
Welcome
PLYMOUTH Counselling & Supervision services
Compassionate counselling tailored to your needs

Compassionate counselling tailored to your needs

Welcome to Ancora Counselling
The name Ancora means “anchor” in Italian. For me, it reflects something at the heart of counselling: the opportunity to press pause, find your bearings and reconnect with yourself when life feels unsettled.
At Ancora Counselling, I offer a calm, supportive space where you can talk openly, feel heard and begin
Welcome to Ancora Counselling
The name Ancora means “anchor” in Italian. For me, it reflects something at the heart of counselling: the opportunity to press pause, find your bearings and reconnect with yourself when life feels unsettled.
At Ancora Counselling, I offer a calm, supportive space where you can talk openly, feel heard and begin to make sense of what you’re experiencing. Together, we can explore what matters to you and find a way forward that feels right for you.
With over 20 years’ counselling experience, I have worked across the NHS, Relate, universities and schools, supporting people through a wide range of complex life experiences.
A Personalised Approach
I believe you are the expert in your own life. I work integratively, which means our sessions are shaped around you rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. I draw on evidence-based therapies including Person-Centred and Psychodynamic Therapy, CBT and Solution-Focused Therapy.
I am also a trained Mindfulness teacher.
Where helpful, and if it feels right for you, I may incorporate Transpersonal and creative approaches, including imagery and metaphor, particularly when experiences are difficult to put into words.
I also offer couples counselling, therapeutic work with children and young people, and clinical supervision. You can find more about these areas elsewhere on the website.
A Little About Me…
I was born and raised in London and now live in Plymouth.
Alongside my private practice, I work part-time within a Macmillan and NHS service at Derriford Hospital, counselling patients and families affected by cancer and providing reflective supervision to oncology support staff.
Earlier in my career, I taught in the UK, Italy and Spain and volunteered at a school in India. I speak Italian and Spanish, although I practise counselling in English.
Being part of a multi-heritage family, together with my personal and professional experiences, has given me a deep appreciation of both the diversity of human experience and the shared humanity that connects us.
Outside work, I enjoy walking our cheeky rescue dog and nature photography — both good ways for me to slow down and connect with the outdoors. You can see some of my photographs on the Instagram link below.

What to Expect
Starting counselling can feel like a big step, and it’s natural to feel a little unsure. Our first session gives us a chance to meet and get a sense of whether working together feels right for you. There is no pressure to share anything before you’re ready.
You may want to talk about what has brought you to counselling, how t
What to Expect
Starting counselling can feel like a big step, and it’s natural to feel a little unsure. Our first session gives us a chance to meet and get a sense of whether working together feels right for you. There is no pressure to share anything before you’re ready.
You may want to talk about what has brought you to counselling, how things have been for you recently and what you hope might change. I will listen with care, answer any questions and we can begin at your own pace.
Counselling may be short-term or longer-term, depending on your needs. I offer sessions in person in Plymouth and online across the UK for adults, young people and couples.
There is no “right” way to begin — just bringing yourself is enough.
Confidentiality
What you share in counselling is treated as confidential, with some important exceptions where there is a serious concern about your safety or someone else’s. We will talk about these boundaries at the beginning so that you know where you stand.
If you would like to see whether we might be a good fit, I offer a free, informal 30-minute telephone or video conversation, with no obligation to continue.
If You Need Urgent Support
Counselling is not an emergency service. If you need urgent mental health support, please contact NHS 111, your GP or emergency services.
If you are feeling suicidal, please tell someone and seek help. You can call the Samaritans free on 116 123.

When Life Feels Difficult
People come to counselling for many reasons. You may be struggling with thoughts, feelings or experiences that feel overwhelming or difficult to make sense of. Perhaps you are facing a significant change in your relationships, work, identity or health.
And sometimes there is no obvious reason — you simply know that
When Life Feels Difficult
People come to counselling for many reasons. You may be struggling with thoughts, feelings or experiences that feel overwhelming or difficult to make sense of. Perhaps you are facing a significant change in your relationships, work, identity or health.
And sometimes there is no obvious reason — you simply know that life feels harder to navigate and would value having someone alongside you while you work things through.
Anxiety Counselling
Anxiety can leave you feeling constantly on edge, overwhelmed or unable to switch off. Together, we can explore what may be contributing to your anxiety, understand the patterns around it and find ways to help you feel more grounded and in control.
Counselling for Depression & Low Mood
Depression and low mood can bring heaviness, disconnection and loss of motivation. Counselling offers a space to explore what you are experiencing with care and begin to reconnect with yourself and a sense of possibility.
If you think you may be experiencing depression, please also speak to your GP.
Grief & Bereavement Counselling
Grief can be one of the most painful experiences we face. Losing someone we love can affect our emotions, relationships, identity and sense of security.
There is no single way to grieve and no fixed timetable. Counselling offers a place where your loss can be spoken about and understood, at your own pace. Over time, we can explore how you might live alongside your loss while continuing to carry the meaning of the person and relationship with you.
Trauma Support
Traumatic experiences can continue to affect how you feel, think, relate to others and experience your body. I offer a carefully paced space where we can explore their impact together, without pushing you to go somewhere before you are ready.
Relationship Difficulties
Relationships can become painful or confusing, and sometimes we find ourselves repeating patterns we don’t fully understand. Individual counselling can help you explore what is happening in your relationships, your needs and boundaries, and how you relate to others.
For support together as a couple, please see my Couples & Relationship Counselling section.
Counselling and Burnout
Burnout can creep up gradually. You may notice exhaustion, irritability, difficulty switching off, feeling emotionally disconnected or simply having very little left to give. It can be particularly relevant for people carrying significant responsibilities, working in demanding or caring professions, or experiencing prolonged periods of stress.I have written more about recognising, avoiding and managing burnout for Psychology Associates. If this is something that resonates with you, you can follow the link below to read the article.

