About Me
I began my working life as a community midwife, going on to work for charities supporting people with life-threatening and/or terminal illness, and refugees and asylum seekers, in which period I worked with clients suffering the effects of severe trauma, isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety and ill-health (to name but some of the issues).
I also spent 5 years working as a specialist mentor in a university Wellbeing Service, supporting and coaching around issues as diverse as optimal physical health, neurodivergency, relationships, the psychology and neurobiology of academic achievement and navigating the challenges of adjusting to a university lifestyle with all that that entails.
My own journey of self-development has included meditation (mainly in Buddhist and shamanic traditions (first nation American and Hawaiian traditions), psychotherapy, and various physical, mindfulness-based and somatic practices, including yoga, 5 Rhythms Dance and Authentic Movement. My personal experience of slowing down and listening deeply to what my body is telling me influences my client work strongly. I have held Authentic Movement workshops and movement groups in nature, and DJ for dance events. I was introduced to mindfulness practice in 1992 with Thich Nhat Hahn and have been working with it in my own life and with clients ever since. I am inspired by principles, and wisdom from the fields of neuroscience, compassion-focussed therapy, connection in nature and creative self-expression. I have undertaken training around working with attachment issues and trauma somatically, in order to support clients into ever more secure, healthy attachment and thus easier, happier relationships with self, other and the world. Beneath all of this are the simple foundation stones of respect, kindness and empathy for each individual's experience and unfolding, whatever the reasons for coming to therapy. I am an accredited BACP member ("BACP accreditation is a widely-valued quality status for practitioners, organisations and training courses, designed to recognise the achievement of high standards of knowledge, experience and development" BACP Website), and practice in accordance with the BACP Ethical Guidelines for counselling and psychotherapy.
I am committed to my ongoing personal and professional development, which involves monthly supervision, training courses and personal study: Recent & upcoming CPD includes: 'Working with Privilege and Otherness' - Prof Dwight Turner - June 2022 'The Integrated Trauma Therapist' - Frank Anderson MD - 2022 Working with Anger - Jill Gabriel - Oct. 2022 |
Vanessa Hedley
PgDip, MBACP (accredited) On the accredited BACP voluntary register of counsellors and psychotherapists |
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