You may recognise
yourself here
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You’re capable and driven, but rarely feel truly rested.
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You overthink, overfunction and feel responsible for everyone else.
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You struggle to say no and often put your own needs last.
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Perfectionism and self-criticism leave you feeling drained.
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You repeat relationship patterns that leave you depleted or unseen.
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You long for space to breathe, reconnect with yourself and feel more at ease.
What we can work on together
Anxiety, overthinking and control
We work with your patterns of response, helping you feel steadier, trust yourself more and loosen your grip on control.
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
Together, we look beneath the exhaustion and work towards a way of living that feels more sustainable, spacious and genuinely restorative.
People-pleasing and boundaries
You learn to notice your own needs, set clearer boundaries and make space for yourself without being overwhelmed by guilt.
Relationship patterns
We explore where these patterns began and practise moving towards relationships in which you feel safer, seen and able to remain connected to yourself.
Perfectionism and self-criticism
We soften the inner critic and build your ability to recognise when enough is enough without tying your worth to achievement.
Relational trauma and inner wounds
We bring care to the parts of you that still carry pain, so you can feel less defined by what happened and more secure in who you are now.
How I integrate psychotherapy and hypnotherapy
I blend relational psychotherapy with clinical hypnotherapy to help you understand what's happening beneath the surface and create lasting change.
Relational Therapy
Hypnotherapy
Inner Child and Parts Work
Nervous System Regulation
We explore your experiences and patterns within a safe, consistent and engaged therapeutic relationship.
When appropriate, hypnotherapy can help us work with deeper associations, emotional responses and patterns that are difficult to shift through conscious effort alone.
We approach protective and younger parts of you with curiosity and compassion rather than judgement or force.
We build your capacity to experience greater safety, connection and choice within your body, not only understand these ideas intellectually.
How our sessions work
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How therapy with me works
Therapy shaped around you, not a formula.
Seeing you as a whole person
Placing the therapeutic relationship at the heart of the work.
Tailoring each session to your needs, goals and pace.
Using evidence-informed approaches with warmth and flexibility.
Offering a private, confidential and non-judgemental space.
Providing personalised practices and resources when helpful.
I intentionally work with a small number of ongoing clients, allowing me to offer a personal and attentive therapeutic relationship.
My signature therapeutic approach
The Embodied Secure Self Method
Safety & Regulation
We begin by building relational safety and supporting nervous system regulation, noticing what sends you into overthinking, shutdown or overdrive so you can develop greater steadiness, choice and self-support.
Connection & Compassion
We explore the emotional, relational and protective patterns shaping your experience without treating them as personal failings.
Repatterning & Reparenting
When appropriate, hypnotherapy, imagery and parts-informed work help us engage with patterns at an experiential level, not only understand them intellectually.
Integration & Embodiment
We bring the work into everyday life - how you set boundaries, receive support, make decisions, relate to others and remain connected to yourself, through habits, identity and rituals.
I'm Dorota. And I know what it costs to keep holding everything together
I am a BACP-registered psychotherapist and registered clinical hypnotherapist with over nine years’ experience working with adults across the NHS, charitable sector and private practice.
I specialise in supporting high-functioning women - the ones who appear to have everything under control while quietly feeling exhausted by the effort of maintaining it.
My own experience of unpicking what I carried is part of what makes this work so personal to me. You will not be analysed from a distance. I am warm, engaged and honest, and I take your story seriously.
In-person sessions take place at Evolve Counselling & Therapy Centre in the heart of Leeds, overlooking Park Square. Online sessions are available across the UK.
This may be right for you if...
This may not be the right service if...
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You appear high-functioning but feel depleted underneath
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You are tired of prioritising everyone else’s needs before your own
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You recognise your patterns but struggle to change how they feel in everyday life
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You want a therapist who is warm, engaged and relational rather than distant or clinical
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You are curious about working with emotions, attachment patterns, the body and the subconscious mind
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You are willing to attend sessions regularly and engage honestly with the process
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You are currently in acute crisis or require immediate, higher-intensity mental health support
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You are seeking diagnosis, medication advice or psychiatric treatment
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You are looking for a guaranteed or instant solution
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You are not currently able to engage safely or consistently in therapeutic work
Session options
Each session can include psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or a combination of both, depending on what feels appropriate and helpful for you.
Sessions are available: In person in central Leeds, LS1 and online across the UK.
How to start working with me?
01 Clarity Call
Before booking your first full session, we'll have a complimentary 15-minute Clarity Call. If we're a good fit, we'll choose a mutually convenient appointment slot. Once payment is received, your session is fully confirmed and you'll receive a Welcome Pack with everything you need - my location, how I work, the therapy contract and an initial assessment form, both of which need to be signed before your first session.
02 First Session
During your first session, we'll explore what "holding everything together" looks like in your life and what may be happening beneath the exhaustion, anxiety or disconnection. There's no script to follow and nothing you need to prepare - you won't be expected to share anything before you feel ready. By the end of the session, the aim is for you to have greater clarity about what you're experiencing and a shared sense of what our work together could focus on.
03 Ongoing Work
From here, we continue at whatever pace suits you - weekly or fortnightly, in person in Leeds or online. Each session builds on the last, moving beyond insight into real, felt change, so the shift reaches not just how you think but how you feel and live day to day.
Client experiences
"After years of having low self esteem, low self belief and low confidence thinking therapy would never help, along came Dorota and proved me wrong. She has saved my soul and I cannot thank her enough for the new lease of life she has given me."
- Jessica
Self-esteem, confidence and identity
"Having tried other therapists, CBT experts and life coaches I made no improvements until I worked with Dorota. I am a different person from who I was a year ago and I have her to thank for that."
- Mia
Transformation after previous therapy hadn't worked
"I now understand and accept myself and my needs, have healthier relationships and am able to set boundaries and make better choices as a result. Trust me when I say that you will never make a better investment than this."
- Lianne
Childhood wounds, relationships, boundaries
Your questions answered
You don't have to keep carrying this alone.
If something on this page has resonated with you - even quietly - that's worth listening to.
The Clarity Call is free, private and without obligation. It's simply a conversation to explore whether this work, and whether I, might be the right fit for you.
✦ BACP Registered ✦ GHR Registered ✦ 9 Years Experience ✦ Leeds & Online ✦ Limited Spaces