Hello, my name is Anna Planedin, and my core approach lies in the dialogue between person-centred and psychodynamic practice. Although I offer supportive services for many different challenges, I have specialised training in working with people who are grappling with persistent pain, chronic illness, trauma, neglect, and sexual violence.

I view therapy as a process of helping you listen to your gut feelings, find safety and containment, and feel more personal power amid difficulty. In my practice, I aim to create a space where you feel comfortable connecting with parts of yourself that don’t otherwise have space to be heard and seen. This can take time and I trust your process – I believe staying with you where you’re at lies at the heart of therapy.

We can use the space in different ways, depending on how you feel- you can explore and narrate the past, finding links and new ways of storying; we can delve into a present issue such as a breakup or challenging work situation; we can also make some art if you feel words aren’t coming easy. Regardless of what our work looks like, it is my hope that you feel heard, understood and less alone, that you experience movement and relief, and that together we can help you reach a place where you feel safe and connected again.

I work from a place of curiosity, compassion, and openness. Psychodynamically, I pay attention to unconscious relational processes between us. My person-centered roots involve bringing core conditions of empathy, acceptance and non-judgment.

Training and Experience

Prior to becoming a counsellor, I was a social worker in Canada and worked mostly with young people and women leaving abusive relationships. In Edinburgh, I’ve worked at several secondary schools as a counsellor as well as agencies around the city and a medical practice.

I have had a strong interest in shame and the taboo in my therapy practice and academic journey, and my doctorate thesis looked at shame in sexual experience using interview encounters. Persistent pain, chronic illness and loss are also topics of particular interest to me, and I am continually taking courses and reading about them.