Family Therapy Counselling in Whalley Range, Manchester

With my brother diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia nearly 30 years ago, I have personal experience of the family sacrifices and struggles related to the pain and stigma of mental illness. Having since, committing my life to the improvement of people’s emotional fitness and mental resilience, with support from organisations such as SANE and MIND, my own journey has allowed me to discover the true benefits of therapy first-hand. Personal therapy is proving invaluable for people to manage certain difficult or crisis situations in their lives and so transform their problems into major opportunities for personal growth.

I am a warm, open, person centred counsellor. I work in a holistic and creative way. I aim to provide a non-judgmental and safe space for you to explore your issues and to develop understanding. This in turn leads to the possibility of deep and lasting change. Over the past eighteen years I have helped many clients develop greater self-awareness and kindness towards themselves, working with a variety of issues including: anxiety, attachment issues and trauma, depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties, work related issues, loneliness, sexual violence, trauma and peri-natal issues.

I am proudly a combination of Autistic and ADHD. AuDHD has a nice ring to it. I draw on 14 years of experience in private practice as well as lived experience of being neurodivergent. I specialise in working with sensitive souls, Autism, ADHD. I work with clients who fall into what used to be the Asperger category of Autism. Although these people are considered to be high functioning, I am careful using this term. It can cover up the deep seated struggles under the facade of “doing well”.

I believe that the therapist and client come together as a team to work through issues that may stand in the way of you reaching your potential. Through my training, I have mainly used Transactional Analysis, but also have some experience working in a solution-focussed way and like to work integratively as each person is an individual who may like to work in a different way. I work with people on a range of issues, but find that I work with people with anxiety or depression most commonly, and pride myself on working hard to make people feel at ease.

We accumulate ways of being in the world that supported us in the past but, perhaps, don’t serve us now. This may be held in our bodies, thoughts, emotions, and the way that we relate to ourself and others. Therapy is a process of exploring this together with a balance of safety and challenge. I have experienced personally and with others how this can facilitate deepening self awareness, processing old wounds, and living more authentically. I am warm and openminded, and I am committed to being honest because I believe that it is paramount to enabling trust to develop. I meet you as my genuine self, rather than in ‘role’.

I recognise that everyone of us is unique and that we can all experience periods of uncertainty, whether this be stress from growing up in a changing world to managing our own mental wellbeing and personal lives. As a person-centred counsellor, I work with you, from your perspective, providing you the opportunity to be listened too. I offer a welcoming safe, confidential, non-judgemental space, where patterns of thoughts and behaviours can be explored together, I am passionate about working towards healing, growth and empowerment.

My name is Maria de Ridder. I work as a psychotherapist in private practice in South Manchester in Chorlton and Didsbury.

You may be experiencing depression, anxiety, or feeling confused that life, and relationships aren't turning out how you expected. We all find ourselves repeating unhelpful or painful patterns of behaviour sometimes, and feel unable to change them. In therapy these patterns are uncovered and you can learn how to change them to be a new, healthier and happier you, to enjoy a fuller life and healthier relationships. If you have not had therapy before give it a try. Everyone can benefit from therapy and improve their quality of life so don't hesitate to take the first step

There are many reasons why people choose to come to therapy.  For some, it can be a sense of discomfort, an internal struggle, or perhaps an external trigger has pushed you towards seeking support. Therapy can be an empowering process, supporting you to reconnect with yourself, to notice and take care of your needs, bringing you self awareness, healing & a deeper sense of security. I work to provide clients with a safe & attuned therapeutic experience. This gives you the space to look at old patterns of behaviour that are no longer serving you, supporting you to make healthier changes, moving you forward into a place of authenticity

Hi, I'm Deniz. I'm writing this statement so that you can learn about who I am and how I work. Hopefully, you'll find some reassurance here, that therapy can work for you. Academically, I am an Advanced Transactional Analysis Psychotherapist, as such I am trained to work across the spectrum of issues people may face, these include but aren't limited to: anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, confidence, grief and trauma. As a person, I'm warm, caring and genuine - I keep a very open mind and I'm naturally accepting. I've lived a broad life, I don't judge anyone, no matter how bad or unusual a person may themselves feel.

I offer a confidential, safe space and time for clients to explore any concerns or problems they are experiencing. During our sessions you will have the opportunity to discuss whatever issues you are struggling with in order to reach a deeper understanding of yourself, others and your circumstances, and most crucially to identify anything that you wish to change and work towards your goals. Together in our sessions, I will work sensitively so as to strengthen and empower you in the here-and-now to deal with recent events, on-going or long-standing issues that may have surfaced in your life.

If you're thinking about therapy, you may have reached a stage in your life where you're ready to make some changes and don't know how to begin. Possibly you're experiencing anxiety, sleep difficulties, burnout or overwhelm. Your relationships may be under strain and your confidence has taken a knock. Maybe you're struggling to process a traumatic event or find painful experiences from your past prevent you from achieving your goals in the present. If any of this resonates with what you're feeling right now, please read on.