Alder Barn Therapy

10/04/2026

Are you a parent of young children?
Does this sound familiar?
You love them more than anything. So why does it feel this hard?

You chose gentle parenting because you want something different. You want to understand your child, not just manage them. You want connection, not control. You’ve read the books, you follow the accounts, you believe in it wholeheartedly.
And yet.
Some days you’re running on empty before 9am. Some days you raise your voice and the guilt hits immediately. Some days you’re so deep in the fog of just surviving that the parent you want to be feels like a stranger.
You’re not failing. You’re not broken. But something feels stuck — and you know it.
Maybe you’re carrying more than you let on. Old wounds from your own childhood that surface the moment your toddler melts down. A creeping anxiety you can’t quite name. The exhaustion of holding everyone together while quietly falling apart yourself.

Gentle parenting asks a lot of you — because it starts with you. And that’s exactly where we begin.

I work with young mums who are doing everything right and still feeling lost. Together, we create space for you — not just the mum, but the whole person underneath. We gently untangle what’s getting in the way, so that the parent you already are in your heart becomes the parent your children actually experience.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. You just have to take one step.
You deserve support too. Let’s talk.
📍 alderbarntherapy.co.uk

08/04/2026

Feeling stuck? You’re not alone.
Maybe you’ve lost your sense of direction. Maybe getting out of bed feels harder than it should, or you’re not sure who you are or what you actually want anymore. Whatever’s going on, you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

Phoebe is a qualified counsellor with a warm, non-judgmental approach — and she has availability on Friday afternoons.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, low motivation, identity, or just a general feeling that something’s off, Phoebe offers a safe space to slow down, talk it through, and start making sense of things at your own pace.
She’s a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, holds a Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People, and has extensive experience working with neurodivergent clients. She has a particular interest in trauma — because sometimes what looks like “lack of motivation” runs a lot deeper than that.

🌿 Something a little different
Phoebe also offers Animal Assisted Therapy — a unique approach that many people find surprisingly powerful, especially if traditional talking therapy has ever felt a bit much.

Sessions take place in a Shepherds Hut tucked into the Somerset countryside, surrounded by woodland just outside Taunton. It’s quiet, it’s private, and it feels nothing like a clinical waiting room.

Your first chat is completely free. No commitment, no pressure — just a conversation to see if it feels right.
📞 07594 237557
📧 info@phoebewitherscounselling.co.uk
🌐 www.phoebewitherscounselling.co.uk
Friday afternoons available now.

30/03/2026

For 30 years, I’ve been the person families and schools turn to when a child is struggling.
As a specialist counsellor for children and young people, I’ve worked across every layer of the school and family system — as a counsellor, teacher, trainer, consultant and mum of four. I was among the first to bring counselling into schools in my area back in the 1990s, and I’ve been building on that foundation ever since.
I’m a qualified Rewind Practitioner, trained directly with David Muss, with extensive CPD in Complex Trauma. This means I can work effectively with children and young people carrying some of the heaviest burdens — not just day-to-day anxiety or low mood, but deeply rooted trauma that other approaches often miss.
I also bring something rare: I understand schools from the inside. As a fully qualified teacher who has worked across many different schools, I know how the system works, what it asks of children, and how to work with families and educators rather than around them.
For fellow therapists: With 25 years of supervision experience, I’ve helped many practitioners set up in private practice and attract clients quickly. If you’re looking for a supervisor who truly knows this specialist field — and can help your practice grow — I’d love to hear from you.
📍 Visit alderbarntherapy.co.uk or send me a DM to find out more.

18/03/2026

15/03/2026

Today is a day when most people will be thinking about their mothers, or being a mother. But it isn’t all flowers and chocolates, it can also bring up immense grief. So today we are remembering all women whatever your situation, we are thinking of you. 🩷💜❤️

06/02/2026

Feeling stuck or unsure what to do next?
Considering counselling, but worried it might not really help?

At Alder Barn Therapy, you can access a counsellor with over 30 years’ experience supporting individuals and couples. The practice was founded by a therapist who has developed and led services within schools and charities, and who is trusted by elite athletes, the military, social care, and educational settings to work with complex and challenging issues.

This is therapy grounded in experience, compassion, and real-world understanding.

Support is available now, with additional services coming soon.

👉 Get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat. Info@alderbarntherapy.co.uk

Counselling and creative therapy in Taunton, Somerset. Welcome to Alder Barn Therapy Book an Appointment Talk to the Team To talk to Alder Barn Therapy about booking a counselling session or creative therapy, or to discuss volunteering, please contact the team today. Get in Touch Counselling and The...

14/01/2026

When someone eloquently writes your thoughts down, there is no need to repeat it.
Apart from,

“The horse is not the therapist.”
“The animal is not the treatment.”

At Animal Therapies Ltd, we often hear animal-assisted therapy described as an alternative therapy. It’s time to correct that misconception.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a clinical modality, not an alternative treatment.

When delivered appropriately, AAT is provided by registered health professionals — such as psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, counsellors and other health practitioners — who integrate an animal into their therapeutic practice within their professional scope, regulatory standards, and ethical frameworks.

The animal is not the therapist.
The animal is not the treatment.

The animal is a therapeutic support, intentionally and carefully incorporated by a qualified clinician to support evidence-informed goals such as:
• emotional regulation
• trauma recovery
• engagement and motivation
• functional skill development
• therapeutic rapport and safety

Like other recognised modalities, animal-assisted therapy:
✔ is goal-directed
✔ is professionally accountable
✔ requires clinical reasoning and risk management
✔ must meet both human and animal welfare standards

When we understand animal-assisted therapy as a modality, we protect clients, practitioners, animals — and the integrity of the work itself.

01/01/2026

Welcome to a new year and a new beginning 🩷

01/01/2026

Welcome to a new year and a new beginning 🩷

31/12/2025

As the sun sets on another successful year at Alder Barn Therapy, we thank you for your continued support. 🩷
Wishing everyone a peaceful and fulfilling New Year — we’re excited for what’s ahead as we reach even more people.☺️

25/12/2025

On behalf of Alder Barn Therapy, Bruce, Ivy, Willow, Wren and the human team, wish you a peaceful and contented Christmas. 🎄 🩷

21/11/2025