Life can sometimes feel overwhelming — whether through grief, loss, big transitions, or the quieter struggles that build up over time. You may feel stuck, anxious, low in mood, or unsure how to move forward.
Hi, I’m Daniela. I offer a warm, steady and accepting space in Lewes and online, where you don’t have to hold everything together on your own.
I support adults experiencing anxiety, low mood or depression, emotional overwhelm, grief, life transitions, and neurodivergent challenges, including ADHD.
Let's start with a free 30-minute call
Therapy offers a space for change and growth. You may be feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward - perhaps experiencing low mood, anxiety, or a sense that your usual ways of coping no longer feel helpful.
As a BACP-registered counsellor based in Lewes, East Sussex, I offer to meet you just as you are - with compassion and curiosity - in both your stuckness and your hope for something new.
My Approach
In therapy with me, you don’t need to leave any part of yourself at the door. Even the parts you might usually hide, judge, or feel unsure about are welcome here. I offer a calm, accepting space where you can go at your own pace, without pressure or expectations.
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Each session is shaped around what feels most supportive for you in the moment. That might mean slowing things down, noticing patterns in your thoughts or feelings, or gently exploring different parts of yourself. My intention is to help you feel steady enough to make sense of what’s happening inside.
I work in a collaborative and relational way. You are the expert on your own life, and my role is to walk alongside you with care, curiosity, and respect.
As an integrative counsellor, I draw from Person-Centred, Gestalt and Existential Therapy, Parts Work, and Transactional Analysis. This allows flexibility, so our work can adapt to you rather than fitting you into a particular model.
I work within the BACP Ethical Framework and attend regular supervision. I hold an enhanced DBS check and full professional indemnity insurance.
What to Expect
Starting Therapy
Beginning therapy can feel like a step into something new. You don’t need to have everything worked out or know exactly what you want to talk about. We’ll take things at a pace that feels comfortable for you, and you’re always free to share as much or as little as you wish.
How Sessions Work
Sessions are 50 minutes long and usually take place weekly. This offers a regular space to pause, reflect, and focus on yourself.
You might choose to bring something that feels present or important, or we may begin by noticing how things have been for you recently. Often, starting with what’s here right now is enough.
Over time, you may begin to notice:
- What's been weighing on you emotionally
- Patterns that leave you feeling stuck or drained
- How your past experiences may still be shaping your present
- Clearer insight into your needs, wants and choices
Working Together
Our work is collaborative and shaped around what feels most helpful for you. Together, we may:
- Give space and language to your thoughts and feelings
- Develop self-understanding and self-compassion
- Find practical tools that help you feel steadier
- Build on your strengths and move towards changes that feel right
I aim to close sessions with a brief moment of reflection, giving you time to gather your thoughts and take anything useful back into everyday life.
"Each person is an island unto himself, in a very real sense; and he can only build bridges to other islands if he is first of all willing to be himself and permitted to be himself."
Lori Gottlieb
About me
Hi, I’m Daniela. I’m a qualified Humanistic Integrative Counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Most importantly, I’m human, and I understand how confusing it can feel when thoughts and emotions pull in different directions. Therapy can offer a space to gently untangle things, without pressure to have everything worked out straight away — a place where you don’t have to carry it all on your own, but can have someone alongside you as you make sense of what’s happening.
At the heart of my work is a simple belief: with care, respect and acceptance, we all have the capacity to heal, grow and find our own way forward.
Alongside my private practice, I am part of a local network offering low-cost counselling for people on reduced incomes. A charity close to my heart is St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne, where I supported adults and young people through grief and bereavement. These experiences continue to shape the compassion, steadiness and sensitivity I bring to my work.
“Hope comes when we start to move.
When we start to act.
When we start to take steps
– any steps –
to make things better for ourselves.”
Carolyn Spring
My background
Originally from Austria and now settled in the UK, I understand the subtle shifts that come with change, belonging, and finding your place over time. This lived experience deepens my ability to support clients exploring identity, transitions, belonging, and the tender terrain of personal growth.
Before training as a therapist, I worked as an events manager — a fast-paced, high-pressure world where emotions often ran high. In the midst of constant deadlines, I learned the value of slowing down, listening deeply, and being a calm and steady presence. That learning remains at the heart of how I work.
