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I started my first volunteering work in a psychotherapy centre nearly 20 years ago. Since then I have been developing as a human and as a therapist.
Drawing from teachings of greatest minds in psychotherapy area, I have been searching for an effective way to support my well-being. Over the years this journey took me through many names and many ideas. None of them seemed to fully meet what I needed. I took the teachings and adapted them to my life and my journey. Taking from them what was useful and helpful, expanding my frame of reference. Now I want to help you to do the same. 

I want to offer you a therapy that can take you on a path that includes all parts of you, the body, the mind and the soul. A therapy that suits you both in the approach I take and in the length of the therapy. I am predominantly an integrative psychotherapist and, unlike many here, I merged hypnosis into my practice to extend my capacity to understand and support my patient's needs. I am interested in a holistic development and try to avoid quick fixes, unless absolutely necessarily. This is particularly important, if you are struggling with a life long issues or a trauma that happened many years ago. Human mind requires respect and moving forward at its pace, rather than forcing it to sprint. 

 

With over 5000 hours of experience as a psychotherapist and years of therapeutic work in capacity of mental health practitioner prior to my formal training, I gathered a depth of experience working with people struggling with depression and anxiety, addictions, panic attacks, obsessive tendencies, psychosis, relationship issues, trauma, including sexual assaults and working with families of perpetrators, identity and cultural transition issues, eating disorders.

I also support clients who wish to develop inter and intra personal skills and widen their strengths, but also people who feel somehow stuck.

There are some issues I will not be able to help with. I believe it is extremely important to know ones limitations and preferences and I want to be honest. My choices are based on my expertise, experience, understanding, but also on my personal and political choices. However, I respect everyone's right to seek help and receive help. If you happen to struggle with issues I can't support you with, I will do my best to advise you where to go instead. 

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I have worked in private sector, NHS and in charities and now, as a supervisor, I am using all this experience to help other practitioners to work more holistically and be more helpful to their clients. I am a Lecturer in mental health at University of Lincoln where my focus is on preparing counselling and psychology students for their role.

I am an accredited member of British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) (under the name of Anna Dopierala). My work is closely supervised in line with BACP guidance and I follow the organisation's Ethical Framework.

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