Meaningful change happens beyond the therapy room. Together, we work to transform confusion into insight, emotional overwhelm into manageable challenges, and long-standing patterns into greater freedom and choice in everyday life.
My Approach
I work in an integrative way, which means that therapy is tailored to you rather than following a single fixed method. Different people need different kinds of support at different times, and together we find an approach that feels both helpful and manageable.
My core training is in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). CBT can help us understand how difficulties are maintained in the present — for example, how thoughts, emotions, behaviours and physical reactions interact in cycles that can feel hard to break. This understanding often provides a practical starting point for change.
EMDR is a trauma-focused approach that helps the brain process distressing experiences that may still feel emotionally charged or intrusive. Many people find that it allows them to revisit difficult memories in a way that feels contained and supported, rather than overwhelming.
Alongside these approaches, I draw from other therapeutic models when helpful. This may include exploring how you relate to difficult thoughts and feelings, developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself, or understanding patterns within important relationships and family systems. These perspectives can deepen the work and help therapy feel more relevant to your unique experience.
Above all, I aim for therapy to feel collaborative and paced according to your needs. We move forward together, focusing on what feels most important and manageable for you at that time.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on how thoughts, emotions, physical reactions and behaviours interact in everyday life. It can help identify patterns that may be keeping difficulties going—such as cycles of worry, avoidance, self-criticism or panic—and develop practical ways to interrupt these cycles.
Rather than focusing only on symptoms, CBT aims to help you understand what is maintaining a difficulty and what changes might make the biggest difference. Together, we build a shared understanding of these patterns and explore practical strategies that can be applied in daily life. Many clients find that CBT helps them feel more confident in managing challenges, responding differently to difficult situations, and breaking patterns that may have kept them feeling stuck.
CBT is often helpful for anxiety, panic, obsessive thoughts, low mood, low self-esteem, and stress-related difficulties.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is a therapy that helps the brain process difficult or distressing experiences that may still feel "stuck" in the present. When something overwhelming happens, the memory can remain emotionally charged, meaning that reminders of the event continue to trigger anxiety, fear, shame, or other strong reactions long after the experience has passed.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories in a safe and structured way, allowing them to become integrated as part of your life story rather than continuing to feel like a current threat. As the memory loses its emotional intensity, many people notice a reduction in distress, greater emotional freedom, and a growing sense of control in situations that previously felt overwhelming.
Although EMDR is widely recognised as an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress, it can also be helpful for anxiety, panic, low self-worth, and experiences that continue to affect how you see yourself, others, or the world around you.
What People Have Said
"Working with Iliana on my CBT journey was truly transformative. At a time when I felt stuck in limbo, she created a safe and comfortable space where I could open up about experiences I had long suppressed. Iliana's warmth and compassion made even the most challenging and raw moments of our sessions manageable. With her support, I was able to achieve my goal of reducing medication, and I genuinely looked forward to our sessions each week. I am deeply grateful for her guidance and care."
— TB“Still battling and processing, but with much more hope since my EMDR sessions with you. I can't thank you enough and I praise my God for you, that after 30 years (approximately), I knew it was safe to open up about things that I felt I could never talk to anyone else about before and still wouldn't. God bless you Iliana. I pray that you can help many, many more people feel safe to open up about their deepest traumatic memories and find healing.”
— BA"The experimental approach in my CBT sessions was a key catalyst for my recovery. Iliana guided me through a journey that was perfectly paced and thoughtfully timed. Thanks to her support, I can now travel on trains without panicking or feeling overwhelmed, which has significantly improved my day-to-day life."
— CH