Zoë Doran Therapy

About

I’m Zoë (she/her) and I am a qualified Counsellor & Psychotherapist. I’m Irish with Afro-Caribbean heritage and based in Bristol, UK.

For the past number of years, I have been supporting people with their mental health. This work has involved emotional support helplines, supported accommodation, drug and alcohol addiction services and talk therapy.

Alongside my private practice, I work as a psychotherapist for an organisation providing accommodation to adults with long-term, complex mental health needs.

Qualifications & Training:

Applying Anti-Oppressive Practice in Therapy – The Anti-Discrimination Focus
MA in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy – University of South Wales
Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy – University of South Wales
Certificate in Integrative Counselling – University of Plymouth
Certificate in Counselling Skills – South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Approach

Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.

— bell hooks

Navigating life in the current climate is hard. Dealing with the ongoing unrest in the world alongside our own personal battles can often feel like too much to hold. While therapy alone cannot change the world, it can be a place to share the load, to untangle yourself and make sense of who you are and where you’re going.

As a therapist, I am interested in all areas of study that attempt to make sense of how we exist in the world and with one another. I work integratively, primarily weaving together relational psychodynamics and existential theory but I believe having an awareness of the socio-political systems and structures we live within is just as important as understanding our internal and interpersonal worlds.

To do this, I also draw from the fields of feminist and queer studies, critical theory, psychoanalysis and sociology to help inform my work. These may be areas you are interested in too but having knowledge of them isn’t needed for our work together.

What does relational and existential therapy mean?

Relational psychodynamics considers the relationship between the therapist and client to be an essential factor in the therapy process. As we work together, we will form a relationship, and that relationship might mirror other relationships in your life. I might highlight certain patterns that come up and you might recognise familiar feelings and reactions. All of this can be used as a tool to help link to the past to the present and understand the ways you relate to others more clearly.

Existential therapy is based on existential philosophy which believes that we are not born with inherent meaning to our life but that we create meaning ourselves, and in everything we do. It helps you discover where the meaning you have created in your life has come from, what experiences, influences, traumas, relationships have informed it, and how you might go about creating new meaning. This type of therapy encourages you to live more deliberately and more authentically, while accepting what it means to be human, and what it means to exist in a world that doesn’t often make sense.

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling often takes place over a shorter period of time, 6-12 sessions, and focuses on a specific issue. It could be difficulty at work, or a relationship break-down, any situation that is causing stress in your life that you would like to gain more clarity about so that you can move forward.

Psychotherapy is generally a longer process, which may begin by looking at a specific issue but will delve deeper into your past and might examine multiple issues you’ve faced in your life and look for repeating patterns or themes. It will help you to explore how you came to be the person you are today and how this might be impacting your experiences at work or your relationships, for example.

Counselling can often develop into psychotherapy as once you begin to uncover aspects of yourself you might want to keep digging, but maybe not. Therapy can be for as long or as short as you like, and some people like to dip in and out when they feel they need it most.

Areas I work in:

Anxiety
Depression
Social Anxiety
Trauma
Work-related stress/Burnout

Addiction
Substance Use
Relationship Issues
Relationship Diversity
Belonging/Migration
Grief & Loss

Climate Anxiety
Social Identity (Race, Gender, Class)
Discrimination
Sexuality
Multiracial Heritage

Fees & Contact

If you would like to discuss the possibility of working together, I offer a free 15 minute phone call which will allow us to get a sense of one another and to answer any questions you might have.

I am available both online, nationwide, and in-person, based in Bristol.

Fees:

£55 for 50-minute weekly sessions

£35 for 50-minute weekly sessions (concession rate for low income earners – limited availability)

To get in touch, please send an email to: zoedorantherapy@gmail.com or fill out the form below.

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Resources

If you are in crisis or feel you need support urgently, here are a list of useful contacts:

NHS crisis line, open 24 hours, daily – 0800 953 1919

Samaritans Listening Service, open 24 hours daily – 116 123 or (Bristol) 0117 983 1000

SANEline Open daily 4.30-10.30pm – 0300 304 7000

Bristol MIND Line (Listening Service) – Open Wed-Sun 7-11pm – 0808 808 0330

Shout (support) – Open 24/7 – Text: SHOUT to 85258

If you are looking for therapists working specifically with identity and minority groups, here are a list of resources:

Black, African, Asian Therapy Network – www.baatn.co.uk

Pink Therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community – www.pinktherapy.com