I'm Fran Kerr, an accredited counsellor and therapist, clinical supervisor and EMDR practitioner, with over 25 years' experience working with people and families and over 17 years' experience as a therapist.

​

My particular areas of experience are trauma and attachment, and much of my work involves helping people understand why they feel, react and relate in the ways they do.

​

I'm integratively trained, which essentially means I don't believe one type of therapy fits everybody. People are far too individual for that.

 

How i work

​

For me, therapy begins with understanding the person in front of me rather than trying to fit them into a diagnosis, label or particular therapeutic model.

​

I'm interested in what has happened to you, the relationships and experiences that have shaped you, the ways you've learned to cope and what your mind and body may still be trying to protect you from.

​

Sometimes the things we now struggle with began as perfectly understandable ways of surviving something difficult. My role isn't to tell you how to live your life. It's to help you understand yourself more clearly, make sense of patterns that may have been confusing and support you in finding ways forward that feel right for you.

​

I can be warm and supportive, but I will also gently challenge you when I think it may be helpful. Therapy should feel safe, but that doesn't mean we never look at the difficult stuff.

 

Experience

​

Before developing my current private practice, I spent many years working with children, adults and families, including extensive work with trauma, attachment and adoption.

​

That experience continues to shape the way I work today, particularly my understanding of how our earliest relationships and experiences can influence emotional regulation, relationships and the ways we respond to the world around us.

​

Alongside counselling and therapy, I am a clinical supervisor and EMDR practitioner and also offer hypnotherapy, therapeutic assessments and a number of complementary approaches where appropriate. I continue to develop my practice through ongoing professional development, supervision and learning.

 

And then there's Eddie…

​

If you come to see me face-to-face, you may also meet Eddie, my therapy dog and considerably less qualified colleague.

Eddie has been part of my practice for many years and, for clients who enjoy having him around, he can bring warmth, calm and sometimes a much-needed bit of humour to the therapy room.

​

He has an uncanny ability to notice when somebody might need a little extra company, although he also believes that retrieving his ball is an essential part of most therapeutic interventions. Eddie's involvement is always your choice. If dogs aren't your thing, that's absolutely fine — he is quite capable of taking the day off.

 

Working with me

​

I work face-to-face with children, young people and adults from my private therapy rooms in Stockton-on-Tees. I also offer online therapy for adults and young people where appropriate.

Finding the right therapist matters. Qualifications and experience are important, but so is feeling that the person sitting opposite you is somebody you can actually talk to.

If you're considering therapy and would like to find out whether I may be the right therapist for you, please get in touch.