About me and my work

“The good life is a process, not a state of being.

It is a direction, not a destination.” - Carl Rogers

I’m Afrodite Erdelyi, an Integrative Counsellor (MBACP) with a BA (Hons) in Integrative Counselling and extended training in trauma‑informed practice and domestic abuse support. My approach is relational, compassionate, and grounded in the belief that healing begins in safety and connection. I became a counsellor because of my own lived experiences and a deep commitment to helping others rebuild trust, self‑worth, and emotional freedom after trauma. Supporting survivors of domestic abuse is a particular passion of mine — shaped by both personal understanding and professional training.

Alongside private practice, I work as a counsellor for a domestic abuse charity, an organisation in Fareham, and an EAP provider, offering support to adults navigating trauma, anxiety, and life transitions. I’m also a therapeutic writer, using creative expression to explore emotional healing and resilience. Writing allows me to connect with others through shared human experience — blending empathy, insight, and creativity to make psychological ideas accessible and relatable.

What is my therapeutic approach as an Integrative Counsellor?

I integrate a range of therapeutic approaches - humanistic, solution‑focused, compassion‑focused, CBT, and mindfulness‑based methods - because I believe no single model can capture the complexity of human experience. The humanistic approach reminds me that each person holds the capacity for growth and self‑understanding when met with empathy and authenticity. Solution‑focused work helps clients rediscover their strengths and move toward practical change, while compassion‑focused therapy brings gentleness to the inner critic and nurtures emotional safety. CBT offers structure and clarity, helping clients challenge unhelpful patterns, and mindfulness‑based methods invite awareness and calm, reconnecting body and mind in the present moment.

I trained in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) because I wanted to offer a way of working that bridges emotional and somatic healing. EFT allows clients to release tension and regulate the nervous system, complementing talk therapy with embodied awareness - something I have found deeply transformative in practice.

Recently, I completed my Couples Therapy Certificate after studying couples counselling as part of my integrative counselling qualification at Middlesex University, and from June, I am welcoming couples into my counselling practice. This expansion feels like a natural evolution of my work - supporting individuals and partners to understand themselves and each other with curiosity, compassion, and respect.

In my couples work, I focus on relational patterns, emotional safety, and the shared state of mind partners create together. My aim is to help couples find a meaningful point of connection, a place where both partners feel understood, emotionally attuned, and able to move forward with greater clarity and compassion.

Recipient of Prestige Award (Counselling Service of the Year 2026, London and South East) and the Diamond Distinction Award (Best Counselling Service 2026).

Qualifications

  • Ba (Hons) Humanistic and Integrative Counselling (Middlesex University) First Class degree

  • DipHE Level 5 Humanistic Counselling (Portsmouth University) - Foundation degree - Distinction

  • Certificate in Couples Counselling

  • NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills

  • Level 3 Safeguarding (Coventry University)

  • Level 3 Loss and bereavement 

  • Foundation certificate in grief and bereavement with Prof John Wilson (Temenos education)

  • Level 3 Pets bereavement

  • EFT Practitioner Certificate - Emotional Freedom Technique EFTMRA

  • Level 2 Video and Online counselling advance certificate (Open University and BACP)

As a BACP member, I am committed to ongoing professional development and regularly undertake additional training to deepen my practice. My work is informed by specialist training such as trauma‑informed approaches, domestic abuse, neurodiversity, loss of sense of self, alongside continued learning in relational and emotional wellbeing. My trainings help me offer thoughtful, sensitive support to clients with a wide range of experiences, ensuring the work we do together is grounded, informed, and responsive to your needs.