https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/blog-1 daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/blog-1/3-girls-were-murdered monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/blog-1/new-beginnings monthly 0.5 2024-05-25 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/blog-1/are-women-afraid-to-feel monthly 0.5 2022-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/d0e8bdba-0126-4cf3-a339-4ebb6c79f67f/jm-lova-RRaTDuKHPH8-unsplash.jpg Blog - Are women afraid to feel? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/blog-1/what-is-it-you-are-really-afraid-of monthly 0.5 2022-07-04 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/blog-1/the-new-kind-of-forgiveness monthly 0.5 2022-06-12 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/home daily 1.0 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/1656938664256-MZTEQ33QRIKWLOSJN70N/samson-vowles-6-ZPUiC3sWs-unsplash.jpg Home - You Don’t Have to Hold This Alone Anymore. Maybe you feel like something is broken — not just around you, but within you. Maybe you find yourself in patterns you don’t understand: pulling people close, then pushing them away… staying silent when you want to scream… feeling emotions that come out of nowhere and don’t seem to make sense. You might be confused, angry, scared, even ashamed — unsure where it all comes from. Maybe you’ve been told to “move on,” but your body won’t let you. Relational trauma — especially trauma that comes from those we trusted most — leaves deep marks. It shapes the way we see ourselves, the way we love, the way we survive. It’s not just in your mind. It’s in your nervous system, your relationships, your sense of safety in the world. A feeling of deep sadness, rage, uncertainty, overwhelm, or perhaps absolutely nothing, totally shut off from joy, happiness and satisfaction? Your body doesn’t feel like your own, you hardly recognise who you are. Holistic counselling has helped many of my clients to unwind from their experiences, to grow into the person they know to be hiding deep within them, to understand and be understood, to find peace and grow into fulfilment. But here’s the truth: what happened to you was never your fault. And healing is possible. In counselling, you’ll be met with warmth, compassion, and deep respect. I offer a relational, person-centred approach, meaning we build trust together. I don’t sit above you as an expert, but walk alongside you as we explore your story — gently, at your pace. Our work together is integrative, tailored to you. This might include talking, noticing sensations in your body, identifying parts of you that hold pain or protect you, and beginning to reconnect with the pieces of yourself that feel lost or frozen. You are not “too much,” and you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. Counselling is a process of building a relationship, it is an experience of walking the path unknown with a companion who totally accepts, has a deep desire to understand and support you, to perhaps help you find the strength to look into the darkness with less fear, to uncover the places that you have avoided, to find love, compassion and deeper understanding of who you are, why you are who you are, and how you can be the person you are with love, acceptance and compassion. Let me ask you some questions… How would it feel to be safe to express yourself? What would you be able to do if you were able to deeply love and accept all parts of yourself? Would you like to feel like you belong, even if you don’t fit the mould? Would you like to feel worthy of the love you crave? How would your life transform if you could open your heart without fear of the pain you have experienced before? What would be different if you were able to hold strong safe boundaries? Every session is tailored to your needs, 100% client centred. It could be the beautifully unique and nurturing person centred counselling, perhaps hypnotherapy, or regression therapy for a more creative and safe way to access deeper understanding, somatic body work, meditation, mindfulness and creative therapy. Non prescriptive, totally unique to your needs, relational therapy that starts with you, your experience, and the space for you to explore it at your own pace. Do you have some questions for me? Book in now for a free no obligation consultation, take that first step to find out what it might feel like to finally choose you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/d0e8bdba-0126-4cf3-a339-4ebb6c79f67f/jm-lova-RRaTDuKHPH8-unsplash.jpg Home - “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” — Anais Nin This quote embodies what therapy means to me, and how I will work with you. Your experience is unique to you, it is all about you, and through exploration, curiosity, gentle guidance and awareness, together we will walk your path of discovery and understanding, giving you the freedom to be whoever you wish to be, experiencing life in the way you choose, not in the way your past, or other people dictate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/a2cc1768-4ae4-4feb-927e-0dce241cc20f/warren-wong-Zmsqn3PBuLs-unsplash.jpg Home - “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world.” — Albert Einstein A lot of the work we will do together is exploring and being curious about what you are experiencing in the moment, what you have experienced in past and what stories and beliefs you attach to your lived experience. The process I use is creative and individual, sometimes it is not easy to look directly at painful experiences, this is where a creative process such as regression therapy has so much power, as you are able to look at yourself through a new and different lens. I have found that it is within this space of exploring without judgement