At the core of our counselling and psychotherapy business in Derby and Derbyshire, we aim to help individuals regain power over their lives, facilitate growth and build resilience. We do this by providing a professional, yet realistic, down to earth service.
Our passion lies with working alongside individuals to access their potential and help them build tools to become the best version of themselves. As such, we think our name speaks for itself.
About Virginia Brailsford MSc MBACP (Accred)
Virginia specialises in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, in particular sexual and domestic abuse and the complexities these issues may bring. Additionally, Virginia works with individuals that have experienced single event traumas or life change events such as a road traffic accident, medical operations. Virginia’s passion lies with facilitating change and growth, especially around self-esteem and helping others overcome negative views of themselves.
Virginia also offers couples and relationship therapy. She enjoys helping individuals recognise their strength and resilience and being a part of building their confidence.
She has in-depth experience and knowledge with working within prison settings and alongside emergency services. Virginia has extensive knowledge on stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and confidence and how to work with somatic symptoms (how difficulties manifest in physical symptoms).
Virginia has a Master’s Degree in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy and is a registered, accredited member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP).
The core approaches Virginia uses are:
- Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Person-centred (PCA)
- Attachment Theory
By using these theories, she aims to tailor appropriate interventions collaboratively with individuals in a compassionate yet professional manner.
About Alice Yendle-Parsons MA MBACP (Accred)
Alice is an experienced and qualified integrative psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, lecturer, and researcher, holding a Master’s Degree in her field and accredited membership with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
With a comprehensive background in training and practice, Alice works with clients across all age groups, offering individual, couple, relationship and family therapy services.
As an integrative psychotherapist, Alice incorporates a range of therapeutic approaches, including Psychodynamic, Systemic, Person-Centred, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). She is skilled in addressing complex issues, such as abuse, relational difficulties, affairs, betrayals, suicidal ideation, self-harm, cultural and religious abuse, spirituality, post-cult therapy, anxiety, stress, depression, grief, life transitions, sexuality, gender identity, and substance misuse.
Specialising in relational trauma, Alice has a particular focus on recovery from high-control relationships, religions, groups, and cults. She is working on a Ph.D. at Edinburgh University, where her research deepens her expertise in these areas and contributes to the broader understanding within the field.
Hazel
Hazel’s job is to help you understand the cause of your distress and work with you to make things better. She does this by exploring your experiences and feelings, together looking at what has been happening to figure out what will help. This is different for each person so, as well as looking at what hurts, she can help you build on what you’ve been doing well. Hazel helps you to recognise the resources you already have.
Hazel works with:
Compassion Focused Therapy which is really helpful if you’re highly self-critical.
Person Centred Therapy which helps improve our relationship with ourselves and others.
Somatic experiencing is how we experience emotions physically, and how we can use our body (breath, posture, sensations) to recover from distress and low mood, and to engage more fully with the things we love.
Kassy
Kassy is a qualified Psychodynamic counsellor and is currently working towards a Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Kassy has experience of working with trauma, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Liz
Liz has worked as a counsellor for over 30yrs. She is a registered member of BACP and an accredited registrant of The National Counselling Society. Liz has years of varied counselling experience in many different settings and has regularly worked with both children and adults. She has developed and implemented two counselling services, one in a busy inner city college and the other in a hospice. In addition to this Liz has a lot of experience working with trauma. She worked for several years with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, engaging in 1-1 therapy as well as group therapy.
During the pandemic Liz also facilitated therapeutic groups for NHS staff as well as developing a 1-1 Counselling Service within a hospital.
Liz trained initially in the Person-Centred approach, but then went on to undertake an MA in Integrative Counselling. She is passionate about finding the right approach for the individual and currently will often work from a creative perspective. This can be so helpful when words are hard to find.
Working creatively led her to co-author a Level 5 Diploma in Creative Therapeutic Interventions and at a later date she delivered the course for counsellors in Derbyshire.
She enjoys teaching and has until recently taught Counselling from Level 1 to Diploma. As well as this she has regularly delivered various seminars and workshops, e.g. Bereavement, Personal Development, Inner Child workshop.
Liz is passionate about counselling and is happy to approach therapy in varying ways to suit the individual/group. She can offer face-to-face, online, phone and walk-and-talk counselling. She is also a trained Couples Counsellor and qualified Counselling Supervisor.
