Dragonfly therapist

05/11/2026

🎶 ***A Voice Among Many*** 🎶

I'm still buzzing from my musical adventure in Berlin, where I had the incredible experience of singing alongside 230 voices from around the world at the magnificent Konzerthaus!

It was an experience filled with beautiful music, wonderful people and more than a few emotional moments. But it also gave me an opportunity to reflect on confidence, connection, trust and just how much I've grown in becoming comfortable in my own skin.

I've written a little more about the experience in my latest blog, and why this adventure meant so much to me.

You can read it here:
https:dragonflytherapist.uk/blog/a-voice-among-many 💜

Reflections on singing with the World Choir in Berlin, discovering confidence, embracing connection and finding joy in being part of something bigger.

23/10/2026

As the seventh anniversary of my first mental health hospitalisation approaches, I've been reflecting on just how much has changed over the years.

One thing I've noticed recently is that I'm simply not as reactive as I used to be. I still experience frustration and anger, but I respond differently. I've become more accepting of myself, more comfortable expressing my needs, and I've learned to let go of much of the guilt that used to accompany those choices.

It's taken years of healing, self-discovery and learning to recognise these changes. And I'm still learning!

I've shared some of these reflections in my latest blog - I've Softened - exploring the quieter signs of healing and the importance of recognising how far we've come.

💜 Read the blog here:

Seven years after my first mental health hospitalisation, I reflect on emotional healing, learning to honour my needs, letting go of guilt and becoming less reactive.

22/10/2026

💜 Finding Your Way Within ~ A New Nine-Week Therapeutic Journey

I've been developing something new, bringing together my experience as a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist with a framework I've created for exploring our inner landscape.

Through my therapeutic and spiritual work, I've come to appreciate just how many layers there are to our own awareness and understanding. We may already recognise certain patterns, beliefs or experiences, yet further exploration can bring a completely different perspective.

I've also come to recognise the importance of having a supportive, grounded space to explore what comes up for us. Whether that's something arising through our spiritual practices or experiences in everyday life, there can be enormous value in having the opportunity to talk things through, deepen our understanding and allow those insights to really land and integrate.

And that's where Finding Your Way Within comes in.

This is a nine-week, one-to-one therapeutic journey, offering a space to explore the different layers of your inner landscape.

Using seven different realms as lenses for exploration, we'll look at different aspects of ourselves, including our emotions, beliefs, patterns, relationships, personal power, self-expression and possibilities.

Each 90-minute session is flexible, combining therapeutic conversation with approaches such as hypnosis, parts work, guided visualisation and intuitive energy work, depending on what feels most appropriate for you and what emerges.

There's no rigid set of exercises to complete or expectation of particular breakthroughs. You can bring whatever is arising for you, and together we'll explore it within a supportive therapeutic relationship.

At the heart of this journey is developing greater awareness, understanding and connection with ourselves. And through that connection, strengthening our ability to listen to and trust ourselves, and opening up new possibilities for conscious creation.

✨ I'm now looking for a small number of people to join me for the first beta programme, with the aim of starting in mid-November.

The programme includes nine individual 90-minute sessions -13.5 hours of dedicated one-to-one therapeutic support.

The planned full programme price is £1,200, but I'm offering the initial beta places at a special founding participant rate of £777.

As this is the first time I'll be offering the complete nine-week journey, I'll also be inviting optional feedback to help me refine and develop the programme further.

For now, I'm simply gathering expressions of interest, with no commitment at this stage.

If this resonates with you, or you're curious to find out more, please send me a private message. I'd love to chat. 💜

12/10/2026

Silence Doesn't Mean Isolation

One of the things that can be misunderstood about silence and digital detox is the idea that they somehow mean isolation. Stepping away from phones, notifications, constant conversation and the general noise of everyday life doesn’t mean disconnecting from people.

In many ways, removing those distractions allows us to connect differently. Without screens, words and noise constantly filling the space, we become more aware of our own presence and the presence of the people around us.

There is more room to notice how we are feeling, what we need and what has been sitting underneath the busyness. There is also something really interesting about experiencing that alongside other people. We can sit together without needing to fill the silence, share a meal, walk in nature, create, rest or simply occupy the same space without feeling that we have to perform, entertain or find the right thing to say.

There can be a real sense of connection in that, not through constant conversation, but simply through presence. I think that is part of what makes a small group retreat so special. You have space to turn inward and reconnect with yourself, while still being held within the gentle companionship of others doing the same.

That is one of the reasons why I keep 'The Stillpoint Within' small. With just six participants, there is space for both solitude and shared experience, without getting lost in a large group.

The next retreat takes place 19–21 March 2027 in Somerset. If you feel drawn to a few days of less noise, more space and a different kind of connection, you can find the details here:

https://dragonflytherapist.uk/silent-retreat-march2027

Join The Stillpoint Within, a small-group silent retreat in Somerset. Experience silence, digital detox, guided practices, rest, and reconnection. 19-21 March 2027.

01/10/2026

It’s taken me a little while to feel ready to properly launch the next Stillpoint Within retreat. After everything that happened around the September dates, I think I needed a bit of space before turning my attention fully towards March.

And actually, that space has been useful.

I’ve recently had a little experience of stepping away myself: a digital detox, less noise, more time in nature, more stillness - and it reminded me all over again why I created this retreat in the first place.

