​​Welcome! I'm Han Ó Críodáin (she/her) an Irish Queer , Person-centred Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor based in West Sussex. I am an accredited member of the BACP. I offer online sessions for individuals aged 18+. I have specialised in working with the LGBTQ+ Community for many years.

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I have experience working with

Anxiety

Co-dependency

Depression

Family issues

Gender identity

Low self-esteem

LGBTQ Indentities

Life Changes

Neurodivergence (ADHD,Autism,Dyslexia)

Relationship issues

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You can read on for more info on how I work:

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What does it mean to be person-centred?

​Person-centred counselling was first developed by Carl Rogers, who believed that all beings are inherently good, and that all beings deserve love, support and care.

You are in the 'driver' seat of the sessions, and I am not the expert on your life, or what are the 'right' choices for you. You chose what we speak about, and my job is to hold space, support you, and encourage self-acceptance.  The person-centred approach is non-judgemental and trusts that each individual has an innate ability to find happiness, or peace, given the right conditions.  However, this ability can become blocked or distorted by certain life experiences. In our sessions we can look at some of these experiences, to understand where you may have become blocked. This may mean exploring different aspects of your life, with kindness and care. ​

I also work in a trauma-informed way, which means that I will always prioritise client's emotional safety, shifting the focus from "what is wrong with you" to "what happened to you"?​​​

I value honesty, and I encourage clients to let me know when I don't get it right.

 

Fundamentally, our work is relational, and so I like to focus on helping clients work towards having healthier and happier relationships both with themselves and others.

I do not believe that we can hate ourselves into a version of ourselves that we can love. 

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Anti-oppressive work​

All my work is guided by principles of Anti-oppressive practice (AOP). The AOP approach is grounded in principles of social justice and aims to address the systemic and structural forms of oppression that individuals or communities may face. Being anti-oppressive means making sure not to replicate harm in our work. This is done by recognising that societal factors such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, classism, and other forms of discrimination can have a significant impact on an individual’s mental health and well-being. Anti-oppressive therapy seeks to create a safe and empowering space for clients to explore their experiences and challenges within the context of these broader social injustices.

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So....why counselling?

There can be multiple reasons why you feel this is the right time to come for counselling, but prioritising our emotional health can be deeply rewarding. Painful and difficult life events can block our self-belief and worth, which changes our ability to find solutions to these issues. Counselling works to gently remove these blocks, allowing constructive and healthy emotional and psychological growth. It is really important that you find the right therapist for you, and talking things out with someone impartial can make the world of difference.​

The goal of our sessions is always for you to feel seen and heard. I encourage clients to take a holistic approach to their difficulties ; so that we can consider what gender, societal, cultural and/or political pressures might be influencing how they feel. Essentially, I do not believe that there is just one theory of being that applies to everybody. Some clients, for example, might find it useful to work with what is going on in their body when they speak about what is troubling them, others might prefer to use creative techniques such as drawing or imagery.  This is helpful as a lot of our feelings and experiences can not always be expressed or understood cognitively.

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