Hello, and welcome
I’m Vanessa and I offer therapy to adults at my treatment rooms in Saltdean, East Sussex, and online.
I work with a wide range of issues, and I specialise in working with late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults, and the parents of neurodiverse children.
Alongside therapeutic work I provide editorial services within the fields of psychology, psychotherapy, and neurobiology. You can learn more about that here.
Choosing a therapist
A therapeutic relationship is a unique and deeply personal thing. It’s important that you feel a connection with your therapist because without this it can be difficult to achieve really great work and growth. Below you can read a little bit about me, which might give you an idea as to whether we’d be a good fit. If you’d then like to talk about starting sessions you can email me via the contact page and we’ll arrange a ten minute call to discuss things further.
Who am I?
I find that the world of therapy is changing, and where therapists were once somewhat distant, many of us now choose to show up sharing more of who we are. This transparency is something I’ve valued in the therapists I’ve worked with because it’s helped me connect with them, which in turn has helped me connect with myself, so this is how I like to work now.
I’m not a closed book to those I work with; I am a parent, a proud neurodivergent, a devoted gardener and animal lover, a cellist, and an active member of our thriving seaside community. I’m here to meet you as another human being going through the human experience. I am not the expert; that’s you. I’m here to be with you, support you, and bear witness as you attend to the work of becoming more yourself.
Vanessa Blackledge (she/her)
My journey
My interest in therapy began while studying for a Master’s degree. I became curious about the development and practice of psychotherapy, and wrote my dissertation on transitioning representations of ‘feminine malady’ in 18th and 19th century literature. I later worked as an editor and, over time, found myself drawn increasingly towards psychotherapy, psychology, and neurobiology.
Following a transformative personal experience with somatic therapy, I embarked on a four year BACP-accredited course in Person-Centred therapy, thus combining my editorial work and academic interests with practical experience. Over the next three years I will be progressing into Transactional Analysis and psychotherapy.
My editorial work informs my therapeutic practice and vice versa. As a therapist I am constantly learning from the work I do with authors and academics, and as an editor I have valuable practical experience of therapeutic work.