leigh doran
Cumbria,
I work in private practice as a counsellor, a yoga teacher and also offer
support to the business sector through my experience creating and leading an
organisation in the charity sector. I am an open, supportive and approachable
BACP registered counsellor, NLP Master practitioner and ACT therapist,
specialising in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) since 2014 - which is a
valuable modern behavioural alternative to CBT, based on mindfulness,
compassionate and values-led practices. I have extensive experience of working
with abuse as founder and now Patron of a Domestic Abuse charity Daisy Programme
| Our Patrons. I gained extensive experience of working with trauma, abuse
whilst mindful of the legacy this leaves behind. My experience lends and informs
my work in SME/charity sector providing coaching and motivational talks on
creating a sustainable charity. I am a fully qualified yoga teacher combining
yoga with therapeutic writing with a special interest in the menopause. My
practice is reflective of my own life experiences and belief that each and every
one of us has the answers to our questions, we just sometimes need someone to
walk beside us on the road. In my private practice I work with the mind body, so
many of our aches, pains and niggles maybe caused by trauma locked in the body
so I am an advocate of connecting with self which is often the last thing we
want to do. I however can support you to understand a little more how simple
breathing exercises can make a difference. My work as a yoga teacher has
informed my counselling practice in how tension, stress and anxiety contribute
to our heightened state of hyper-arousal, anticipating, over-thinking whilst
either living in the past or in the future, very often not in the now which is
all we can influence. I am a qualified Mental Health Instructor for MHFA and
have a particular interest in supporting those with mental and physical health
difficulties Through my own lived experience I have managed the Menopause and am
a member of the British Menopause Society. This is an area I also have
specialist knowledge of. The menopause being a huge time of change. My hope is
that through therapy you will find a way through the challenges and grow as a
result of understanding your story so far. I work integratively which means I
have a combined approach in the therapy room with no single modality (type of
counselling) is the answer. I work with clients collaboratively showing
acceptance and non-judgmentalism, positive regard and being open and congruent
with them, valuing their uniqueness and belief in their ability to grow. I am
passionate about using any creative approach, especially the use of writing for
wellbeing and therapeutic purposes. I have studied therapeutic writing with The
Writing Academy and run writing workshops which compliment my counselling & yoga
work.