Mandy
Mandy Wright is a BACP registered and accredited counsellor with 20 years’ experience, supporting children, young people, and families. Mandy has trained to support those experiencing difficulties with anxiety, attachment, behaviour, bereavement and loss, depression, domestic violence, drug and alcohol use and self-harm. Mandy has worked in areas such as education, health, youth offending, social care, residential care, multi-agency teams, community, and charity projects.
Mandy is a qualified counsellor and has a Postgraduate Diploma in counselling and a Diploma in counselling children and young people, alongside a Postgraduate Diploma in systemic thinking and practice. She is passionate to support children, young people and families to explore relationship concerns together, improve communication and decrease conflict.
Mandy works in an integrative way to provide an individualised approach to therapy, utilising her training in both Psychodynamic and Person-Centred counselling combined with the tools of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Mindfulness and Creative therapies.
Molly
Molly is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is qualified with a Master’s degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. She practices using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Attachment Theory, and a Person-Centred approach, tailoring her therapeutic style to meet each client’s unique experiences, preferences, and goals for therapy. Molly is passionate about empowering her clients on their path of self-discovery and works to provide a safe, non-judgmental space for exploration and growth when delving into a variety of issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, and depression.
Molly specialises in supporting students as they navigate the unique challenges of their academic and social lives. Her MSc research examined the complex relationship between Gen Z and social media, exploring its cultural influence as well as the impact it can have on young adults’ mental health. Molly has a keen understanding of the pressures that young people face today, including family dynamics, social expectations, self-worth, and identity. She is well-prepared to help clients address these challenges, offering guidance and strategies to foster resilience and wellbeing in the face of academic, social, and personal pressures.
Nicki
Nicki is a qualified integrative counsellor and psychotherapist holding a Postgraduate Diploma and is an individual member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Her calm and compassionate approach creates a safe, non-judgmental environment where clients can openly explore the challenges impacting their lives. By integrating a range of theories, including Person-Centred, Attachment Theory, and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Nicki adapts her therapeutic methods to meet each client’s needs and offers a space where individuals feel supported and empowered to create positive change.
Nicki is currently studying a Master’s degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, where she is researching the effects of domestic abuse. She is particularly focused on understanding the impact experienced after leaving abusive relationships and exploring how counselling and psychotherapy can support individuals on their path to healing and recovery.
Sarah
Sarah has worked as a counsellor since 1998 and is a registered, accredited member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and a registered BAPAM practitioner (British Association for Performing Arts Medicine). She has many years’ experience working in Higher Education counselling university staff and students and has worked in secondary schools, health care, domestic abuse and eating disorders services. She also has specific experience of counselling trainee nurses and medics and practicing creatives, performers and musicians.
Sarah works from an integrative humanistic perspective and is also trained in the Sesame approach (drama, movement and sound in therapy). She has specialist training in working with menstrual cycle awareness, including supporting women through the psychological changes of menopause. She also offers therapy specifically related to climate issues and is a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance.
Approaches to therapy are based on the needs of the client and can range from a short-term practical focus to a creative and expressive exploration. Therapy can be online, by phone or at The Garden, an outdoor therapy centre just outside Derby, where there is the opportunity to work outdoors or ‘walk and talk.’
Darren
Darren delivers a compassionate and accepting attitude to counselling that accounts for the uniqueness of your situation. As an Integrated Therapist, he provides a personalised approach together with you that is attuned to the various parts of your wellbeing.
Darren is currently working towards his Masters in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy and is a student member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Kate
Kate is qualified integrative counsellor, accredited with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), and an individual member of the BACP. Kate tailors her approach to the needs of each individual calling on her training and expertise with CFT (Compassion Focussed Therapy), CBT, Person Centred and Psychodynamic methodologies. Her special interest areas are anxiety, low self-esteem and interpersonal relationships.
Kate provides a confidential, safe, welcoming and non-judgmental space in which you feel supported while exploring your specific challenges. Working from a therapy room located in Darley Abbey (approx. 2.5 miles from Derby centre), she offers both in person and online therapy options.
Kate believes that professional counselling can make a huge difference in a person’s ability to enact positive change. Her approach is to bring a compassionate viewpoint to your exploration of experiences and issues. CFT works to reduce feelings of self-criticism and low self-esteem that can accompany difficult life events. Working in collaboration with her clients, you will always feel ownership of the direction your therapy takes. Kate’s aim is to provide a safe haven, where we can work through any issues or challenges that you are facing together.
