About me

Hi, I’m Tanya (she/her) – an accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist, Chartered Psychologist, and trauma-informed Yoga Teacher.

I currently lecture in Psychology and Counselling at the Open University and have taught across a range of courses in psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy. My academic and clinical interests are shaped by a deep commitment to intersectional feminist approaches to violence, trauma, and mental health, particularly in relation to gender-based violence, embodiment and how we understand and treat eating disorders.

A central thread in my work is the question of how we come to know what we know - what counts as knowledge, whose voices are heard, and whose are excluded through current and historic systems of power. These concerns sit at the heart of epistemic justice, and my research explores themes of epistemic injustice, voice, and the ethics and practice of listening across both research and therapeutic contexts.

My approach to both research and practice is informed by intersectional feminist psychology. I am interested in what shapes us - how our experiences are intimately connected to broader histories and systemic structures such as gender, race and racialisation, class, culture, migration, and family histories.

In practice, this means I’m often interested in exploring the deeper roots of what’s causing distress in the present. I’m interested in looking at the patterns that show up in your life and understanding where they come from. Often, these patterns made sense at one time; they may have even helped you cope or stay safe. But over time, we can find ourselves in places where those same patterns no longer serve us, and may even keep us feeling stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed.

I regularly publish my work and deeply value collaboration. I’m a founding member of both the Intersectional Violences Research Group and the Lived Experiences of Eating Disorders Research Collective, through which I work alongside researchers, practitioners, and those with lived experience to explore more ethical, inclusive, and epistemically just systems of care.

Outside of work, you’ll often find me on my yoga mat, walking outdoors, exploring new places, reading with a good coffee in hand, or spending time with loved ones (including my cat).

Below, you’ll find information about my training, qualifications, and ongoing professional development.

If you’d like to explore working together, whether through therapy, consultation, collaboration, workshops, or training, please get in touch via email, or use the tabs on this website to navigate to the page that suits your needs.

Qualifications and Training

I am accredited by the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and I am a Chartered Psychologist registered with the BPS (British Psychological Society).

Qualifications

  • PhD (University of Stirling)

  • MSc by Research in Psychological and Social Sciences (York St John University)

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (York St John University)

  • BA (Hons) in Psychology and Counselling Studies (York St John University)

Selected trainings and areas of specialism

  • I am currently in Year 1 of a two-year Yoga Therapy Certification (Canmore Counselling, International Association of Yoga Therapists Accredited).

  • I attend a peer supervision group with a special interest in thinking through clinical work through an intersectional lens.

  • I attend a group supervision for using EMDR with neurodivergent clients.

  • I have a particular interest in working with trauma. Selected trainings I have taken include: Using Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to treat Complex trauma (Pat Ogden), Treating trauma using polyvagal theory, yoga and neuroscience (Joann Lutz), Trauma-Informed yoga teacher training 200 and 300 hr (Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School, Canmore Counselling), Supporting psychological trauma through domestic abuse (BPS), Working with relational and developmental trauma (Dr Karen Treisman).

  • I am fully trained (Parts 1-3) in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).

  • I am trained to use the Flash Technique (Philip Manfield) *the Flash Technique is a way of safely desensitising very intense trauma memories so that you can begin to process the memory/memories, or simply so that they no longer feel so intense or overwhelming.

  • I have completed several trainings in Compassion Focused Therapy with the Compassionate Mind Foundation. These include: An Introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy, Advanced Clinical Skills in Compassion Focused Therapy, and Compassion Focused Therapy for Physical Health Problems.

  • I have completed several trainings for working with neurodivergent clients, particularly autistic clients. These include: Supporting autistic adults (BPS), Psychological work and autism (BPS), Neurodiversity and EMDR (EMDR Association).

  • Integrated EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR UK.

  • Working with Trans and Gender Diverse Clients (Chris Grant, BACP CPD)

  • Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)

  • Yoga Therapy Skills for Psychologists and Therapists (The Minded Institute)

  • Eat Breathe Thrive Module One: A yoga-based approach to mindful eating, emotional resilience and positive embodiment.

Professional memberships

  • British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

  • British Psychological Society (BPS)

  • EMDR Association UK

  • I am on the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register for Health and Social Care

Where I spent yesterday. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park. A gorgeous space for learning. Part of my job is writing courses and I sometimes really miss being in the room as a learner. There is so much to learn and so much growing we can do personally &
It’s been a while since I posted just a ‘hello’. I’ve been into sharing my writing and book related news over the last few months so here’s just a ‘hello’. My face & me just as we are these days. Depend
A new post on the absence of edges. One where I write about how we occupy space in the absence of edges, how our bodies remember and how we might find safety in the abundance of space. A reflection on what contains us and what we contain. And yes,
A new Substack post for folks interested in these words I write. On the evolution and disentanglement of ‘home’. How we let our logics change, a process of connecting with ancestral memory, (re)rooting, the practice of ‘staying wi
As part of my yoga therapy training I am taking a series of courses throughout this year. I completed this course a few weeks ago. Receiving my certificate made me think about the value of stopping to acknowledge the things we achieve and letting the
The usual IG vibe is a lot less industrial than this! However, I thought I’d break up my IG feed with a bit of something that’s not my latest Substack post. This is where I spent my day on Saturday. I was really grateful to be in Manches
New Substack post. Lessons from throwing clay at the wheel. How we learn from our bodies, explore radical body trust, and quietly refuse the ways we are socialised and praised for disconnection. 🔗 The link is in my bio (click on my biosite, follow
The third in my three-part Book Q&A series to mark the book launch. Thank you to all who gave me questions. I had so many more than I expected, which is why there’s a three-part series. This third and final part speaks to the questions abo
📢New Substack Post On returning from Scotland and thinking through boundaries, borders and change. How we are not fixed and static beings. How both the micro and earth-shattering moments can shift and uproot who we are and who we become. 🔗 Link i
The third & final Book Q&A post will be written once I am back at work. I’m currently away on a trip to Scotland. I felt inspired to write about what I’m noticing along the way. Musings on identity, reciprocity, and relationships
Copies of the book finally arrived yesterday! Very excited to see it in the flesh. Also sharing some of the endorsements that are super generous. Lots of gratitude and I would love to hear from you if you’ve got it or see pics of it in your re
Part 2 of the book launch Q&A series. This one is more personal as it brings together questions about the process and experience of writing the book. Conversations about holding hope and irreconcilability, knowing when to lean in and when to si