Novena-Chanel Davies

Novena-Chanel Davies An accredited Counsellor, Counsellor Supervisor, Counselling Lecturer, Author, Life Coach, Key Note Speaker, Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master & Media Consultant.

I am a fully qualified and registered integrative Counsellor/Psychotherapist, Counsellor Supervisor, Life Coach, Nutritional Advisor, Reiki Master and Body Therapist. I have worked within the NHS as a counsellor and volunteer; as well as numerous other well-established and respected charities such as Solace Women’s Aid, London Friend, and The Women and Girl’s Network. I also offer Clinical Supervi

sion to some of the staff of Charities such as Victim Support and RAPt. My Heritage and Approach

My name is Novena-Chanel (No-ve-na-Cha-nel, or N-Chanel for short) and I was born in the UK from a mixed parentage of African and Caribbean heritage. I am therefore able to utilise my own personal and professional experience of differing, and sometimes conflicting, cultural values and practices within my clinical and professional work; working effectively with difference and diversity. I have worked with an array of clients who have explored concerns about sexuality and identity, social/community isolation, family/cultural pressures and overcoming abuse. My individual approach to counselling and coaching is infused with sensitivity, openness and creativity; actively working to build a therapeutic relationship based upon mutual trust and partnership. As a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) and the UPCA (Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association) I work in a professional and confidential manner; adhering to the ethical guidelines of both organisations. The BACP Ethical framework can be found here – www.bacp.co.uk. My Philosophy

Through my life’s journey I have come to believe that as unique, complex, and creative individuals, our personal journeys can sometimes become hard to travel and understand. There are also times when our passion and sense of self becomes lost within the ever challenging cycle of life, and we grow tired of fighting to keep our heads above the turbulent waters of life. I believe that it is during these times that we need to find meaning and fulfillment in our lives, and a reason to keep on travelling or ‘swimming to the top’. This can be supported through the connection with Self and others, the strengthening of our self-belief, and the unlearning of negative thought patterns. I believe that this can be achieved by exploring the core of the presenting issues and/or concerns; many times leading back to parental relationships (or lack of) and earlier childhood experience. My hope is that this assists you in learning how to firstly identify and challenge these patterns, and then go on to change or relearn more beneficial approaches to living a life that fulfills you.

New Book release: A Framework for understanding Intergenerational Trauma in the Black and Brown Diaspora Can politics r...
04/04/2026

New Book release: A Framework for understanding Intergenerational Trauma in the Black and Brown Diaspora

Can politics really be left outside the therapy room when exploring intergenerational trauma and anti-oppressive practice?

Within the current social and political climate, questions of history, power, identity, and structural inequality shape how trauma is experienced, understood, and transmitted across generations. For many Black and Brown diasporic communities, trauma cannot be separated from the broader social, cultural, and political environments in which individuals and families live.

In A Framework for Understanding Intergenerational Trauma in the Black and Brown Diaspora, Novena-Chanel Davies introduces the Integrative Epigenetic Relational Approach (IERA-Therapy®), a model that explores how trauma is transmitted, embodied, and transformed across generations. Drawing on insights from epigenetics, relational psychotherapy, neuroscience, attachment theory, and socio-political analysis, this work presents a framework that considers the biological, relational, and societal forces shaping emotional and psychological development.

Alongside its theoretical foundation, the book includes reflective exercises, case material, and clinical discussion to support practical application. It explores culturally embedded archetypes such as the “Strong Black Woman” and “Strong Black Man”, alongside themes of mixed heritage, identity, belonging, parental wounding, and generational silence.

Available online at:

Epigenetic Relational Therapy Academy:
https://www.ertacademy.org/product-page/understanding-intergenerational-trauma-in-the-black-and-brown-diaspora
https://amzn.eu/d/0eFSCVIH

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/0eFSCVIH

New Book Release!! 🙌🏾💜A Framework for Understanding Intergenerational Trauma in the Black and Brown Diaspora is now avai...
01/04/2026

New Book Release!! 🙌🏾💜

A Framework for Understanding Intergenerational Trauma in the Black and Brown Diaspora is now available.

Can politics really be left outside the therapy room when exploring intergenerational trauma and anti-oppressive practice?

Within the current social and political climate, questions of history, power, identity, and structural inequality shape how trauma is experienced, understood, and transmitted across generations. For many Black and Brown diasporic communities, trauma cannot be separated from the broader social, cultural, and political environments in which individuals and families live.

In A Framework for Understanding Intergenerational Trauma in the Black and Brown Diaspora, Novena-Chanel Davies introduces the Integrative Epigenetic Relational Approach (IERA-Therapy®), a model that explores how trauma is transmitted, embodied, and transformed across generations. Drawing on insights from epigenetics, relational psychotherapy, neuroscience, attachment theory, and socio-political analysis, this work presents a framework that considers the biological, relational, and societal forces shaping emotional and psychological development.

