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Hania Maclagan Therapy

Counselling, Psychotherapy and EMDR in Bristol & Online

Welcome to Hania Maclagan Therapy

Feeling better starts with thoughtful care

GET IN TOUCH

Taking the first step to find therapy can be hard, and the choice of therapists and therapy may feel confusing. I can offer a space to explore in-depth what you are grappling with and whether we are a good 'fit' to work together. The relationship between client and therapist is a key factor in the success of therapy, and forms an important part of the work with me.

My Background

Before training as a therapist, I spent years working in education, social care and health — experiences that shaped how I think about people and what they need. I'm drawn to sitting with someone in their difficulty, thinking it through together, and finding a way forward that feels right for them.

I work with children, adolescents and adults, bringing a psychodynamic approach alongside EMDR for those carrying the weight of trauma.

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Hania - Psychotherapist in Bristol

My Work as a Psychotherapist

You may come with a specific issue that you wish to work on, such as a relationship break down, a traumatic event, or symptoms such as anxiety or depression. I can help think about underlying causes of emotions you are struggling with, and exploring this together it may enable you to deal with relationships and situations differently. Through this work, you may experience feelings more positively and find things more bearable.

I work with neurodivergent children, young people, and adults, and understand the challenges that can come with navigating a world largely designed for neurotypical people. My practice is neurodivergent-informed, and I aim to offer a space where you can feel genuinely understood.

I also recognise that people bring the full complexity of who they are to therapy — including race, ethnicity, ability, gender identity, language, religion, sexuality, and body size. I hold awareness of these intersections and bring a non-judgmental, inclusive approach to every client I work with.

Much of my work with young people is around separation, loss, difficulties in educational settings and relationship struggles. Coming to see me means a place to think with and support parents and a different perspective through which to understand your child's difficulties. For young people, making a connection and providing a relationship that is separate from or educational professional may give them freedom to explore issues that they have struggled to articulate.

Trauma is another focus of my work, whether it is the long-term trauma of relationships that didn't meet your needs growing up, the trauma of difference in a world that feels it isn't set up with you in mind, or individual traumatic events, such as a car crash or medical procedure, a birth that didn't go as planned or a relationship breakdown. EMDR is a particularly helpful treatment when working with trauma, allowing for traumatic memories to be processed and stored rather than re-lived endlessly.

EMDR

EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories, a powerful scientifically proven psychotherapy to help people recover from traumatic events in their lives which have led to poor mental health. It can also be effective in treating 'everyday' memories related to low self esteem, powerlessness etc.

I can offer this as part of the package of psychodynamic treatment to target certain memories, or as a stand alone treatment.

Who I Work With

I offer individual child, and family counselling and psychotherapy, and individual adult therapy. I offer Psychodynamic and EMDR therapy - these can be combined, or EMDR sought as a separate treatment.

Children and young people

With children and young people, I use play and art materials as a way of communicating and accessing emotions and narratives that are difficult to put into words. Making a good connection with young people is very important, and I ensure that the work is lead by them, and progresses in a way that is attuned to their developmental stage. I am able to provide information and support to parents and carers about issues the child and family may be experiencing, as well as strategies and techniques to manage emotions and behaviour.

With children and young people, especially younger ones, I usually start with an initial meeting with a parent or carer. We can decide in our initial phone conversation whether the child should also be present. This meeting is to help me find out a bit more about what brings the family to therapy, and whether I might be of support. It is also a chance to discuss confidentiality and safeguarding, with plenty of opportunities to ask me questions. After this, we can make a 'working agreement' together, which is both of our commitment to how we will work together going forwards.

Adults

With adults, I try to make connections between past events and relationships, and current difficulties. Through exploring the dynamic connection between early life events and current behaviour patterns, some relief and understanding of painful feelings can be found, and behaviour patterns can change.

For individual adult clients the process is similar; the first session is a time for us to explore what brings you to therapy and what your hopes and expectations might be, and for me to go into a bit more detail about how I work and what your hopes are. There is no need to describe traumatic events again in detail, these can simply be named. I will explain in detail how the therapy works. We then make a 'working agreement' that covers frequency and duration of sessions, payment and missed sessions. Again, there is plenty of opportunity to ask me questions throughout this process.

Testimonials

"We have worked with Hania since 2022, and I can honestly say she has made a profound difference to our family. Hania has a rare ability to connect with children in a way that feels genuine, safe and meaningful. She meets children where they are, rather than expecting them to meet her where she is. If my daughter wants her to be a ninja, Hania is a ninja. If she wants a ballet dancer, there she is. She enters F’s world with warmth, creativity and authenticity, and because of that, she has built an incredible relationship of trust with her. Through patience, humour and a deep understanding of neurodivergent children, Hania has helped F feel understood, accepted and valued.

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During some very difficult periods in F’s life, she has brought lightness into dark moments. We have laughed together, celebrated successes together and navigated challenges together, and that ability to balance therapeutic support with joy and genuine human connection is something truly special. Hania has also been a passionate advocate for F. She has played an important role in multidisciplinary meetings, ensuring that F’s voice, needs and experiences were understood by professionals. Her knowledge and insight have helped us secure the right support and provision for F, including her EOTAS package, and she has consistently championed an approach that is centred around F as an individual rather than trying to fit her into a system that was not meeting her needs. The support Hania has provided has extended to me as a parent too. Through parent sessions and EMDR therapy, she helped me process some of the trauma and emotional impact associated with supporting a child through significant mental health struggles. Those sessions were invaluable. Hania created a space where I felt heard, understood and supported, and they helped me develop the resilience and perspective needed to continue advocating for my daughter during some incredibly challenging times. What stands out most about Hania is her compassion, authenticity and unwavering commitment to the families she works with. She combines professional expertise with genuine care and humanity, and that is a rare combination. Looking back over the years we have worked together, I can confidently say that Hania has changed our lives for the better. We will always be grateful for her support, guidance, advocacy and friendship. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to any family looking for someone who truly understands neurodivergent children and who is willing to walk alongside them through both the challenges and the triumphs."

- Parent of a child seen in therapy

"Hania worked with our teenage daughter for around 14 months during a difficult time. She helped us recognise our daughter's neurodiversity, which alongside their regular work together, helped both our daughter and us as parents understand her better and adapt her home and school environment. This combined approach gave our daughter a deeper understanding of herself: she found peace with who she is, and felt ready to become autonomous and move on to higher studies independently"

- Parent of an adolescent seen in therapy

"Your support literally enabled me to get through this difficult time and I will be forever grateful"

- Parent seen for Therapeutic Parent Work

My location

I work from private offices located in The Practice Rooms, 34 Upper York St, Bristol, BS2 8QR. My practice is easily accessible from areas such as Filton, Keynsham and Portishead. I also offer online sessions via Zoom, Google Meet and Teams.

Get in touch

Once I receive an enquiry from you, I will try to get back to you within a week. I may ask some questions about availability, and then offer a brief phone call (around 15 mins) to talk through your reason for seeking therapy and our next steps, including our first meeting.