions are available in person on Monday and Friday mornings, or online on Thursday evenings, and I welcome new clients.

My role is to provide a confidential, compassionate space where we work together to find solutions that emerge from within you, rather than being imposed.

What Will Happen at Our First Appointment ?

During our first session, I will ask some questions about what has brought you to therapy and discuss what we might work on together. You will also have an opportunity to ask any questions about me and how I work.

At the end of this initial consultation, you can decide whether you would like to continue with further sessions.

If you’d like an informal chat before booking, feel free to get in touch via 07498 212196 or email marianne.e.green@gmail.com to request an initial session.

I look forward to hearing from you !

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Family Therapist/Systemic Psychotherapist: Jon Ruchpaul

Jon Ruchpaul 22 February 2025

I am a qualified and UKCP registered Family Therapist – we are also known as Family/Systemic Psychotherapists. We think about ‘systems’ in the work that we do including families, couples and groups/teams (although we also work with individuals who want to think about the systems that they are in).Jon Ruchpaul 22 February 2025

I am also Psychodynamically and Social Work trained although my career has led me into the systemic field working with those who want to improve or better understand the relationships that they are in, or have been in. I have significant experience in working with adolescents on the edge of care, paediatric oncology, Adult Mental health services, adolescent in-patient services and currently I work part time in the NHS leading a small team of therapists who support adults and their families with difficulties in their relationships. I also come from a family that has experienced significant struggles connected to mental health so I have some understanding of how it can affect individuals/families from a personal perspective.

My work starts from the premise that we are almost all doing the best with what we have got – sometimes we just need some support to ‘get us back on track’ or find the life that we want to lead. The therapy I undertake is not about apportioning blame or picking sides. My aim is to build upon strengths and to find meaning in what is going on in our systems, as well as to attempt to find change where desired.

Colleagues and I are currently in the process of building the ‘Bristol Family Therapy Collective’, a Community Interest Company that aims to provide future access to fee paying and pro bono, or accessible, support.

Away from work I am a keen Bristol Bears rugby fan, a lover of the great outdoors, and avid traveler

Qualifications:

Systemic Supervisors Course, Exeter University

MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy from Birkbeck, University College London

MSc in Psychodynamics of Human Development, Birkbeck, University College London

Advanced Award in Social Work, Bournemouth University

Diploma in Social Work/Higher Education, North London University

Fees:

I offer 1 hour sessions either online or face to face in Central Bristol at the following rates:

Individuals: £80

Couples: £90

Families/groups: £100

With my colleague Nina we can do a ‘reflecting team’ style therapy with 2 therapists for £150.

Contact: jonruchpaul.bftc@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Penny Brohn’s early Spring wellbeing days are available now…

This year’s early Wellbeing Days and Retreats are now available for booking at the wonderful Penny Brohn centre just outside Bristol (in Pill) for any clients who have been diagnosed with cancer.

The days are run by a team of experts in nutrition, movement, relaxation and mental and emotional health.  They include a day of sessions from 9.30am – 4pm, a delicious lunch as well as a chance to connect with others and learn from others. The days coming up are:

Wed Jan 22nd – Relax and Restore

Wed Feb 5th – Mind Matters

Wed Feb 19th – Managing Your Menopause

For more about each wellbeing day and to book please look at: https://pennybrohn.org.uk/our-approach/services/wellbeing-days/

The wellbeing days are all donation based so they are accessible to all who are able to travel into the centre.

These days are just some of the Penny Brohn’s Centre’s resources so it’s well worth exploring their website to find out what else is available and, of course, much of their advice and expertise applies to everybody, whether in full health or not !

Penny Brohn UK logo

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Counsellor & psychotherapist: Zoë Doran

Zoe Moran

About Me

I’m Zoë (she/her) and I am a qualified BACP counsellor & psychotherapist. I’m Irish and Afro-Caribbean, and currently based in Bristol.

I work relationally through an existential framework. This way of workingZoe Moran acknowledges that navigating life in 2024 is hard.

Dealing with the ongoing unrest in the world alongside our own personal battles can often feel like too much to carry. And while therapy alone cannot change the world, it can be a place to share the load, to untangle yourself and make sense of who you are and where you’re going.

As we work together, we will form a relationship, and that relationship might mirror other relationships in your life. Certain patterns or familiar feelings and reactions might play out and all of this can be used as a tool to help you understand yourself and the ways you relate to others better.

Experience

I have over 5 years experience supporting adults and young people with their mental health in a variety of settings. This has included drug and alcohol addiction services, emotional support helplines, supported accommodation and now talk therapy. While I have experience with a range of issues my particular areas of focus are:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Self-Esteem
  • Substance Use
  • Relationship Issues
  • Belonging/Migration
  • Grief & Loss
  • Climate Anxiety
  • Social Identity (Race, Gender, Class)
  • LGBTQIA+ issues
  • Multiracial Heritage

Qualifications and Training

Applying Anti-Oppressive Practice in Therapy : The 5th Way – The Anti-Discrimination Focus
Adv. Postgraduate Diploma Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy – University of South Wales
L4 Certificate Integrative Counselling – University of Plymouth
L2 Certificate Counselling Skills – South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Fees and Contact

If you would like to discuss the possibility of working together, I offer a free 15 minute phone call which will allow us to get a sense of one another and to answer any questions you might have.