Positioned at the intersection of trauma, identity, and social context, this book invites practitioners, educators, researchers, and students to reconsider how therapy engages with history, power, and lived experience when supporting individuals and communities affected by migration, colonisation, structural inequality, and intergenerational trauma.

Alongside its theoretical foundation, the book offers reflective exercises, case studies, and discussion on clinical implications, supporting practitioners and readers to apply the framework in therapeutic contexts. It explores culturally embedded archetypes, including the “Strong Black Woman” and “Strong Black Man,” as well as themes of mixed heritage, identity, belonging, parental-wounding, and generational silence, supporting clinical work with survival responses shaped by historical and relational conditions.


This has been years in the making.

Access your copy via the link in my bio or through the sites below:

Epigenetic Relational Therapy Academy-
https://www.ertacademy.org/product-page/understanding-intergenerational-trauma-in-the-black-and-brown-diaspora

The Equilibrium Coach -
https://www.theequilibriumcoach.com/product-page/understanding-intergenerational-trauma-in-the-black-and-brown-diaspora.

Just a scheduled reminder from your online therapist that you do not owe anyone your peace, sanity, presence or life. No...
10/03/2026

Just a scheduled reminder from your online therapist that you do not owe anyone your peace, sanity, presence or life.

Nor is the presence, sanity or peace of your children owed to anyone, particularly those who caused you harm and pose a risk to them.

You have a right to peace 💜

With that said, I am wishing a blessed and replenishing day ahead; one that truly exceeds all expectations.

Novena-Chanel

Rethinking Psychotherapy:Epigenetics, Intergenerational Trauma & Anti-Oppressive PracticePsychotherapy is evolving.As re...
22/02/2026

Rethinking Psychotherapy:
Epigenetics, Intergenerational Trauma & Anti-Oppressive Practice

Psychotherapy is evolving.

As research into stress physiology, epigenetics and intergenerational trauma deepens, we are invited to reconsider how we conceptualise distress, resilience and relational survival.

This 6-hour live online CPD explores:

• The current science of epigenetics and stress transmission
• Intergenerational trauma beyond metaphor
• Racialised stress and structural harm within clinical work
• Integrating attachment theory with anti-oppressive practice
• Moving from individual pathology towards systemic formulation

This is a research-informed, ethically grounded training for qualified therapists, supervisors and advanced practitioners seeking to deepen their theoretical and clinical integration.

📅 Friday 10 April
🕙 Live Online
🕕 6-Hour CPD

Spaces are limited.

🔗 Booking link in bio and on the ERTA website at www.ertacademy.org.

Public Online Lecture | What Epigenetics and Intergenerational Trauma Really Mean for FamiliesSunday 29 March 2026 | 11:...
22/02/2026

Public Online Lecture | What Epigenetics and Intergenerational Trauma Really Mean for Families

Sunday 29 March 2026 | 11:00am–2:00pm (UK time) | Live Online via Zoom

In recent years, words like epigenetics and intergenerational trauma have entered public conversation.

They appear in books, podcasts and social media, often carrying powerful meaning, yet sometimes confusion.

But what do these terms actually mean for families?

What does research really say about how stress shows up across generations, particularly in racialised communities?

On Sunday 29th March, 11am–2pm (UK time), we are hosting a live online public lecture exploring:

• What epigenetics actually is - and what it is not
• How stress physiology develops across generations
• Attachment and relational survival patterns
• The impact of racialised and systemic stress on the body
• Archetypes such as the “strong” mother and father narratives
• How we begin to nurture relational safety and resilience

This is not a clinical training.

It is a reflective, grounded space for families, educators and community members to learn, think and talk.

If you have ever wondered why certain patterns repeat across generations, this conversation is for you.

🎟 Tickets: £45 (concessions available).

Tickets available on my website (link in bio) and at www.ertacademy.org.

Spaces are limited.

Epigenetic Relational Therapy Academy®

During the holidays, it really is okay to do nothing at all or everything that feels right for you. Whatever today looks...
25/12/2025

During the holidays, it really is okay to do nothing at all or everything that feels right for you.

Whatever today looks like for you, it counts.
This is your day.

Maybe today is about re-parenting yourself; moving slowly, watching festive films, making something comforting to eat, whether that’s toast and beans or a full spread that takes all afternoon. Maybe it’s group chats with friends, or a quiet walk to clear your head and fill your lungs. Maybe it’s music turned up too loud, dancing until you’re breathless and laughing, or comedy films on repeat because joy sometimes comes wrapped in silliness.

Maybe today is a recipe you’ve never tried, a face mask, a long shower, or doing absolutely nothing at all. All of it counts.

If you’re visiting family when it feels complicated, you’re allowed boundaries. You’re allowed to pre-face visits with, “I’ll need to leave after dinner,” or, “I may need to head off early, but I’ll make sure I say goodbye.”