Supervision for Counsellors
I offer clinical supervision to counsellors and therapists at all stages of their professional journey, from trainees and newly qualified practitioners developing their confidence and professional identity, to experienced colleagues seeking fresh perspectives and greater relational depth.
My aim is for supervisio
Supervision for Counsellors
I offer clinical supervision to counsellors and therapists at all stages of their professional journey, from trainees and newly qualified practitioners developing their confidence and professional identity, to experienced colleagues seeking fresh perspectives and greater relational depth.
My aim is for supervision to be both reflective and practical - a collaborative space where you can bring uncertainty or difficult work without judgement, recognise what is going well and develop greater clarity in your practice.
My Approach
My supervision is relational and pluralistic, drawing flexibly on Person-Centred, CBT, TA, Psychodynamic and Transpersonal approaches. Where helpful, we may also work creatively or somatically to explore different perspectives.
I use the Seven-Eyed Model to consider the different dimensions of therapeutic work, including the client, the therapeutic relationship, the wider context and your own experience as the practitioner.
Supervision can provide space to explore ethical dilemmas, countertransference and difficult emotional responses, alongside questions of meaning, values and professional identity.
Experience
I bring over 20 years’ counselling experience across a range of settings and currently provide supervision to NHS staff working in oncology.
I have established counselling services within educational settings and have also provided professional supervision on behalf of Psychology Associates.
I hold an Advanced Diploma in Clinical Supervision and am a Registered and Accredited Member of BACP.
I welcome supervisees from private practice, health, education and other organisational settings.
I offer supervision in Plymouth and online throughout the UK.
Interested in Supervision?
I offer a free, informal 30-minute telephone or video conversation if you would like to explore whether my approach might be right for you, with no obligation to continue.

Couples & Relationship Counselling
Relationships can change over time, and periods of conflict, disconnection or uncertainty can leave couples feeling stuck. Couples counselling offers a space to slow things down and understand what is happening between you.
In couples counselling, the focus is on the relationship rather than either person
Couples & Relationship Counselling
Relationships can change over time, and periods of conflict, disconnection or uncertainty can leave couples feeling stuck. Couples counselling offers a space to slow things down and understand what is happening between you.
In couples counselling, the focus is on the relationship rather than either person being seen as the problem. Together, we can explore the patterns you may have become caught in — perhaps criticism and defensiveness, withdrawing from one another, or repeatedly having the same arguments without resolution.
Understanding these patterns can help you communicate differently, recognise each other’s needs and begin to rebuild trust, safety and emotional connection.
For some couples, counselling is about strengthening or repairing their relationship. For others, it may be about finding a different way of relating or gaining greater clarity about the future.
My role is not to take sides or decide who is right or wrong, but to provide a balanced space where both of you can feel heard and we can begin to understand what the relationship needs.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
— Carl Jung

Counselling Children & Young People
I have many years’ experience working with children and young people, including helping to establish school counselling services across Leeds on behalf of Relate Mid Yorkshire.
Young people may come to counselling for many reasons, including anxiety, low mood, bullying, friendship or relationship difficul
Counselling Children & Young People
I have many years’ experience working with children and young people, including helping to establish school counselling services across Leeds on behalf of Relate Mid Yorkshire.
Young people may come to counselling for many reasons, including anxiety, low mood, bullying, friendship or relationship difficulties, family changes, loss and the pressures of school or growing up.
Children and young people don’t always have the words — or the confidence — to explain what they are going through. Counselling can give them a safe space to explore difficult feelings and experiences at their own pace.
I adapt the way I work to the age and needs of each young person. Alongside talking, this might include drawing, imagery, stories or using objects to help express things that can be difficult to put into words. There is never any pressure to work creatively — we find an approach that feels comfortable for them.
I work collaboratively with young people while recognising the important role parents and carers can have in supporting them.
“A Thing which seems very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
— A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Plymouth United Kingdom