I also have years of experience working in educational settings, supporting adults and young people who are neurodivergent or experiencing social, emotional, and mental health challenges. This work reinforced how powerful it can be to be met with consistency, empathy and curiosity — without judgement or pressure to “perform” or change.
Across all of my roles, I have seen how a genuine, reliable relationship can nurture confidence, resilience and self-acceptance. I truly believe we all thrive when we feel seen, understood and valued.
“Part of getting to know yourself is to unknow yourself to let go of the limiting stories you’ve told yourself about who you are so that you aren’t trapped by them, so you can live your life and not the story you’ve been telling yourself about your life.”
Areas I support
Anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm
Low mood, depression, and feeling “stuck”
Neurodivergence, ADHD, and high sensitivity
Grief, bereavement, and loss
Life transitions, big decisions, and identity shifts
Relationship patterns, boundaries, and communication
Self-esteem, body image, and self-worth
Trauma and difficult past experiences
Work stress, burnout, and pressure to cope
Cultural or cross-cultural experiences, including living between worlds
Women’s emotional and hormonal wellbeing
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.”
Brene Brown
You can read more about my approach to counselling here.
Language and Expression
I offer counselling sessions in English and am also fluent in German. You’re welcome to bring your own language, culture, and way of expressing yourself into our work together.
Some people find it easier to speak in their mother tongue, while others communicate through imagery, metaphor, pauses, or silence. All of this is welcome. Therapy doesn’t have to be about finding the “right” words — it’s about finding what feels true for you.
This can be especially supportive if you sometimes feel caught between different worlds, move between languages, or find that words don’t quite capture what you want to express.
“Many people come to therapy seeking closure. Help me not to feel. What they eventually discover is that you can’t mute one emotion without muting the others. You want to mute the pain? You’ll also mute the joy.”
Carl Rogers
Therapy Location
I offer counselling from calm, private rooms in and around Lewes, East Sussex. Each space is peaceful, confidential, and easy to access — with public transport nearby or on-site:
Corner Room
Meeting House
32 Friars Walk
Lewes, BN7 2LE
Gather Rooms
The Old Granary
16 Upper Stoneham Farm
Lewes, BN8 5RH
Online and Phone Counselling
I also offer online sessions via secure platforms, as well as telephone therapy, if working from home or another familiar space feels more supportive for you. Some clients choose a single way of working, while others find a combination that suits their needs.
Walk and Talk Therapy
Walk-and-talk sessions take place in and around Lewes, including the South Downs. Being outdoors and moving gently can sometimes help thoughts and feelings settle in a different way.
This option can be especially supportive for people who find sitting face-to-face intense, or who feel more at ease when walking side by side.
We go at a pace that feels right for you, with space to pause, sit, notice, or simply breathe. Walk-and-talk sessions are available once we’ve built a therapeutic foundation and if it feels like a good fit.
Accessibility needs can be discussed individually so that the space feels supportive, comfortable and safe for you.
Sessions & Fees
Session Length: 50 minutes
Fee: £55 per session
(in-person in Lewes, online, or by phone)
Sessions usually take place weekly, though this can be reviewed together depending on your needs and circumstances. Therapy can be open-ended or time-limited, and we’ll check in regularly to make sure our work continues to feel supportive.
I offer a limited number of reduced-cost sessions for students and people on a lower income. If cost feels like a barrier, please feel welcome to ask about availability.
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel or reschedule a session, please let me know at least 48 hours in advance. Sessions cancelled with less notice will be charged at the full fee, as I’m unlikely to be able to offer the time to someone else at short notice.
“Growth occurs when individuals confront problems, struggle to master them, and through that struggle develop new aspects of their skills, capacities, views about life.”
Carl Rogers
Get in Touch
If you’d like to explore whether working together feels right, we can begin with a free 30-minute phone call. This is a gentle space to ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and see what you might need at this time.
There’s no pressure to commit, and you don’t need to have everything figured out — reaching out is enough.
“When someone really hears you
without passing judgement on you,
without trying to take responsibility for you,
without trying to mould you,
it feels damn good…”
Carl Rogers