that you are able to unearth your true self, finding compassion, forgiveness and understanding which gives you the opportunity to let go of that which no longer serves you, to live a life of freedom, of contentment, of joy and love. Still have questions? https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/work daily 0.75 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/3ed1f0d3-24a7-409f-947a-fcf8e106946d/mikhail-vasilyev-NodtnCsLdTE-unsplash.jpg Work with me - Anxiety Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/99b41db7-4406-43c4-beca-51561187ad26/mikhail-vasilyev-4BDa4x9jVMk-unsplash.jpg Work with me - Depression Depression is like a big heavy beast that sits on your shoulders sapping all your joy and motivation. It whispers words of despair quietly in your ear. It is like trying to get through life with leaden boots, and the knowledge that your life of love and connection is within reach if you can only get free of this heavy load is deeply painful. Understanding the roots of this heavy load can be very useful, it can give clarity, can build self-compassion and slowly enable you to lose this heavy armour that is weighing you down. My holistic approach to working with depression is rooted in talk therapy, creative process and body connection. Looking at both personal and social models of connection, relating and conditioning. The unique experience of human connection and acceptance often being the key to a new pathway, a new experience of living. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/c77539a3-ad1c-4070-b926-aea30f5c00e2/mikhail-vasilyev-M3vs1OQOXY4-unsplash.jpg Work with me - Trauma Trauma comes in many guises. It could be one single event, such as a sexual assault, robbery, accident or loss, or it could be more complex. I have worked for many years with women who have experienced birth trauma and sexual assault, and I now see how trauma shows up on the body and mind of people with a less clear trauma background. Time and again I have heard people say, I don’t understand why I am like this, its not like anything traumatic has happened to me. Or comparing their trauma to another’s far worse situation. I have a number of ways of working with trauma, for those who need to talk about it, find space and understanding I can offer this space, or for those who aren’t able to look at it directly I use creative methods to understand and release these stories and patterns. Trauma may not be apparent or obvious, but the sad truth is that often those most traumatised have been manipulated so much that they do not even recognise what has happened, or firmly place themselves in the centre of why it happens, believing themselves to be the cause. Understanding, acceptance and compassion are at the roots of unhooking and rewiring traumatic experiences and responses, to find a space of self compassion, self respect and self worth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/c339f551-a351-47a2-b7fd-78a1825b9a88/kote-puerto-so5nsYDOdxw-unsplash.jpg Work with me - Trauma informed birth preparation Childbirth can be daunting for anyone, yet if you have suffered sexual assault, abuse or a previous traumatic birth your needs may be different. This course has all the information you need to birth actively and mindfully whilst also looking at your own specific triggers and concerns. This work is not only for the expectant person, if you fear getting pregnant because of the inevitable birth then this can be a wonderful opportunity to understand yourself, the process and your choices before you have even begun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/ecd3ebd3-efa9-465f-a65f-97088c94e99f/mikhail-vasilyev-XXX0GQfgMy8-unsplash.jpg Work with me - Disordered eating and self-harm To know yourself is to find compassion and understanding for who you are, why you do what you do, why you feel how you feel. The shame and guilt that can be associated with your coping strategies can sometimes be even louder than what your coping with in the first place. Compassion and understanding is the doorway to finding peace, letting go of that which does not serve you and finally living to your fullest potential. No judgement, just a different way of looking at things, healthier strategies, deeper understanding. https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/835a9c5c-7d34-4409-b959-4481403f613e/Persephone+therapy+in+Cornwall About My name is Persephone. Genuinely my given birth name courtesy of my hippy parents. Sometimes people think that I have created this persona of mythical magical being, but really I am just a normal down to earth person with an outlandish name. For you to come to me and feel safe to be your true vulnerable self perhaps it will help to know a little about me? Born 1977 you can do the maths! I lived the first half of my life in London, moving to Cornwall in my mid twenties. I am a mother to 2 children, married and spend more time than I like being a taxi service for my children and trying to remember where I have left my phone. So the pretty average life of a parent with teenagers. I swear a lot, in and out of sessions, because who you get in session is me, through and through. I have grumpy days, tired days and will moan about the weather with the best of you. I am human, have very human emotions and experiences and offer you my space, my time, my heart for you to be very human too. My path to working with trauma is a long one, and true of a lot of trauma workers is fuelled by my own experiences of darkness. This does not qualify me or anyone else to work with trauma, my years of training and experience does, yet I do believe that being touched by and experiencing some of the most painful and damaging life experiences opens up a level of understanding, gentleness