Leigh Doran

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.