Cultivating Emotional Resilience

Wendy Lydford BA(Hons), MA, MBACP

Clinical Counsellor

For over twenty years, I have walked alongside people navigating some of life’s most painful challenges: trauma, loss, unwantedness, loneliness, relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, substance misuse, and the ripple effects of criminal justice involvement. What I’ve learned is that, no matter the circumstances, every person carries within them the capacity to heal. My role is to provide a safe, compassionate space where that healing can begin.

My therapeutic approach is shaped by my Master’s Degree in Clinical Counselling, where I researched hiraeth, a Welsh word for a deep, untranslatable longing. This led me to explore non-finite grief (a life path misaligned with hopes, dreams and expectations), and how experiences of rejection, unwantedness and family dysfunction can silently shape our lives. These insights deeply inform the way I support clients, helping them find understanding, validation, and hope in the places they have felt unseen.

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP, Register No: 411592) and an Advanced Accredited Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Practitioner. This allows me to combine traditional, evidence-based counselling with innovative approaches that release emotional distress at its roots.

Clients who work with me often say they feel truly heard, sometimes for the first time in their lives. Together, we explore painful experiences in a way that feels safe and manageable, with the aim of helping you reconnect with your sense of self, restore resilience, and move toward a life that feels more grounded, authentic, and free.

If you are feeling weighed down by grief, rejection, trauma, or cycles you can’t seem to break, you don’t have to carry it alone. Therapy can be the first step toward something different. I would be honoured to walk that journey with you.

Ffion Simmons N.H.F Dip, BA(Hons), PG Dip, MSc

Nutritional Therapist

I have had a keen interest in nutrition since my teens, experimenting with a variety of different “diets” with various degrees of success. Confused and frustrated by all the conflicting dietary advice out there and seeing first-hand how a change in diet had improved the health conditions of both my sons, motivated me to study nutrition more formally. I came across the Nutritional Healing Foundation and embarked on a life changing journey, completing my Practitioner Diploma in Nutritional Healing and learning about the healing aspects of nutrition.

I realised very early in my life (at age 3 in fact!) whilst looking after my “Taid” during his last days, that I had a passion for helping and caring for people. This early experience paved the way to me to completing a Degree in Nursing and later a Masters of Science Degree in Dementia. Wanting to make a difference to the wellbeing of people has been a core value throughout my career and to which I have been able to exercise throughout my 25 years of working in health and social care.

I feel so privileged to be able to now combine my in-depth understanding of nutrition with my passion for helping and supporting people to achieve optimal health. I work with individuals who want to promote their health, perform at their optimum level or with those looking for support around specific health concerns. I specialise in supporting clients with concerns about memory and cognitive health, anxiety and depression, chronic fatigue, sports nutrition, gut issues including IBS, hormonal imbalances (PMT/Menopause/Blood Sugar imbalances, diabetes) and stress.

I believe that what we eat and drink, and how we live our lives has a direct influence on our health and sense of wellbeing. As Hippocrates once said, “Just as food causes chronic disease, it can be the most powerful cure.” My goal is to educate and inspire clients to regain control of their health through personalised, step by step plans working at their pace to achieve realistic changes. I take time to explore the underlying cause of clients’ symptoms and explore how their ancestral history and their past life experiences may influence their state of health or disease.

Zoe Spencer BA, PGCE, MA

Art Psychotherapist

I qualified as an Art Psychotherapist in 2023, following a 27-year career in teaching and pastoral work. Within these education roles, I worked as a Thrive Approach Practitioner and led staff teams in restorative justice and anti-bullying school programmes. Since then, I have gained clinical experience working with children and young people within the third sector in schools, in NHS Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). I currently work as a Senior Practitioner in NHS Mental Health Support Teams, and I am soon to qualify with a PG Dip. in Clinical Supervision supporting a staff team, as part of this role. I am fully accredited and registered with the HCPC and BAAT and can offer one-to-one and small group sessions to young people and adults where appropriate.

I have a specialist interest in attachment and trauma, grief and bereavement, and neuroscience and neurodiversity. My therapeutic practices are underpinned by psychodynamic theory, using a person-centred approach. DBT and LI-CBT informed methods can also be integrated where appropriate.

Sameena Khan-Lodhi BA(Hons), MSc, MA, MBACP

Clinical Counsellor

Counselling with me is about creating a safe, supportive space where you can talk openly and feel truly heard. I work in a person-centred way, which means you set the pace and decide what feels important to explore. I won’t tell you what to do, but I will listen carefully, with empathy and respect, so that together we can make sense of what you’re going through.

I also recognise that spirituality and cultural identity are deeply important for many people, and I welcome conversations around these areas if they are meaningful to you.

I have experience working with a wide range of issues, including abuse, anxiety, bereavement, bullying, cultural concerns, depression, grief, loneliness, self-esteem, self-harm, relationships, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), spirituality, and trauma. I also have particular expertise in supporting survivors of sexual abuse and clients experiencing suicidal thoughts.

I aim to provide a confidential and compassionate space where you can discuss what matters most to you without fear of judgment. Clients often tell me they value my warmth, my ability to sit with them in their pain, and the sense of relief that comes from finally being able to share what they’ve been carrying alone. Whether you are coming to counselling for a specific issue or seeking ongoing support, I will walk alongside you as you find your way forward.