Zoe Zalavary

I am available for sessions weekday afternoons and evenings 

I’m a Â鶹ԭ´´-registered counsellor and psychotherapist with over ten years in private practice and many thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience. I offer therapy to adults in a warm, confidential, and non-judgemental space where you can begin to explore what’s difficult at your own pace — whether that’s anxiety, shame, depression, identity struggles, or deeper emotional or existential concerns.

My approach is person-centred and relational. I don’t impose a fixed agenda but aim to walk alongside you, responding to what you need in the moment — gently, respectfully, and with presence. I work with the whole person, recognising how past experience, emotional patterning, and life context all shape how we relate to ourselves and others.

I have particular experience working with:

• Anxiety, panic, and chronic stress
• Depression, numbness, and emotional disconnection
• Shame, self-criticism, and low self-worth
• Life transitions, burnout, and academic pressure
• Spiritual or existential questions (meaning, identity, purpose)

I also bring specialist expertise in:

• University and international student mental health — including counselling students abroad and supporting transitions, academic stress, and identity development
• Clients living with chronic illness, disability, or neurodivergence — including MS, visual impairment, and autism
• Clients facing systemic or internalised barriers — especially those navigating difference within education, healthcare, or the workplace.

These areas have been central to my practice for over a decade — shaped by my work in university services, online counselling for students overseas, and mentoring disabled students. I also draw on personal lived experience of chronic illness, which informs my work with empathy and authenticity.

My therapy practice is grounded in compassion, authenticity, and presence. I aim to create a safe, supportive space for you to explore the issues that bring you to therapy — whether those are rooted in your past, present, or your sense of direction in life.

Clients often come to me struggling with anxiety, low mood, shame-based thinking, or the feeling of being stuck in painful or repeating patterns. You may feel overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, or unsure of how to move forward. I’m here to support you in making sense of your experience — and to help you reconnect with your inner resources.

My practice draws on:

• Person-Centred Therapy
• Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Mindfulness-Based Approaches

Where appropriate, I may also include existential or transpersonal perspectives, especially for clients drawn to explore identity, meaning, or spirituality in therapy.

Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process. I offer a collaborative, flexible approach that respects your pace and your needs. Sessions may feel gently reflective, emotionally expressive, insight-oriented — or simply like a safe space to be and breathe.

Mindfulness & contemplative training

I bring over 25 years of mindfulness and contemplative experience — including ten years as a Buddhist nun and around six years in intensive retreat, four of which were spent in solitary practice with 8–10 hours of daily meditation.

This structured training in emotional regulation, insight, and compassion supports how I hold space: grounded, steady, and able to meet clients with depth, clarity, and care. While my work is fully secular, it offers a foundation for healing that goes beyond surface-level technique.

I also offer mindfulness and self-compassion training — including MBSR, MBCT, and Mindful Self-Compassion — which can be integrated into therapy or offered as stand alone support.

In the first session, we’ll take time to explore what’s bringing you to therapy and what you’re hoping for. There’s no pressure to share everything at once — I’ll meet you where you are and help you feel at ease. The session is a space for you to ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and see whether we feel like a good fit.

We might talk about your current challenges, past experiences, or any goals you may have for therapy — but equally, you’re welcome to come as you are, especially if things feel unclear or hard to name. Many people start therapy without knowing exactly what they need, and that’s okay.

I’ll also explain the practical aspects of therapy — confidentiality, cancellation policy, session length, and frequency — and we can agree whether to book ongoing sessions, take time to reflect, or keep things open-ended.

Most importantly, the first session is about creating a safe and respectful space where you can begin to feel met and understood. From there, we can move at a pace that feels right for you.