Emma Bowers
Psychotherapy
Counselling and psychotherapy in Chorlton (Manchester), and online
![Lake, trees and rock](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f03de_50f1bf7fdd634fc585077b79512ecb22~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_883,h_634,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/6f03de_50f1bf7fdd634fc585077b79512ecb22~mv2.jpg)
Emma Bowers
Psychotherapy
Welcome, I'm Emma
![A picture of me smiling. I have short curly hair and glasses](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f03de_8f84e15edca34b41baeb1f214adc1a00~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_294,y_11,w_4012,h_3989/fill/w_444,h_441,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/DSC08512.jpg)
I provide counselling and psychotherapy in Chorlton, South Manchester, and online.
You may have already been trying really hard to figure things out on your own, or with support from friends or family. However, sometimes a warm and compassionate therapeutic relationship with someone who's trained, can help us find new ways of exploring what is going on for us, and help us find ways to move forward and foster lasting change.
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There are many reasons people come to therapy, here is just a small sample:
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feeling overwhelmed by thoughts, feelings or the experiences life brings
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a longing to experience a deeper sense of self-acceptance and become even more of the person they'd like to be
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finding relationships with the people in their life tricky, and would like them to feel more satisfying and fulfilling
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a desire for a greater sense of freedom, contentment, and connection with themselves, and others
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finding themselves in familiar situations time and again and would like things to be different, but they're not quite sure how to make it happen.
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Whatever your unique reasons are for coming to therapy, I will listen with curiosity, empathy and without judgement. Together, we can gently explore your inner world, your experiences of being in relationship with others, and the things you might not have had the freedom or courage to share before. As your unique story unfolds, new ways of thinking, feeling and doing will emerge that will enable you to live your life with greater freedom and ease.
I use Transactional Analysis (TA) as my main way of working. TA provides theories and methods to help us be curious about how (often outside our awareness) our earlier experiences may be influencing what is going on for us now; how we make sense of ourselves and others, and how we relate to the people in our lives. I really like the way TA uses simple language to explain its ideas and concepts.
I also take a trauma-informed approach to therapy, using polyvagal theory. Polyvagal theory can help us understand our nervous system; how it may be influenced by our stories and histories, and how this can affect our feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations, and behaviour in the here and now.
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My therapy practice embraces and supports diversity. This includes providing a gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity affirming therapy space. I hold a firm belief that all genders, sexualities, and relationship types and structures are equal in value.
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It's important to find a therapist you feel comfortable with because the relationship you have with your therapist is a key ingredient to getting the most out of therapy. To help you get a sense of whether we could be a good fit, I offer a free 30 minute consultation, so we can find out a little more about each other.
Areas of work
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I support people experiencing challenges such as:
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anxiety
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stress
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low mood / depression
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loneliness or a lack of belonging
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relationship and attachment difficulties
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family difficulties
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recovery from trauma
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processing childhood experiences
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feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns of thoughts or behaviour
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'people pleasing' - struggling to figure out and prioritise your own needs and wants
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a cycle of 'perfectionism' is getting in the way of you living life with greater freedom and flexibility
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low confidence / self-esteem
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shame-based difficulties
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gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity issues
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career and work issues.
![My therapy room](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f03de_96045f43d2d44a8e9d07fa91d448167c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_735,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/6f03de_96045f43d2d44a8e9d07fa91d448167c~mv2.jpg)
Calming room with blue comfy chair, wood floor and lots of plants.
![My therapy room](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f03de_e0f25ef417e04f78ac983290287b5925~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_735,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/6f03de_e0f25ef417e04f78ac983290287b5925~mv2.jpg)
Calming room with blue comfy chair, wood floor and lots of plants.
![The Wellbeing Place](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f03de_7c824474cab849619a1638336403634a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_960,h_1280,al_c,q_85,enc_auto/6f03de_7c824474cab849619a1638336403634a~mv2.jpg)
The Wellbeing Place sign
![My therapy room](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6f03de_96045f43d2d44a8e9d07fa91d448167c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_735,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/6f03de_96045f43d2d44a8e9d07fa91d448167c~mv2.jpg)
Calming room with blue comfy chair, wood floor and lots of plants.