We are Anna and Simon Berkley
Anna and Simon are a married couple. We have been married for 25 years and raised two children. We work separately as counsellors, working with people who want someone to talk to and support them through difficult times and in making the changes they are looking for.
Anna also has expertise in working with distress relating to maternity issues, trauma, loss, grief and terminal illness.
As well as working with adults who are looking for change, Simon also has expertise in working with parents, children and young people dealing with anxiety, sadness or self-regulation.
About Anna
I am a BACP-accredited counsellor and EMDR therapist. 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 clients have told me that they feel safe and find me easy to talk to.
My qualifications are: BSc Hons Physiology and Nutrition (Southampton University 1995), Dip. HE Midwifery (King Alfred's College Winchester 2000), Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling (Iron Mill College, Exeter, qualified 2020) and EMDR training was with the EMDR Academy (EMDR Europe Accredited Training 2024-2025).
I have found counselling helpful in my own life at various difficult times, including after a miscarriage, and I care very much about helping others. I welcome any woman who wishes to receive counselling support, and I also work with couples who have lost a baby.
My career has been mostly as an NHS midwife which also included teaching and mentoring students. More recently I have worked as a counsellor 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 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 offer a warm and supportive space for you to explore the challenges and experiences you have in your life in a way that works for you. I am a BACP-registered Integrative Counsellor, a father, and a husband. I also have lived experience of grief and loss and what it takes to be knocked down and get back up again, bruises and all.
You may be feeling that there is more you want for your life and need an opportunity to talk through your challenges and to be heard.
You may be struggling with managing difficult emotions such as depression, anxiety or low self-esteem, be finding close relationships difficult, grieving for a loved one, unsure how to manage challenging family dynamics or have problems at work.
You may also just feel lost and simply want to find your way again.
Wherever you are in your life right now, I can support you in moving forwards, towards the future you really want.
As well as being a counsellor for adults, I’m also qualified to work with Children and Young People from the age of 8 and their parents. Prior to becoming a therapist, I worked in the commercial sector for more than 20 years and I was also a teacher for more than a decade.
My clients come from a diverse range of backgrounds and life situations and I also have experience working with neurodiversity and the challenges that it can bring to people of all age groups.
My lived experience of grief and loss included losing my best friend to suicide at the age of only 24, and I have worked with clients who have also lost loved ones.
Equally, I support people who have unresolved pain from childhood, relationship breakdowns or want to work through difficult life events, both current and in the past.
I am a husband and a dad to two grown-up children. My work as a teacher was such a rich and meaningful experience, not only crafting lessons in the most creative way I could, but also supporting my pupils emotionally and developmentally during their formative years. My career in the commercial world was in sales and marketing, business development and senior leadership.
I have a BA (Hons) Degree in European Business from the University of Hertfordshire (1995) and I am a qualified Steiner Waldorf teacher (2011). I gained my Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling from Iron Mill College, Exeter and hold a PGDip in Mental Health in Education Settings from Exeter University.
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