Counselling, Psychotherapy & Coaching 
 
Sudbury Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

About Anita

Client testimonials:

Anita Duke  MBACP (Accred), GHSC (Accred)
B.A.(Hons), Adv.DipSomaticTrauma, Dip.IntCouns, Adv.Dip.Hyp/Psych, Dip.Som.Trauma, Dip. EMDR, MPract.NLP, TFTdx, Dip.SC

I appreciate that you may wish to know more about my background before choosing to work with me.

I have over 30 years experience working in a variety of professional roles:  After graduating at the age of 21, I spent fourteen years working in senior sales and marketing management. After making a life-changing decision to leave the corporate world, I spent the next twelve years working in various behaviour support, coaching and teaching roles in state education. It was during these years that I began training and practicing as a therapist. 

I first began seeing clients in 2012 as therapeutic coach specialising in women's confidence and self-esteem. In 2014 I expanded my therapeutic remit having qualified in clinical hypnotherapy. I then went on to qualify in advanced hypno-psychotherapy, integrative counselling, EMDR and somatic trauma therapy. Before moving into independent private practice, I worked as a part-time counsellor for a social enterprise affiliated to the West Suffolk NHS Foundation IAPT service, and as an Anxiety UK Approved Therapist. Then, in 2019 I launched Anita Duke Therapy to be able to offer my full repertoire of skills. I now work in full-time private therapy practice and as an Associate Tutor for the Bedfordshire Centre of Therapeutic Studies.

However, behind all of this I have also experienced the emotional roller-coaster that is human existence. I have myself experienced life, loss, complex trauma and the legacy of these difficulties at a very deep and personal level. Some years ago, virtually overnight, my life changed irreversibly. I had to learn to accept and cope with high levels of distress, fear, helplessness, loss and change over a sustained period, yet somehow keep putting one foot in front of the other, facing daily challenges whilst continuing to care for and support others. I had to find strength and resilience from deep within. Through my own journey, I know the value of therapy - the healing power of being really heard and supported in order to work through very personal and complex emotions - which now greatly enriches my client work. I also personally understand the impact trauma has on both the mind and the body, which led me towards my specialism in trauma and somatic therapy. Drawing from my own experience I work in an integrative and holistic way, with both mind and body, accepting you as the individual you are, both inside and out, working with your unique life story, and gently helping you to unpick the challenges and difficulties you face, to support you to get to where you want in life, at a pace that's right for you.

Professional Bodies and Licences

I am a Registered (Accredited) Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and I am accredited by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council through the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR). I abide by the code of conduct, confidentiality and ethical frameworks of both my professional bodies. This includes continuous professional development (CPD) and regular supervision. 

I am fully certified to offer online and telephone counselling alongside traditional in-person therapy. I also offer private counselling through YANA - a charity offering mental health support for people involved in agriculture and rural business in East Anglia.

In addition, I am licenced as Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming™ by the NLP Society (this licence is personally authorised by Richard Bandler, the co-creator of NLP). I am also a Diagnostic Practitioner of Thought Field Therapy (TFT), an Authorised Human Toolbox™ Practitioner, and a certified Style Coach™.

I hold a current Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate for working with vulnerable adults and children and am fully insured for all therapies I offer.
  Qualifications and Training

I hold the following qualifications, certifications and licences:

- Diploma in Integrative Counselling
- Diploma in Somatic Trauma Therapy (CPCAB approved - Level 5)
- Advanced Diploma in Hypno-Psychotherapy & Counselling
- Diploma in Integrative Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy
- Diploma in Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP Society)
- Diagnostic Practitioner in Thought Field Therapy (TFT)
- Advanced Certificate in Understanding and Applying Parts Theories
- Certificate in Online & Telephone Counselling (BACP approved)
- Certificate in Practitioner Specialism - Trauma Informed Practice 
 (NCIP approved - Level 7)
- Foundation Certificate in the Application of Polyvagal Theory
- Practitioner Certificate in The Human Toolbox™ 
- Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnosis  
- Certificate in the Practice of Hypno-Virtual Gastric Band
- Graduate Diploma in Style Coaching™
- Award in Breathwork Coaching
- Approved tutor (CPCAB L2 Award in Breathwork Coaching)

In addition, I have been awarded the General Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice (GQHP) by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHSC).

Training in integrative therapy has enabled me to develop a breadth of understanding and competency in theory and practice across a number of different counselling and psychotherapy approaches. I am committed to regularly updating my skillset to inform and enhance client work including undertaking continued professional development (CPD) in:

- Trauma theory and practice
- Anti-racist practice and racial trauma
- Parts work (including Jungian Philosophy, IFS and Voice Dialogue)
- Polyvagal Theory 
- Breathwork, mindfulness and somatic resourcing
- Psychodynamic theory and practice
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) 
- Transactional Analysis (TA) 
- Inner Child Therapy
- Using creative practices in therapy
- Working with anxiety, stress, depression and phobias
- Working with grief and loss
- Working with suicide and self-harm
- Rewind Technique for trauma (also known as NLP Theatre Screen)
- Rapid change work (masterclass with Ali Campbell)
- Weight management group work 
- Ethics and practice management


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