You’re allowed to gently close conversations that feel heavy or intrusive, with closing statements such as, “Today is about joy for me, I don’t want to go there,”
or, “I’m keeping things light today.”

You don’t owe anyone explanations about your relationship status, your body, your children, your job, or where you think you should be in life.

If you’re sending messages today, a soft reminder; today isn’t joyful for everyone. Some are grieving, some are lonely, some feel disconnected, some feel full of warmth and love. Every emotion is welcome here.

As a therapist I can assure you that all the beautiful posts you’ll see today may also place a plaster over difficult family dynamics, past betrays, those who are absent, broken hearts and unspoken words. Some are just ok with silencing for a day, some can’t. Both can be held as what each chooses to do.

However today meets you, let it meet you with kindness.

You’re allowed to choose ease and yourself.

Sending you much love, big hugs, kind words, acknowledgement and permission to do what feels right for you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Novena-Chanel

13/12/2025

A gentle, neurodivergent-friendly breath reset for your nervous system.

If you’re feeling wired, overwhelmed, snappy, foggy, or emotionally flooded, your nervous system may be stuck in fight or flight. This is especially common for neurodivergent brains, trauma histories and chronic stress.

Here’s a simple breathing practice I often share with clients, students and parents. It’s subtle, powerful and you can do it anywhere, no yoga mat required 😉

🌬 4 breaths in, 8 breaths out

• Inhale gently through your nose for 4 counts
• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 counts
• Repeat for 3–5 minutes

The longer exhale is the key. It sends a signal to your body that you are safe, helping shift you from the sympathetic nervous system (alert, stressed, on edge) into the parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, repair).

You might notice your shoulders dropping, your jaw unclenching, thoughts slowing slightly and emotions feeling less urgent.

If counting feels hard, that’s okay. You can simply think: shorter in, longer out.

Try it before responding to a message, when you feel time pressure, after conflict, before bed, or when you notice shame or overwhelm creeping in.

Small practices, done often, change nervous systems over time.

Save this for later.

Share it with someone who needs a softer moment today 💜

13/12/2025

This is such a great example of ADHD, impulsivity, time blindness and the shame spiral we don’t talk about enough.

You say yes, impulsively because in that moment, your brain truly believes it can make it work. The reality arrives and suddenly you’re calculating journeys in your head, traffic and overestimating energy levels and transitions. The result is then an overloaded nervous system, timings collapse, you’re now late or wanting to curl up in your bed and hide.

So on comes the cancelling, or for some, ghosting, disappointing someone you genuinely wanted to show up for. Cue the guilt and/or shame.

For many people with ADHD (and occurring conditions such as autism), this is about time blindness and miseducation about energy levels, transitions and dysregulation. An event at 4 feels far away until it’s suddenly right on top of you and your brain confidently tells you guilds be fine 😩🤪😮‍💨. Yet, fifteen minutes to the time you’re meant to be there, you’re still putting your shoes on or getting in the car/waiting for a bus, preparing for an hour journey across town.

Later on rejection sensitivity that some experience and the fear isn’t just about being late, it’s also about being seen as unreliable, uncaring, selfish, careless or “too much”. Especially painful when you’ve had a lifetime being told your impulsivity made you a problem.

For some, saying yes is also about fawning - people pleasing as survival. Being agreeable up stay safe, accepted. Especially common in those who grew up being told they were “difficult” “naughty” or always in trouble.

So as Trevor Noah perfectly articulates, saying “no” is a good start. Some other reframes may be saying that you need to check your capacity, or that you’re provisionally saying yes but will confirm closer to the time. Planning something three weeks ahead sounds great in theory, especially when it’s a dopamine high, but on the day, you might not feel motivated or even want to go!

Some practical tools that might also help are working backwards from arrival time, not the start time, adding 20-30 minutes buffer. Being upfront that timing is something you’re working on and having contingency plans helps too

I saw this Bluey cartoon with Jack in the car, and honestly, it sums up ADHD from a child’s point of view so well.Jack’s...
15/09/2025

I saw this Bluey cartoon with Jack in the car, and honestly, it sums up ADHD from a child’s point of view so well.

Jack’s wriggling around, shaking his legs, distracted by a bird, forgetting his hat… and when his dad asks again, he says, “Oh no, I think I left it.” His sibling chips in with, “Why can’t you just sit still?” and Jack replies quietly, “I don’t know.” 💔

That’s so hard to watch because that’s it, isn’t it? Most children with ADHD/ADD don’t know why.

It’s not just about being “hyper.” For some children, the hyperactivity is on the inside; their mind is racing even if their body looks calm. For others it may show as big energy, fidgeting, blurting things out, interrupting, or acting before thinking (impulsivity).

