Petra Gillian

Hi, I'm Petra. I work as a counsellor, integrative psychotherapist, and equine-assisted/nature-based therapist.
My goal is simple: to help you feel truly seen, and to build the kind of safety that makes real change possible. I work at your pace, not mine; you're the expert on your own life, and my job is to work with you in exploration of yourself, gently drawing attention to what's happening beneath the surface, so you can reconnect with the wisdom you already carry.
Much of my work is body-based. Drawing on my other practice with horses and in nature, I help clients slow down and reconnect with what they're actually feeling, perhaps before words are even available to make sense of it. When we can notice small shifts in the body as they happen, real change tends to follow more easily than it does through talking alone.
My approach may draw on several different frameworks and may include: psychodynamic therapy, somatic experiencing, emotion-focused therapy, and parts work - chosen based on what actually fits you, all rooted in attachment theory and a person-centred, strengths-based approach.
I also hold a strong awareness that we don't exist in a vacuum. The systems around us - financial and social pressures, family dynamics, discrimination, inherited expectations and conditioning - shape our mental health too, and I aim to work with what this all means, rather than treating your struggles as separate from the world you live in.
I work with people from all walks of life, including:
• Women and menstruating people navigating PMDD and hormone-related mood struggles
• ADHD and AuDHD folks
• LGBTQIA+ clients
• Anyone working through grief & loss, life transitions, anxiety, depression, loneliness, or self-esteem struggles
I trust deeply in your capacity to change and grow. Given the right conditions - empathy, attunement, and a total lack of judgment - I believe lasting change is available to all of us. My hope is to help you meet life with a little more confidence, and a little more resilience.