ARA Therapy offers therapeutic counselling in a private setting, in schools, in person, on the telephone and via Zoom — helping you become the best version of yourself.
"Life is a journey of ups and downs and at some points in life we need support to ride the wave to get through the storm."
I have 14 years of experience in mentoring and 5 years in counselling. I offer a person-centred approach that is trauma-informed, with a range of counselling for mental health support. Having worked in education for the majority of my life, I enjoy empowering others to reach their potential.
From a young age, I have always empathised with those facing injustice. Growing up, our home became a place of refuge for many — nurturing the empathy that drives my work today. I truly believe that you are the key to your own future story, and taking this first step is courageous.
Every person's journey is unique. I offer a range of specialist counselling services, delivered in the way that works best for you.
A safe, confidential space to talk through whatever you're facing — big or small. No issue is too complex or too simple to bring to therapy.
Gentle, age-appropriate therapeutic support for children and young people, using creative and talking-based methods to help them express and process their feelings.
Compassionate support for those living with anxiety and/or depression — helping you understand your patterns and build strategies for lasting change.
Support through loss and grief at your own pace. Whether recent or long-held, bereavement counselling can help you process and find a way forward.
Specialist trauma-informed support, including PTSD, delivered with sensitivity and care to help you process difficult past experiences safely.
A non-judgemental, confidential space for those who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse — providing support to reclaim your sense of self.
Counselling for those experiencing mental health concerns including self-harm and suicidal ideation, delivered with the utmost compassion and safety.
Targeted support for students facing the pressures of exams — building resilience, managing anxiety, and restoring confidence in their abilities.
Face-to-face in Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire. Phone & Zoom appointments available worldwide. School-based and supported living referrals also welcomed.
ARA Therapy aims to help you learn how to be the best version of yourself — regardless of what you have been through or had to cope with. Together we will support you to be you.
Counselling for anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, domestic abuse, and more. A confidential, person-centred space entirely for you — available in person, by phone, or online worldwide.
A non-judgemental space for teenagers navigating identity, school pressure, exam stress, mental health, and emotional wellbeing — including school-based referrals.
Gentle, age-appropriate therapeutic support for children using creative methods alongside talking therapy — including school-based and supported living referrals.
Taking the first step is the most courageous part. I've made the process as gentle and straightforward as possible.
Fill out the contact form or email me at info@aratherapy.com — no pressure, no commitment, just a warm hello.
We'll have a free 20-minute informal chat to understand your needs and see if we're the right fit for each other.
Select face-to-face (Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire), telephone, or online via Zoom — whatever works best for you.
We start working together at your pace — with single sessions from £50, or a block of 6 for greater continuity.
All testimonials are shared with permission and names have been changed to protect privacy.
Annabel has been invaluable in helping me identify underlying patterns in my thoughts and behaviours, build meaningful self-awareness, and significantly reduce anxiety in my daily life.
She is patient, compassionate and insightful. Through our sessions, I have gained practical tools and strategies that have made a meaningful improvement in my wellbeing.
I am very grateful to her and wholeheartedly recommend her as a therapist.
My daughter was struggling at school and we didn't know where to turn. Annabel worked with her in such a sensitive, age-appropriate way. The change in her confidence has been remarkable.
I started therapy during a very difficult time in my life. I needed to explore deeper childhood wounds in order to cope with the anxiety, depression, and sense of loss I was experiencing at the time.
During therapy, I was given valuable skills to help me care for myself emotionally, understand my feelings, and make sense of them. This gave me the confidence and tools I needed to understand who I was and how I had reached that point in my life. Since then, I have continued to use those same methods, and I have grown, thrived, and genuinely enjoy life.
I have built better family relationships. I still experience anxiety, but it is much more manageable, and I am able to cope without relying on anxiety or depression medication.
I have gained self-worth, confidence, and a greater understanding of my childhood, which has brought me contentment and peace of mind.
I would recommend therapy because sometimes you need a professional to gently guide you until you are able to find your own way.
Having therapy really changed my life for the better. I came into it at a point in my life where I felt like I was at my lowest, so I didn’t have anything to lose. But I have gained everything.
A completely different and more positive outlook on my life.
Stronger bonds with those who love and care about me, and the ability to shut out negativity from those who were close to me. And the ability to manage my emotions better.
Have therapy because everyone has suffered some kind of trauma or difficulty in their lives and it isn’t always properly addressed or talked about. But in doing that, you allow yourself to be freed from that burden and carrying that with you.
I think there is fear of the unknown and fear of self exposure but those fears were allayed quite quickly as Annabel helped me to relax and feel comfortable in being completely honest and open without fear of judgement. I think it is only once you start therapy and look back after each session you realise how helpful it is.
I understand my behaviour and reactions more than I ever have before. I feel more in control of my responses to certain people and situations and I feel empowered with management techniques to help me in life.
I would definitely recommend therapy. For a long time I thought I could work things out myself. An independent, objective voice helped me by asking the right questions and I suppose in a way challenged my viewpoints which were clouded by emotion and strongly held beliefs from childhood.
I now can look at people and situations from a new or different perspective.
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Drop me a message and we'll take it from there — gently, at your pace.
I've received your message and will be in touch within 24–48 hours. Take good care of yourself.