Counselling Is My Passion

I am Hanna Bohrisch, a person-centred counsellor, which in my believe is a very hopeful way of being. Before I decided to become a therapist, I was a volunteer with the Samaritans. I studied at the Metanoia Institute London. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). My experience is with people who are abuse and domestic violence survivors. You have the potential for self-development, acceptance and self-confidence. Counselling provides a safe, warm, understanding and genuine space for you. Therapy is a relationship and a privilege. We collaborate in creating a counselling relationship that is built on trust, integrity and honesty. I want to share something about me, so that you can get an image of who I am. That facilitates your decision if you would like me to be your counsellor, if you believe that I am trustworthy and genuine.

Hello! I’m Hanna

Counselling is my passion. It is a privilege to be alongside you while you grow your self-esteem and self-confidence, to support you in exploring, understanding and addressing your issues.

Therapy is a relationship. I, therefore, want to share a bit more about me so that you can get a better idea of who I am.

As you can see from the photo, I’m a white, middle-aged woman. I’m German and have lived in the UK for nearly 20 years. Let me tell you more about me:

Curiosity

I am open and curious to learn about your life experiences because I find the difference and diversity of us are enriching. I’m convinced that acknowledging our differences will bring us closer together and also helps us to understand ourselves better. That does not mean that I think I am without prejudice and bias. Quite contrary, it means that I am rather passionate to overcome them and learn from other people’s experiences.

Self-Awareness

I am striving for self-awareness and am eager about the process of growing it. Up until recently I had weekly counselling myself as part of my self-care. With the support of long term therapy, I now understand myself, my choices and my options better. I am more present in this world, which I believe supports me in being present for you.

Self-Care

Self-care manifests itself for each and every one of us in different ways. For me, it is feeling connected to myself, to my family and friends.

Going for a walk, being physically active and aware of the beauty of nature, stopping for a moment and concentrating on my breath are examples of self-care. Creativity in all its forms is self-care as we express our selves. Moreover, I believe that through music, literature and art, we connect to others. It gives me a sense of belonging.

Hanna is hugging a tree. Counselling is my passion. To be present and of service for you, I believe I need to take care of myself. This is an example of my self-care, being in nature with friends and family, relaxing and having fun. Creativity and connection, refuelling energy. My well-being is the foundation for my work as a counsellor. It enables me to be fully present for you, when you are in therapy with me.

My Approach

I am a person-centred counsellor, which is a hopeful and empowering way of being. In the person-centred approach, you, as a client, lead the counselling process. And you decide what issue you would like to bring to a session.

I believe that people have the potential to grow and make changes.

Your feelings can be blocked or disconnected from yourself due to your upbringing, messages from society and culture, life-events and relationships. When on the other hand, emotions are heard, understood and accepted, that would support you in reconnecting to yourself. To help this process, I will do my best to be genuine, empathic and accepting to create for you a safe space to explore your experiences, feelings, behaviour and beliefs. In trustworthy therapeutic conditions, you will become more self-aware, discovering your abilities, resilience and options.

My Beliefs

I’m a member of the BACP and adhere to their Ethical Framework. Therapy is, in my opinion, an inherent ethical profession. It is a crucial decision to help another person and a choice on how to help this person. I am passionate about and committed to being of service to you with respect, integrity, honesty, courage and care.

We all have different life experiences. I, therefore, believe that you know yourself best.

I believe that everybody has resources and great potential. The relationship we will build together is, in my opinion, the therapy. Therefore I encourage you to engage in creating a trusting relationship between the two of us.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Experience and Qualification

I have over four years of experience as a counsellor for adults, working mainly with women who survived abuse and domestic violence. Abuse can have an enormous impact on mental health. I also worked as an assessor for a leading UK charity. Before I started my counselling training, I volunteered for the Samaritans for 2 years.

My qualifications are as follows:

Bachelor’s degree BA (Hons) in Person-Centred Counselling. (Awaiting ratification from Middlesex University, London)
Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling – Metanoia Institute London, accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Certificate in Systemic Coaching – BR-Systemberatung –by the European Coaching Associations (ECA) quality standards.

From my principles and beliefs, I am committed to continuing my professional development. It is also a requirement for my BACP registered membership.

If you want to learn more about therapeutic approaches and your view of what therapy is and decide to give it a try, I am also happy to recommend some of my colleagues. They are all based in Greater London. I believe you would be in safe hands with them. See the links below: