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 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. 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, and the legacy of complex trauma at a very deep and personal level. Some years ago, virtually overnight, my world changed irreversibly. My life was plunged into chaos and difficulty. I had to learn to accept and cope with high levels of distress, anxiety, helplessness, fear, uncertainty and loss over a sustained and prolonged period. Somehow I had to find the inner strength and resilience to keep putting one foot in front of the other and face daily challenges, whilst continuing to care for and support others, and navigate the impact of all this on both personal and professional relationships. In time, I came to understand the value of therapy - the healing power of being really heard and supported in order to work through complex emotions and challenges. I gained personal understanding of the impact anxiety, stress and trauma has on the body, which has greatly enriched my client work. Drawing from my own experience I now choose to work in an integrative and holistic way - working with both mind and body and accepting you as the individual you are, both inside and out. I will work with your unique life story, identity and experiences, whilst gently supporting you to connect to your inner resources, resilience and a sense of internal safety. I will help you unpick the challenges and difficulties you face, whilst supporting you to find the understanding and healing needed for both mind and body, to help get where you want in life.

Professional Bodies and Licences

I am a registered and accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and accredited by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council through the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR). I abide by the code of conduct, ethical frameworks and requirements of both bodies, including supervision hours and continuous professional development (CPD). 

I am licensed as a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming™ and NLP Coach by the NLP Society (personally approved by Richard Bandler, the co-creator of NLP). I am a certified Breathwork Coach, a Diagnostic Practitioner of Thought Field Therapy (TFT), a Human Toolbox™ Practitioner and a certified Style Coach™. 

I am certified to offer online and telephone counselling in addition to in-person therapy. I also offer my counselling services through YANA - a charity offering mental health support for people involved in agriculture and rural business in East Anglia, and accept private referrals.


Qualifications and Training

I hold the following qualifications, certifications and licences:

- Adv. Diploma in Somatic Trauma Therapy (CPCAB approved - Level 5)
- Diploma in Integrative Counselling
Adv. 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 therapy
- Sensorimotor therapy 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

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 that I offer.

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