and compassion necessary to be able to do this work. I am a qualified person centred counsellor, I work in private practice as well as for CLEAR working exclusively with people who have experienced sexual and relational trauma. This finds me working predominantly with women, although not exclusively. It also covers an alarming array of scenarios from birth trauma, post natal depression, relationship breakdowns with parents, siblings and children, rape and sexual abuse. Relational and sexual trauma shows up in so many areas of life, it is complex and so deeply harmful as we as humans rely on relationships to be able to survive, so any trauma in this area is deeply disturbing and often hidden away. Perhaps my own time spent in the darkness makes it a familiar place to sit with others in their darkest hours, and without doubt by sitting with my own darkness that I know there is light. The dark shadows have taught me that even in the depths of despair there is always a glimmer of hope. And it is hope that brings you here. I am not the expert of your experience, you are. I offer compassion, empathy and understanding for your lived experience. To be understood, to be valued, to be accepted right where you are today is a beautiful starting point for self exploration, without any need to fix anything, because you are not broken, you are complete in your imperfection, you are both dark and light, let us work together and find the balance, let us enquire, be curious, explore those dark corners so they are less scary. Too much mental health information, analysing, labelling and opinion can leave you feeling broken, further away from your true self, to work with me is to bring you closer to your self. Move away from all the external noise and look inwards, learn to listen to your own voice, learn to feel all of the feelings, learn to let go of the conditioning, the expectations and lean into your own story, your own truth, and then fly free my goddess. I often return to the myth of Persephone — a young woman taken to the underworld, who later re-emerges not broken, but transformed. Like her, your journey through darkness can become a source of wisdom and strength. You can come back to yourself. Counselling won’t erase your past, but it can help you make sense of it. It can help you find steadiness in your present, and create relationships that feel safe and real. Most importantly, it can help you feel like you again — maybe for the first time. This is your invitation. You are welcome here. https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/pregnancy daily 0.75 2022-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/eac25cdd-7019-48aa-bd39-6617e67bdc7b/mikhail-vasilyev-2A5itTqPC3M-unsplash.jpg Pregnancy and birth - Trauma informed birth preparation and recovery Childbirth can be a wonderful life affirming experience, but for some this is not the case. If you have experienced a prior traumatic birth, or perhaps have experienced something in life that leaves you terrified at the thought of childbirth then I can help. As a qualified active birth teacher, I noticed within my classes there was a factor that connected the people I was working with. Trauma. Be it birth trauma, sexual trauma or complex childhood trauma the reason they were seeking education or resolution was because of their past experience., and how that now made them feel about their upcoming birth. Trauma is individual, it is not what happened to you, more what happened to you but how your body reacted and continues to react to what happened to you. For this reason, I stopped working in groups and now work exclusively with people who require a more tailored, trauma informed birth preparation. I have now developed a birth preparation course that is specific for individuals who have experienced trauma. This course can be taken on its own, or can be combined with rewind therapy, regression therapy, coaching and body work. The course includes active birth modules, hypnotherapy for childbirth, breathing exercises, optimal birthing, as well as concise personalised trauma informed birth planning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/0d5f4d25-24a4-4abf-a8fb-d77edcd18461/nine-koepfer-lpgAlv8I7V8-unsplash2.jpg Pregnancy and birth - Pregnancy massage Pregnancy is a time in a woman’s life that is filled with so many emotions, thoughts and feelings, and it is most definitely a time where massage is hugely beneficial. “Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be” Carrie Fisher There is a lot of misinformation around what is and isn’t ok during pregnancy. Anybody can give a pregnant woman a massage, but not everyone has the training and understanding to give a good massage during pregnancy! What makes a pregnancy massage good? Knowledge, confidence and experience. Don’t settle for anything less, you and your amazing human growing body deserve the best, most blissful, balancing, energising massage available! “The most blissful due date massage today, all rested and relaxed now for when bubba arrives” Nisha, Altarnun My specialist training with Wellmother means I have the knowledge and experience to work with pregnant women confidently, offering not only safe but deeply effective massage. Enough about me, what about you? Pregnancy is a wonderful and miraculous event, some people thrive with pregnancy, others struggle, wherever you are at in your pregnancy, massage will support you in feeling your absolute best. Women leave me feeling light, free, flowing and in touch with their ever changing body. On a physical level nausea and headaches can be greatly reduced. Pelvic pain from SPD, PGP and sciatica can be eased, hormonal balance restored, water retention reduced, blood pressure lowered. Muscle tension relieved, inflammation reduced. On