Therapy can be for as long or short as you like, there is no expectation and we will regularly check-in about the process as we work together. I am available both online, nationwide, and in-person, based in Bristol.

  • £50 for 50-minute weekly sessions
  • £35 for 50-minute weekly sessions (concession rate for low income earners – limited availability)

To get in touch, please send an email to: zoedorantherapy@gmail.com or to read a bit more about my practice visit: zoedoranpsychotherapy.com

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Trainee Core Process Psychotherapist: Russell Cowan

Russel Cowan 2

I am a senior trainee Core Process Psychotherapist and offer a unique blend of Western psychotherapy and mindfulness-based practice. Integrating mindfulness with a reflective exploration of your experience can help you move from stuck reactive patterns shaped by your past to informed choices centred in the present moment.

Central to the exploration is a safe and trustworthy relationship with theRussel Cowan 2 therapist. Clear boundaries and mutual respect encourage an environment where you will feel seen, heard, and supported. The journey unfolds at your own pace and respects where you are starting from.

My Approach

As your therapist, my role is to hold a space that will enable us to explore and work through the places where you feel stuck. I am not the “expert” who is there to cure you – my aim is to support you to build trust in your own inherent wisdom. The space we create can enable you to approach your experience with curiosity – avoiding a sense of right or wrong – and to bring presence, awareness and compassion to the process.

I recognise that I come with a particular bias formed by my own ancestry, sexuality, sexual orientation, and the social and cultural structures I arose out of and live within. I try to work with an awareness of this and to remain teachable. To the best of my ability, I believe I can acknowledge difference and work inclusively with people whose background is different to my own.

What happens during a typical session

Each session will last one hour and have a similar structure. We will create a safe space to slow down and bring presence and awareness to whatever arises. We will interpret and respond to what arises with compassion and understanding. I usually work from chairs, which we position at a distance that feels comfortable to you.

Making an appointment

Entering psychotherapy can feel daunting, and choosing the right therapist is important. To help us decide if we want to work together, I offer a free initial phone call and a 30-minute introductory meeting. I am happy to work on either a short-term or a longer-term basis, but I suggest a minimum of 6-weeks’ initial commitment. At the end of this initial period, if you feel that our work isn’t what you are looking for, I will signpost you to alternative options.

Session, cost and contact details.

Sessions are one hour and I currently have availability on Monday afternoons.

My trainee rate is £45 per hour.

Contact: russell.cowan@hotmail.co.uk or call on 07837 774851.

 

 

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The Bristol Family Therapy Collective

Dr Nina Jones and Jonathan Ruchpaul are in the final stages of incorporating the Bristol Family Therapy Collective, a community interest company that will facilitate the delivery of family therapy on a pro bono basis so that families (or the couples or individuals involved within it) who would struggle to find the resources to benefit from family therapy will be able to be funded, or partly funded by fee-paying clients who are in a position to contribute.

To get an idea of what family therapy might address, just think of the complexities that go to make a family (of whatever shape or form), and of all the relationships and individuals involved in it. Then think of all the circumstances that life will inevitably impose upon those individuals and their relationships, and the breadth of the subject becomes more clear. Families change and develop and, of course, just one cause can have many effects within them so finding a way to identify and address these may need expert help.

Community Interest Companies are limited companies which operate to provide a benefit to the community they serve. Their purpose is primarily one of community benefit so the ethos of the Bristol Family Therapy Collective speaks for itself.

Nina can be contacted here: ninajones.bftc@gmail.com

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Integrative Counsellor: Clare Peat

Clare Peat

About Me

Hi, I’m an integrative counsellor and a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy).Clare Peat

I am a warm and compassionate person and believe that the therapeutic space can offer a powerful way to understand yourself, your experiences and your relationships. I offer long and short term counselling and as an integrative therapist, I work in a way that is tailored to your needs.

My experience

I have been working to support people with their mental health for more than 10 years and have worked as a counsellor for the last 5 years. I have experience of working with people experiencing a range of challenges including anxiety, depression, low self esteem, PTSD, bereavement, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, relationship difficulties, parenting, autism, and ADHD.

I have worked as co-ordinator of a mental health helpline and as a counsellor for Bristol Mind, for Kinergy, a charity that supports survivors of sexual abuse, and for a charity that offers counselling for carers.  I also have experience of working with university students.

How I work

My training is in humanistic integrative counselling and I draw on different theoretical approaches to find the most helpful way forward for you. The approaches that inform my work include: Person-centred counselling, Gestalt, transactional analysis and ACT therapy. I like to encourage the use of creativity in sessions where that feels helpful and have found that using a creative approach can help you gain new insights and a different perspective. I have recently completed further training in creative arts therapies and in creative writing for therapeutic purposes.

Whatever your reason for seeking counselling, I can offer a safe and confidential space where you can feel heard and make sense of what is happening in your life without the usual pressures and expectations. I am patient and sensitive to your needs and will help you explore whatever it is you are facing at your own pace.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • Certificate in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (SDS) – May 2024
  • Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET Institute) – March 2024
  • Practitioner Certificate in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (Metanoia) – June 2023
  • Diploma in Creative Arts Approaches (Iron Mill College) – May 2022
  • Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling (Iron Mill College) – Nov 2019

Contact details

Email: cpeatcounselling@gmail.com

Telephone: 07874 646 747

Fee: £55 for a 60-minute session

I offer a free short phone call and a reduced price first session

 

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