There is something powerful about removing ourselves from the constant stream of messages, notifications, responsibilities and expectations, even just for a short while. It gives us space to hear ourselves again.

So now it feels like the right time to say that The Stillpoint Within is returning.

The next retreat will take place 19–21 March 2027 in Somerset, with just six participant spaces.

Bookings are now open ✨

If you’ve been thinking about joining me, you can find all the details here:

https://dragonflytherapist.uk/silent-retreat-march2027

25/09/2026

🔥 Friday Flame

Every Friday inside The Dragon Gathering, I pull three cards from my Tarot of Dragons deck and invite the community to choose the one they feel drawn towards.

So today, I thought I’d open the choice a little wider...

Take a moment. Look at the three cards and notice which one is calling to you. Don’t overthink it. Trust that first pull.
1, 2 or 3? 🐉

The cards are staying face down for now...

I’ll be sharing the reveal later today inside The Dragon Gathering, along with a reflection for each card and the story that all three weave together.

If you’d like to discover which card you chose - and join a growing community exploring dragon connection, spirituality, reflection and shared experience - come and join us.

The Dragon Gathering: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedragongathering

Perhaps I’ll see you around the flame 🔥 🐉

Vanessa 💜

23/09/2026

💫The relationship matters.

A client recently reflected to me that when she first considered online therapy, she wasn’t sure whether it would feel the same as being in a room with someone. But over time, she came to realise that something else mattered far more: finding the right therapist.

Someone who is really there with you. Someone who is listening not only to your words, but to the pauses, the shifts, and the things that are harder to say. Someone who can stay present with you when a session moves somewhere unexpected, uncomfortable or tender.

I’ve experienced the other side of this myself. I once worked with a therapist who had all the right qualifications, registrations and years of experience. On paper, there was every reason for it to work.

And yet, the session I remember most clearly is one where I became acutely aware that he was distracted. He was physically in the room with me, but he wasn’t really with me. There were other things too, but that moment stayed with me and helped me recognise that he wasn’t the right therapist for me.

That experience has stayed with me in my own work.

No matter what kind of session I am holding, one of the most important things to me is creating a safe container and holding that space steadily for the person in front of me. Clients have reflected back that I am calm and steady, and I think a big part of that comes from how intentionally I try to be present.

I work mindfully. I pay attention to what is being said, but also to what is happening underneath the words. I notice the pauses, the changes in energy, the moments where something seems to land differently. I also work intuitively, listening to my gut and trusting what I am sensing, while always staying grounded in the person and the process in front of me.

For me, congruence matters too. I don’t want to sit behind a professional mask. I want to be genuine, present and responsive, while still holding the boundaries and safety that therapeutic work needs.

Whether we are talking, exploring a pattern, working with parts, using hypnotherapy, or moving into deeper intuitive or reflective work, that foundation stays the same. The modality may change, but the quality of the space matters just as much.

Because therapy isn’t only about training, technique, or whether you meet online or in person. Those things can matter, of course. But so does the relationship.

Do you feel heard? Do you feel safe enough to be honest? Do you feel that the person sitting opposite you is genuinely present with what is unfolding?

For me, that presence is a fundamental part of the work. Sometimes the most important part of a session isn’t simply what is said. It is knowing that someone is really there with you while you say it.

If you’re considering therapy and would like to see whether we might be a good fit, you’re welcome to book a complimentary enquiry call.

https://dragonflytherapist.as.me/complimentaryconsult

09/09/2026

You don’t have to be in crisis to seek support.

Sometimes there isn’t a dramatic breaking point. Nothing has necessarily gone terribly wrong. From the outside, life may even look much the same as it always has.

And yet, something feels different.

Perhaps a role you have occupied for years no longer fits quite as comfortably. You might notice yourself questioning things you once took for granted, feeling restless without really knowing why, or sensing that something in your life is asking to change.

These quieter transitions can be surprisingly difficult to navigate because there isn’t always an obvious problem to solve. There may simply be a sense that you are standing somewhere between what has been and what comes next.

Much of my one-to-one work happens in this space.

Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we explore patterns, beliefs or different parts of ourselves. Sometimes we work more deeply with the subconscious through hypnotherapy or guided journeying. And sometimes the work is simply about creating enough space to hear what has been trying to get our attention.

You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you need. You don't even need to know where you're going.

Sometimes the first step is simply recognising that something is shifting.

If you find yourself in this kind of in-between space, you can read more about the ways I work one-to-one here:

https://dragonflytherapist.uk/work-with-me

05/09/2026

📣A little update about The Stillpoint Within

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I’ve made the decision to reschedule this month’s retreat rather than make last-minute changes to the experience I had planned.

And the lovely news is that the new dates and venue are already in place.

The Stillpoint Within will now take place 19–21 March 2027, with the option to stay for an additional night until Monday 22nd.

We’ll still be in the beautiful Somerset countryside, but in a new venue with plenty of space to retreat, rest and be still… and, rather wonderfully, a hot tub too!

March feels like such a fitting time for this retreat: that quiet threshold between winter and spring, when the natural world is beginning to stir but hasn’t yet rushed into full bloom.

I’m taking a little time now to update everything for the new retreat before bookings reopen, and I’ll share all the details very soon.

For now, if you’d been considering joining me in September, or if the new dates feel like they might be calling you, pop 19–21 March 2027 in your diary. 💜