ADHD can look like forgetting simple things (like the hat!), time blindness (always losing track of how long things take), speaking over people without meaning to, or big intense moods that swing quickly. Some experience feeling crushed by even small rejection (rejection sensitivity), with being told “you’re too much” or “not enough” – again and again.

Imagine being a child who’s corrected constantly. Finding it near impossible to sit still for hours in school , being told “Stop fidgeting” “Listen properly” “Why can’t you just…?” It chips away at confidence.

Siblings can feel it too – dealing with impulsivity, broken toys, interrupted conversations, or hugs that come too rough or too sudden.

For parents it’s exhausting some days. Constantly repeating themselves, managing meltdowns, highs and lows, other people’s expectations, judgements and unsolicited’advice’.

Children with ADHD aren’t being “naughty” – their brains are wired differently. Alongside the challenges, they often bring so much creativity, humour, empathy, and energy.

A few things that can help are:
• Timers and visual clocks for
• Breaking tasks into tiny steps
• Routines that keep things predictable
• Movement breaks (not everything has to be done sitting still!)
• Celebrating the wins, no matter how small

Therapy can help too. Not to “fix” the child, but to build self-esteem, give practical strategies, and help families find a rhythm that works for them.

“Imagine being afraid of diversity, but not dictatorship.”At the heart of it, fear of diversity is really fear of what w...
14/09/2025

“Imagine being afraid of diversity, but not dictatorship.”

At the heart of it, fear of diversity is really fear of what we see on the outside — skin colour, different dress, different accents, different faiths. A fear that our own sense of normality might be discarded, undervalued, or erased.

Yet underneath the visual, we are more alike than many would like to admit. Every parent wants to protect their children; every family wants safety and the best possible outcome; every healthy human longs to be respected, to have their reality acknowledged. Within each of us is an inner child who only ever wanted to be loved, seen, heard, and safe. Not being the blueprint of ‘acceptable’, for some, threatens this reality.

Not fitting the “blueprint of acceptable” feels like a threat to some, and I truly understand where that fear comes from.

A few weeks ago, I saw a video that shook me to my core. A family fleeing war, new to the UK, were trapped in their hotel, filming from a window as marchers waved flags and shouted for them to “go back home.” You could hear the fear and terror in their voices as they feared for their safety, and the safety of their children.

This is what some call normal and “protecting peace.” Some may recognise this from other historical events such as N**i Germany, Apartheid South Africa, segregated America and more.

If your peace requires another family to live in fear, then it is not peace at all. It’s not strength either. It’s a projection of fear and perceived vulnerability onto others who are already vulnerable.

So let this be a reminder to those who march, and to those who stay silent thinking “I’m not racist”:

Diversity is not the danger. The danger is believing that cruelty is protection, and that hostility is normal.

When we lose sight of our shared humanity, we build walls; walls that soon enough shut us off from our own humanity, and even ability to truly love those closest to us.

29/03/2025

“Close the doors.” Three words that should never be weaponised in a sanctuary.

Church, like any place of worship, is meant to be a sanctuary. A place of safety, restoration and connection to the Divine (whatever religion or faith you are). As someone once beautifully told me: “The Church is like a hospital. People come in feeling broken, unwell, and needing healing.” There will be some who are at the start of their healing, and others who are further along, what matters is that it’s a place that does us no harm.

So when spiritual leaders begin using their position to coerce, guilt, or manipulate people into giving, especially under the guise of Divine instruction, it crosses sacred lines.

This isn’t about generosity or faith. It’s spiritual abuse and coercion.

Can you imagine sitting in a space where you’ve done for peace and instead hear “close the doors.” No one is leaving until a set amount is gathered. As if your spiritual safety, connection to God/Universe, your right to be in sacred community, is conditional?

$20 - short-time offer. Just for today.
$100 to stand beside me on the pulpit.

That doesn’t feel like faith. That feels like bullying.

From a therapeutic lens, these experiences can be deeply retraumatising, especially for those with histories of abuse, religious trauma, or financial vulnerability.

Let me be clear: I am not against giving or tithes. I am also not against honouring SAFE Leaders who lead with integrity, or supporting spiritual spaces financially. Just as we breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide for the trees to recycle, giving and reciprocity is best practiced with ease. Giving from the heart, not through being shamed, pressured or trapped within a building, is not kindness, love or in alignment with the sane God you teach knows every single hair on your head.

If you’ve ever been harmed in a faith space, I am so sorry. You deserved safety. You deserved truth. You deserved love.

Well done to whoever released this video for evidence that these things happen and survivors should be heated and believed.

So I end with this: “Let me never become a place where greed, evil or ‘the devil’ feels comfortable.”

Address

London

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
7pm - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
7pm - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
7pm - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
7pm - 9pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
7pm - 9pm

Telephone

+442032907538

Website

http://www.ertacademy.org/

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