Complex trauma
Prolonged or repeated trauma, often beginning early in life, that shapes how safe you feel with other people and with yourself. We work at a pace your nervous system can tolerate.
Psychotherapy · In person and online · Adults 18+
I am a person-centred, integrative psychotherapist, registered with BACP and NCPS. I work with people living with complex trauma, substance misuse, active addiction, bereavement, as well as anxiety, depression and the harder passages of ordinary life.
Weekly sessions are 50 minutes, £60. One-off 90-minute Focused Sessions are also available. Your first conversation is free and carries no obligation.
What I work with
You do not need a diagnosis or a tidy explanation to get in touch. Many people come because something has stopped working and they are not sure what.
Prolonged or repeated trauma, often beginning early in life, that shapes how safe you feel with other people and with yourself. We work at a pace your nervous system can tolerate.
You do not have to be abstinent to begin. We work with where you are now, openly and without judgement, and with what you want your relationship with substances to become.
Grief after a death, including sudden, traumatic or complicated loss, and the losses that are hard to name or that others do not recognise.
Generalised anxiety, panic, health anxiety and the constant low hum of worry that makes rest impossible.
Low mood, flatness, loss of interest and the self-criticism that often travels with it.
Relationship endings, work stress, identity, family patterns and transitions that leave you unsure who you are now.
About
I believe that when we feel truly heard and accepted, change becomes possible.
My aim is to offer a calm, safe and compassionate space where you can bring whatever you are carrying, without judgement and at a pace that feels right for you.
My work is grounded in person-centred values, while also drawing on integrative approaches to meet you as an individual. I have additional training in complex trauma, substance misuse and active addiction, which are areas I feel especially passionate about supporting. I also have considerable experience and further training in grief and loss, and understand how deeply these experiences can affect our sense of self, relationships and everyday life.
Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply looking for space to understand yourself more deeply, I will work alongside you with warmth, honesty and respect.
I work independently with adults aged 18 and over, in person and online. I hold qualifications in psychotherapeutic counselling and I am a Registered Member of both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). I work within the BACP Ethical Framework and attend regular clinical supervision.
How it works
By phone or in person. You tell me a little about what is bringing you to therapy and ask anything you like. We decide together whether to go ahead. No cost, no commitment.
Fifty minutes. We go further into what you want from therapy, agree how we will work and cover the practical points: confidentiality, cancellations and how I keep your information.
Usually weekly, at the same time each week. Some people come for a few months, others for longer. We review as we go and you can end whenever you choose. If ongoing therapy is not what you need right now, a single Focused Session may be the better fit.
Focused Sessions
Alongside weekly therapy, I offer one-off sessions for people wanting focused support around a specific issue. Ninety minutes gives us room to go into something properly, without committing to ongoing work.
A single session is not the place to work through trauma, active addiction or a crisis. Those need steady, ongoing support, and I will say so honestly when we speak. If what you bring turns out to be bigger than one session, we will talk about what would actually help.
£100 for 90 minutes
Fees
Ongoing weekly therapy, or a single longer session on one specific issue. Both start with the same free 20-minute call.
Ongoing
One-off
Registration and training
Contact
Email me with a line or two about what is going on and the best way to reach you. I reply within two working days to arrange your free 20-minute call. Everything you write is held in confidence.
I am not able to offer an emergency service and I do not monitor email outside working hours.
I collect, store and process relevant personal information to enable us to work together safely, maintain an appropriate working record and meet my professional, ethical and legal responsibilities.
I will usually collect this information during our initial counselling session. It may include your name, age, contact details, GP details where relevant, information about your physical and mental health, wellbeing, personal circumstances and any risks or concerns relevant to our work together.
I only collect information that is relevant and necessary for providing counselling and meeting my professional responsibilities.
I keep brief, factual case notes relating to our sessions. These help me maintain an appropriate working record and may include relevant information about our work together, safeguarding concerns and any risks that need to be considered.
Your personal information is used to arrange appointments, provide counselling, maintain appropriate records, manage safeguarding concerns where necessary and meet my professional, ethical and legal responsibilities.
I am insured through Holistic Insurance Services and may need to share relevant information with my insurer or professional advisers where necessary in connection with a claim, complaint or other professional matter.
I also attend professional supervision to support safe and ethical practice. I anonymise client information wherever possible when discussing my work in supervision.
What you share with me is treated as confidential. However, there may be circumstances in which information needs to be shared, including where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person, a safeguarding concern, or a legal requirement to disclose information.
Where it is appropriate and safe to do so, I will discuss this with you before sharing information. I will aim to share only what is necessary for the purpose.
I may hold your information in paper and electronic form. Paper records are stored securely when not in use. Electronic records are protected by appropriate security measures, including password protection and fingerprint security on my computer.
I take reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure of your personal information.
I use Zoom for online counselling sessions and take reasonable steps to protect the privacy of our communications. I do not routinely record counselling sessions.
For online sessions, I will ask you to tell me where you are physically located at the time of our appointment. This is important so that appropriate help can be sought if an emergency arises.
I ask that you also arrange a private space where you can speak freely and take reasonable steps to prevent others from overhearing our conversations.
Electronic communications and third-party platforms carry some inherent security risks. Although I take reasonable precautions to protect your information, I cannot guarantee that every electronic communication or platform will be completely secure.
I retain counselling records for three years after counselling has ended. After this period, paper records will be securely destroyed and electronic records permanently deleted, unless there is a legitimate legal, professional or insurance-related reason to retain them for longer.
Under UK data protection law, you have rights concerning the personal information I hold about you. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to:
These rights are subject to legal exceptions. For example, I may need to retain certain counselling records to meet my legal, professional or insurance responsibilities.
I process personal information in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended. Health information is classed as special-category data and requires an additional legal condition for processing.
If you have any concerns about how I use or handle your personal information, please contact me directly at [email protected]. I will do my utmost to resolve any concerns you may have.
If I am unable to resolve your concerns, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
Counsellor: Alice Daftari
Professional email: [email protected]
Insurance provider: Holistic Insurance Services
Professional memberships: BACP and NCPS
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Last updated: October 2026.