Susannah Ross (my pronouns are She/Her)

My name is Susannah and I am an experienced and qualified psychodynamic counsellor working in Bristol with individual adults and older teenagers. I offer open ended, face to face or online counselling sessions and have worked with people who have struggled with: anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, trauma/PTSD, low mood, overwhelm, relationship/parenting/family issues, domestic violence, abuse, childhood sexual abuse, anger issues, work burnout, bereavement/loss and more. I have worked voluntarily as a counsellor and assessor for two mental health charities as well as working privately in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. 

If this is your first experience of counselling, it may feel like a big step to get started but one which I believe is worth taking. Counselling is a place where you can explore your thoughts and feelings, focus on yourself in a confidential, safe and non-judgemental space and feel supported through whatever difficulties you are facing. I aim to listen with compassion and genuine warmth and no problem is too big or too small. It may feel daunting looking around for the right therapist and to know who might be right for you. I am here for as long as you need, to try and support you through whatever it is you are facing. I am a registered member of a professional body of therapists (MBACP) and am fully insured. The type of counselling I offer is psychodynamic which means we will think together about the underlying meaning of your emotions and where they have stemmed from. It is a deeper form of counselling where the aim is to understand influences from the past on present behaviour. Additionally, it can help you make sense of what you are currently feeling by providing a safe space for you to talk openly and freely without judgement. The psychodynamic model's central tenet is that we all have an unconscious where painful feelings are often fiercely defended against. Although these defences may have been important and necessary ways of coping in the past, they may now be serving as maladaptive responses which may be causing more harm to you. My aim is to help you unglue yourself from whatever is holding you back and to cultivate self-compassion.