We are Anna and Simon Berkley
Anna and Simon are a married couple working individually as counsellors. We have been married for 25 years and raised two children.
Anna’s expertise is in working with distress relating to maternity issues, trauma, loss, grief and terminal illness.
Simon’s expertise is in working with parents, children and young people dealing with anxiety, sadness or self-regulation.
We also both work with any adult who wants someone to talk to and support them in making the changes they are looking for.
About Anna
Hello, I am Anna. I am a BACP-accredited counsellor and EMDR therapist. I have found counselling helpful in my own life at various difficult times, including after a miscarriage, so I care very much about helping others. I welcome any adult who wishes to receive counselling support in their life, and I also work with couples who have lost a baby.
My clients have told me that they feel safe and find me easy to talk to. My specialities are bereavement, grief, and working with any maternity difficulties or distress you may be feeling. I am experienced in working with anxiety in pregnancy, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, post-natal concerns, fertility issues, and terminal illness.
My career has been mostly as an NHS midwife (qualified 2000), which included mentoring students. More recently I have worked as a counsellor (qualified 2020) in perinatal mental health/maternity services with people who have experienced baby loss and birth trauma. I spent just over a year working in a local hospice-at-home team, which enriched me with more knowledge and understanding of end-of-life care.
I now work with Petals charity, alongside my private practice in counselling. I am a wife and mother, and enjoy walking my dog, swimming, singing and meditation.
I feel compassion for people going through difficult times and have always found it a privilege to work as a counsellor. I aim to be alongside and support you through grief and transition, to facilitate accessing your inner strength moving forward, and to hold a space for you to explore making meaning in your life.
About Simon
I've struggled at times to live an authentic and meaningful life, trying to navigate my way through what I believed to be the right path. Coming to counselling has helped me find out what is important for me and how to get there and, as a result, there is more joy and purpose in my life than I thought possible.
My focus now, as a counsellor, is to help people find this for themselves. I work with adults and young people, from the age of 8 years old and my clients come from a diverse range of backgrounds and life situations. I also have experience working with neurodiversity and the challenges that it can bring to people of all age groups.
As well as working with adults, I am also an Education Mental Health Practitioner (working for a local NHS Trust), specialising in working with children and young people who struggle with low mood, anxiety, and behavioural and self-regulation challenges. I also offer structured support to parents.
You may be struggling with managing emotions, grieving for a lost loved one, unsure how to manage difficult family dynamics or have problems at work or challenges with your child’s behaviour or their level of anxiety.
You might feel that there is more you want for your life but are unsure how to achieve this and want an opportunity to talk through your challenges and to be heard.
I am a qualified Integrative Counsellor with experience in working with grief, loss, unresolved pain from childhood, relationship breakdowns and working through difficult life events.
I am also a husband and a dad to two grown-up adults and prior to becoming a counsellor I worked as a teacher for 12 years. Before that, I spent 20 years in the commercial world, in sales and marketing, business development and senior leadership.
If you are looking for support, then I would be interested to talk with you to see if I’m the right counsellor for you and for what you’re looking for in your life right now.
Location
We work from our comfortable Counselling Pod in Dartington, Devon which is easily accessible from areas such as South Devon, Totnes, South Brent, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Torquay, Paignton, and Exeter.
Fees
With Anna
Counselling/EMDR - £60 per hour
With Simon
Counselling - £60 per hour
Concessions Available
To arrange a free initial 15-minute phone or video call to discuss what you are looking for and to see if one of us is a good fit for you please fill out the contact form below.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment.
Tel: 07565 799909