Rebecca Harp (she/her)- BA (Hons), MA, HCPC registered Arts Psychotherapist

Issues I have particular experience working with include anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, trauma, loss and major life transitions, existential and spiritual exploration, severe PMS and Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), image-based abuse, miscarriage and pregnancy loss, fertility treatment, pregnancy, birth, post-natal anxiety and post-natal depression. In addition, I have specialist experience of working with the LGBTQ+ community, supporting individuals with issues such as coming out, gender dysphoria, transitioning, LGBTQ+ fertility treatment and parenting, family rejection and internalised homophobia.

​My primary training focussed on dramatherapy, a type of arts psychotherapy that uses many different means to explore how you might be feeling. In addition to talking during therapy sessions, we may also use techniques such as creative writing, artwork, objects and metaphors, ritual, sand play, music and other creative ways of exploration. It is important to know that no previous experience of creative arts is necessary to access therapy that works in this way, all that’s required is an openness to explore and be curious!

​I am also trained in yoga, mindfulness, nature connection & cacao, and my approach to therapy is holistic and transpersonal. This means I work with the spiritual aspects of one’s self as well as the mind and body, supporting you to connect to that all-knowing, instinctive part of yourself that many of us struggle to access in this busy, fast-paced world we live in. This is always integrated in to our work in a way that you feel comfortable with and which aligns with your own beliefs and values.

​As a person-centred integrative therapist, I will work with you to explore, create & grow within our therapy sessions, providing you with a non-judgemental, safe space in which you can express your most true, authentic self. I look forward to connecting with you.

What is cacao-assisted arts psychotherapy?

I am qualified as a Cacao Practitioner through Keith’s Cacao and feel passionate about using cacao to support therapy sessions, if this is something you would like to explore. Cacao beans (aka unprocessed chocolate) are one of the world’s biggest superfoods and come with a whole host of physical, mental and spiritual benefits. Cacao is psychoactive (but not psychedelic!) and can help you have more clarity and focus, assisting you to connect with yourself in a more grounded, blissful and present way. Cacao contains substances such as theobromine (cardiovascular stimulant), PEA (‘love chemical’), anandamides (‘bliss chemical’) and MAOI’s, all of which help us to feel happier, more creative and energised. In addition to drinking cacao as part of our therapy sessions, I can also support you to use cacao outside of our sessions to enhance your daily life if you wish, providing you with guidance and instructions on how to prepare and use it most effectively. (NB: Using cacao as a therapeutic tool may not be suitable for everyone. If this is a therapeutic tool you would like to explore, please let me know and we can discuss it in further detail as part of our initial assessment).