Yana Valcheva, BACP

Yana Valcheva is a fully qualified counsellor whose practice is shaped primarily by the needs and priorities of the people she works with. She brings a creative sensibility and an emphasis on the body's wisdom into therapy, blending talk with embodied practices so clients can notice feelings, make decisions, and find steadiness in their lives.

Her sessions offer space to talk, share and develop a kinder relationship with the self, helping clients access inner resources and build confidence. She works with both adults and young people, using a range of creative techniques alongside more traditional counselling methods. Her experience includes supporting young clients and adults with anxiety, pregnancy and child loss, infertility, depression, bereavement, self-harm and eating disorders.

Yana trained originally in fine art and theatre and has been on a long journey of self-exploration that led her to work as a holistic therapist and meditation teacher since 2001 in Bulgaria, India, France and the United Kingdom. She has trained in body-based practices such as dance, yoga, active meditation, bioenergetics and massage, and views the felt sense of the body as a practical resource in therapy.

Playful creativity is a central element of her work, offering symbolic and nonverbal ways to express material that can be hard to put into words. She also focuses on women's health and fertility, offering doula support, women circles and abdominal massage and self-massage to help people reconnect with their bodies and feminine power. Her listed qualifications include a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and an MA in Fine Arts, together with training in fertility work, abdominal sacral massage, holistic and Thai yoga massage, doula and birth preparation, bioenergetics, yoga and meditation teaching, and Reiki. She is associated with BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Client-Centered, Creative and Body-Focused Support Online

Yana uses client-centered therapy, which centers the person's own perspective and goals and creates a warm, non-judgmental space for exploration. This approach helps people clarify what matters to them and make choices that feel authentic. She also integrates creative expressive techniques - drawing, movement and symbolic work - to access feelings and meanings that can be hard to name in words. These methods can be useful for processing grief, trauma and life transitions. In addition, Yana draws on somatic or body-focused practices informed by yoga, bioenergetics and gentle movement to help people reconnect with bodily sensations and regulation, which can support recovery from stress, panic and trauma.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Yana collaborates with each person to identify what fits their needs, goals and preferences, and adapts sessions as trust and insight develop. The pathway is shared and responsive rather than fixed.

Online therapy with Yana offers flexible access through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to arrange regular appointments around work, family or geographical constraints and to continue work between sessions. For many people, virtual formats provide a practical and effective way to engage with therapy while maintaining continuity and convenience.