Ellen Breakwell

MBACP. MA (hons) integrative counsellor and psychotherapist

Ellen is a qualified Integrative psychotherapist drawing from existential, humanistic, and psychodynamic approaches, with additional training in CBT and Mindfulness based CBT.

Following a career in the media industry as an art director and then producer, Ellen decided to pursue her interest in psychology by training as a psychotherapist. She subsequently completed a post graduate diploma in CBT/REBT, a certificate in Mindfulness Based CBT from the Oxford University Mindfulness Centre and an MA in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling from Regent’s University in London. Ellen is registered with the BACP and currently holds a position as a Senior Psychological Therapist in the NHS.

Ellen has experience providing short-term solution focused counselling and long-term exploratory psychotherapy, working with a broad range of presenting problems including:

Complex trauma
Bereavement
Relationship problems
Emotional and behavioural problems such as anxiety and depression, self-harm, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.

Ellen gained this experience through working in the NHS, including in a specialised trauma clinic, local community mental health charities as well as counselling students at UK-based universities.

Her special interests are in family systems and attachment theory and how we relate to ourselves as well as our environment and the people in it. These relationships may be based on our past or present experiences, often it is both. Ellen also has a keen interest in the symbiotic relationship between the body and mind and its connection with mental health and wellbeing and keeps up to date on new research in this arena.

Ellen believes therapy should provide a safe space so that meaning making and healing, through dialogue with a non-judgemental and trusted other can take place. She draws from her background in creativity to works collaboratively with clients using her experience to guide them to seek to understand fixed behavioural and relational patterns so that the opportunity for new possibilities can emerge.

Elen provides individual therapy for adults of all ages and young people from 14 years of age.

Appointments with Ellen are available: