Psychotherapist in Stanton St. John, near Oxford
My counselling and psychotherapy practice in the village of Stanton St. John (near Headington, Wheatley & Oxford) is a peaceful place to talk and regain your peace of mind. Therapy is centred on us thinking about what is disturbing you, it is a catalyst for loosening what's stuck and freeing you to move on.
I provide short-term counselling for fast, focused work with a specific issue in mind. This might be relevant for you if you have never had therapy before or a recent event is troubling you. Examples of this work are six sessions to adapt to moving to Oxford from overseas; come to terms with a relationship breakdown, or begin processing a diagnosis of serious illness.
I also work with longer-term clients using existential and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. The aim is to get to the root of the problem and resolve it at that level. To extricate oneself from painful, destructive or untrue ideas is liberating work. When old wounds heal you are free to move on and become a more clear-eyed and better-equipped adult. Unhealthy habits and destructive relationship patterns tend not to have the same allure once you have demystified them and defused their emotional charge.
Narcissitic parenting survivor, 2023
Bullying survivor, 2023
Trauma client, 2019
Bereavement client, 2017

About Me
My name is Anneli Nilsson, I am an accredited psychotherapist and counsellor. In the 1990s I qualified as a psychologist and later trained in integrative counselling and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Some of the issues I have worked with are:
- ASD, ADD and ADHD
- Depression, grief and loss
- Boarding school syndrome
- Cancer, illness and life appraisal
- Sexuality, intimacy, safety and shame
- Stress, anxiety, jealousy and paranoia
- Work & study - obstacles and choices
- Loneliness, relocation and adjustment
- Recovery, resolution and self-possesion
- Relationships problems - neglect and abuse
I work with individual adults, not couples or children. If you are interested in couples therapy you can find qualified practitioners at COSRT.
Appointments & Fees
Appointments are available between 10:30 - 18:30, Monday to Thursday. Sessions last for fifty to sixty minutes and take place on the same day and at the same time each week. Before and after work appointments are the most popular, particularly the last one at 17.30, so if you can get to a lunchtime or afternoon session it is more likely we will be able to start quickly. If you need an evening slot do still get in touch as people move on and slots become available. A psychotherapy session costs £65.

Health Insurance
I can provide counselling via BUPA health insurance scheme. If this is relevant for you check with your provider whether your policy covers psychotherapy and which conditions apply. You will need their authorization before arranging therapy with me and details of how many sessions you are permitted. I will also need details of any excess you pay and an authorization code.
Mode of Therapy
Face-to-face sessions are available in Stanton St. John. Encryped online video and telephone sessions are also available via Zoom and WhatsApp.
For some people being on camera is helpful and for others it is a distraction. Telephone sessions are straightforward and they tend to create a quiet, focused atmosphere for thinking together. Face-to-face is a fuller and more reassuring mode - particularly if you feel emotionally volatile, or fragile. However, for those with social anxiety or troubling self-consciousness remote sessions might feel like the safest way to start therapy. Remote sessions tend to be favoured by people with busy schedules or who prefer not to travel to sessions. I am guided by clients on which type of therapy is the best for them.
Location
Stanton St. John is the peaceful village north east of Oxford. It is two miles beyond the city boundary at Headington and a few miles away from Wheatley. Most people travel to the village by car. However, there are quiet cycle lanes and walking paths from surrounding towns and villages. The village is on a hill (100 m) above Oxford so cycling from Oxford includes some climbs. The Otmoor Flyer and H5 bus stop nearby. The 108 and 118 buses ran to the village from Bicester, Beckley, Boarstall, Cowley, Horspath, Horton, Headington, Forest Hill, Littleworth, Waterperry, Wheatley and central Oxford. Unfortunately, this bus service is not securely funded so please check its status if you need it. Counselling for Headington, Wheatley and Marston locals is particulary convenient, the village is a fifteen minute drive away.
More Information
If you are nearby in Islip, Kidlington, Thame or any of the surrounding villages and would like to know more about my practice such as how to begin, what happens in the holidays or the psychotherapy I offer have a look at the Questions? section. My academic and clinical qualifications are detailed on the About Anneli area, they are validated by the UKCP, which is the main psychotherapist validating institution in the UK.
If you are unsure whether or not to talk with a psychotherapist take a look at the Resources section, you will find links to websites that aim to improve mental health. It can be reassuring to take a tour around these websites as they provide a calm overview of some of the main problems that trouble people and information about getting better.
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