an emotional level stress and anxiety can be greatly reduced as the work I do is not only body work, but hugely informative. As an ex active birth coach I can help inform you and answer your questions regards birth and your choices. I can point you in the right direction for services to support your birth choices and help unpick your pregnancy and birth worries. Pelvic pain in pregnancy is very common, but this by no means has to be put up with. By rebalancing the muscles around the pelvis, reducing inflammation and giving you guided exercises to follow the discomfort of PGP and SPD can be greatly relieved. Another benefit of massage in the later stages of pregnancy is that it can greatly assist in optimal foetal presentation by releasing certain areas of pelvic tension and also facilitating some deep fear release, your baby can be naturally encouraged to move gently and of their own accord should that be the right thing for them. And of course, the relaxation and hormonal balance combined with the oxytocin release you get during a massage can be just the thing encourage labour to start naturally. A wonderful way to mark your elusive due date! Pregnancy massage is a 1 hour treatment at a cost of £70, you can have a longer session to include reflexology for 1.5 hours at a cost of £85. Or if you would like to do some deeper work on birth preparation, then do enquire about trauma informed birth coaching. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/b21b75f0-2801-4cde-b6af-cf8331073747/mikhail-vasilyev-NodtnCsLdTE-unsplash.jpg Pregnancy and birth - 3 step rewind birth trauma recovery Do you have feelings of deep sadness, hyper vigilance, depression, anxiety, insomnia or fear.? Do you constantly replay your birth, do you suffer mood swings, have feelings of not coping? Does the thought of experiencing birth again fill you with dread? The lasting effects of a traumatising birth can be long term and debilitating. Traumatic birth may not present as classically as you may presume. Often the women that I work with who have been traumatised by birth start with “I don’t know why it has affected me so badly because it wasn’t like I nearly died or anything” And this is the point, a traumatic birth is not a text book thing, and it is often those who have not “nearly died” who have slipped through the support net. PTSD after traumatic birth is a very real and very disturbing psychological injury, it can lead to a number of different responses. The joy of your new baby is often over shadowed by the feeling and thoughts that are attached to how you were treated during your birth. It is how you felt during your birth that has the lasting effects. “I had a natural home birth, it was supposed to be beautiful, but I keep playing it over and over in my head. On paper it was beautiful, but for me it was terrifying, I was so vulnerable and unable to ask for help, I don’t think I can go through that again” Anon If you have experienced a traumatic birth, if you feel that your mood and actions now are not healthy or helpful for you, perhaps you feel anxious, constantly replay your birth in your head, perhaps you feel disconnected from your loved ones, can’t sleep, can’t function properly, You desperately want to shake these feelings off but seem unable to then these are all signs of possible PTSD. I am pleased to say that there is a solution to this sort of injury. The 3 step rewind process is a simple yet hugely effective NLP and hypnosis technique that literally unhooks the emotions attached to your birth experience, allowing the body to reset itself. In just one session the strong negative emotions attached to the memory can be lifted. Do you avoid situations where you may have to think about, or talk about birth? In doing so survivors of traumatic birth can feel isolated and lonely, often avoiding the help that is available to them. With 3 step rewind there is no lengthy recount of events needed, the initial rewind session will take around 90 minutes in total, and the effects can be felt almost immediately, in the form of deep relaxation and a sense of release, and over the coming days this feeling settles in and becomes your new normal. If you have experienced traumatic birth and are concerned that it is having a long-term effect on you and your family then please call me to discuss whether the 3 step rewind technique for traumatic birth recovery is suited to you. “I feel lighter, more clarity, free of fear. The knot (of emotion) has gone, it’s just not there, I feel like I can breathe again for the 1st time since having (my baby)” Joanne, Truro https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2022-06-03 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/prices daily 0.75 2025-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/a89e25f9-d4ed-48cd-a341-9d54931108ac/jen-theodore-d2USaZl1HCs-unsplash.jpg Prices https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/4e640693-32f0-4340-b6e7-160fbf0c21b9/jen-theodore-uRSHCt6VFc4-unsplash.jpg Prices https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/628cd41d208f692112c7409b/31746395-7fca-40da-a3a5-f400a12e138e/jen-theodore-lbfSzRWV2KY-unsplash.jpg Prices https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/book-a-class daily 0.75 2022-06-08 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/what-is-holistic-therapy daily 0.75 2022-07-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg What is holistic therapy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607638148090-Y6OFDI575CM3NQV732RJ/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0387.jpg What is holistic therapy https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/faq daily 0.75 2025-06-30 https://www.persephonetherapies.co.uk/low-cost-counselling daily 0.75 2025-06-30