Bridget O'Connell

Hi my name is Bridget and I warmly welcome you. Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming, especially if you are already anxious, depressed or currently holding trauma. You may not know exactly what you want from therapy to begin and you don't need to. We will start wherever you are and when you do feel able to reach out you will meet a warm, approachable and empathic therapist. On a practical level I provide 1:1 face to face, short and long term counselling and psychotherapy from my private therapy room in Whitchurch, South Bristol (near to the ring road and surrounding areas of Totterdown, Hengrove, Knowle, Brislington and Keynsham). I invite you to feel deeply heard, understood and supported.

I am a fully qualified and registered Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with 12 years experience. I have a Postgraduate Diploma in Humanistic and Integrative Counselling (Distinction) from BCPC (Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling). I have a Foundation Certificate in Counselling from BCPC. I have a BSc (Hons) Degree in Psychology from Middlesex University. I am a registered member of BACP and adhere to their code of ethics and also attend regular supervision. I am committed to my professional and personal development and as such regularly attend workshops to further develop my knowledge and practice. My additional qualifications and experience include: Certificate in 'Eating Disorders In the Therapy Room'. 'Managing Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks' 'Healing our Shadow' - Jungian Archetypes 'Weekend Anger Workshop' 'Using Music in the Therapy Room' 'Transactional Analysis' 'Finding One's Voice in the Therapy Room' My work experience includes: Bristol Mind - working with individuals who came with a range of issues including, bereavement, isolation, trauma, financial and relational issues. The Southmead Project - working with clients who had current addictions and came from abusive backgrounds. Weston College - working with individuals aged 16+ who were suffering with exam related stress, depression and anxiety. I was also a Samaritan for a number of years.

I have extensive experience working with stress, anxiety, depression, abuse, trauma, PTSD, bereavement and relational and anger issues. I hold a particular interest in working with pre- and perinatal issues and welcome anyone interested in exploring these early stages of life and the impact it has had on them. I also have an informed experience of the psychological impact of living with various medical conditions and rare diagnoses. As a former piano teacher I am able to draw on creative techniques, if you feel comfortable and open to this approach, within the therapeutic space. I have found this can help clients access emotions that can feel hard to articulate, particularly feelings of shame or experiences of vulnerability.

I believe that the power of the therapeutic relationship is key to the success of therapy and as such, from a strongly relational, committed and boundaried stance, create a safe, nurturing and contained environment in which to explore any issues you may be currently facing. I will help you develop greater self-awareness and understanding. I believe that therapy works best when there is honesty and mutual engagement, sometimes gently challenging unhelpful patterns where appropriate.