Debra Gilbert

Life can feel overwhelming when you’re navigating challenges such as trauma, relationship difficulties, or major life transitions. You may feel stuck, disconnected, or burdened by emotions and patterns that seem impossible to shift. Taking the first step towards change can feel daunting, but you don’t have to face it alone. My role is to provide a safe, compassionate space where you can explore your experiences, process your emotions, and begin your journey towards healing and growth.

I work with both individuals and couples, tailoring my approach to meet your unique needs. For individuals, our work might focus on understanding and processing trauma, rebuilding self-confidence, or developing resilience to navigate life’s demands. For couples, I provide a supportive space to improve communication, rebuild trust, and foster deeper emotional connection. Together, we’ll identify your goals and create a path forward that feels meaningful and achievable.

What makes my approach distinctive is its flexibility and depth. I draw on a variety of therapeutic modalities, including EMDR, experiential therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, IMAGO relationship therapy, and expressive arts. This integrative framework allows me to adapt our work to best support your needs, whether you’re addressing past wounds, navigating complex emotions, or rebuilding purpose and connection in your life.

Qualifications and Training

I bring extensive professional training and experience to my practice:

BA (Hons) in Humanistic Counselling – University of Chichester (Â鶹ԭ´´-accredited with a Gold Star).

Diploma in Clinical Supervision.

Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling.

Diploma in Hypnotherapy.

Certificate in Working with Couples.

EMDR Part 1, 2 & 3 (EMDR Europe Association accredited training)

Foundation in Bereavement – Cruse Bereavement.

Enhanced DBS Certificate – Safeguarding verified.

I offer a warm, welcoming space where you can talk openly about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. You will be met with empathy, understanding, and no judgment. I believe everyone has the ability to heal and grow, and I’m here to support you as you find your way forward.

I work with individuals and couples, helping you understand unhelpful patterns, make sense of past experiences, and build emotional resilience. Together, we can explore challenges, improve communication, and strengthen your relationship with yourself and with others. My aim is to help you move through life with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

I have a particular interest in working with Third Culture Kids, voluntary migrants, and expats, supporting the unique challenges that come with navigating multiple cultures, identities, and senses of belonging.

I use an integrative approach, drawing on Emotion-Focused Therapy, IMAGO, EMDR, expressive arts, Transactional Analysis, and Gestalt. These approaches allow me to shape our work around what you need, whether you’re focusing on trauma recovery, relationship difficulties, or exploring your sense of identity.

You can choose short-term, goal-focused support or longer-term, deeper exploration—whatever suits you best. Sessions are available in person or online through my secure, GDPR-compliant therapy room, giving you flexibility and choice.

Most importantly, I want you to feel supported, understood, and safe. Together, we’ll work towards the changes that matter most to you—building healthier relationships, overcoming challenges, or reconnecting with who you are. With warmth and steady support, I’ll walk alongside you as you create meaningful and lasting change.

A strong, trusting relationship between therapist and client is at the heart of meaningful therapeutic work. To help us get a sense of whether we’re a good fit, I offer an initial consultation—either in person, over the phone, or through my secure GDPR-compliant online therapy room. This first meeting gives you a chance to share what you’re hoping for from therapy, learn more about how I work, and ask any questions you may have.

In our first session, we’ll talk about what has brought you here, what you can expect from therapy, and how confidentiality is handled. If you’re coming as an individual, we might begin to explore the patterns or challenges you’d like to understand more deeply. For couples, we’ll start outlining your shared goals and gently look at the dynamics that led you to seek support. We’ll also talk through any practicalities to make sure the arrangement feels right for you.

I am a Â鶹ԭ´´ Accredited Humanistic Experiential Psychotherapist and hold a Diploma in Supervision.

As a supervisor, I aim to offer a supportive and engaging space where presence, attunement, and ethical responsibility sit alongside flexibility and structure. I hold supervision as a collaborative dialogue rather than a prescriptive process, creating an environment where supervisees feel both safe and encouraged to stretch into new areas of growth. For me, this balance reflects the essence of therapy itself—the meeting point of safety and challenge where genuine development can take place.

My approach is grounded in a humanistic, pluralistic philosophy and shaped by an experiential, relational framework. I value clarity and openness in contracting, emotional connection, and an awareness of parallel process, while weaving together theory and immediacy. In my therapeutic work, I draw on a range of approaches including Person-Centred, Somatic therapy, Expressive Arts, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt, attachment therapy, and EMDR. Together, these influences allow me to create a reflective and growth-oriented space that nurtures the supervisee’s confidence, safeguards clients, and supports the ongoing professional journey.

My specialisms include childhood trauma, anxiety, relationships, acculturation, life transionstions, family conflict, relationship difficulties and depression. I also have a particular interest in supporting therapists as they move into private practice—considering the practical, developmental, and psychological aspects of this transition.

Qualifications and Training

I bring extensive professional training and experience to my practice:

BA (Hons) in Humanistic Counselling – University of Chichester (Â鶹ԭ´´-accredited with a Gold Star).

Diploma in Clinical Supervision 

Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling.

Diploma in Hypnotherapy.

Certificate in Working with Couples.

EMDR Part 1, 2 & 3 (EMDR Europe Association accredited training).

Foundation in Bereavement – Cruse Bereavement.

Enhanced DBS Certificate – Safeguarding verified.

I offer 60-minute or 90-minute supervision sessions at £60/£90 per session.

Please get in touch to arrange a free initial 20-minute discussion, either online or in person. My practice is located in Hove, just off Palmeira Square. I also see therapists online.