Dr Anna Herrmann

Qualifications:

  • Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy at Metanoia Institute (HCPC accredited)

  • Integrative Psychotherapist (UKCP accredited)

  • Ongoing post-doctoral training in psychoanalytic approaches to therapy - currently in 4x weekly psychoanalysis

  • Identity oriented Psycho-trauma Therapy (IoPT): early developmental/attachment trauma/family systems/intergenerational transmission

  • Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals certificate for addiction counselling

  • Qualified Mindfulness Coach for 8 week mindfulness courses (MBSR)

  • Qualified Sivananda Hatha Yoga Teacher

  • ZEN Meditation

Experience:

  • Over 15 years experience within the NHS and third sector working with common clinical diagnoses

  • 7 years experience in addiction psychotherapy

  • Member of the executive committee of the International Attachment Network (IAN), promoting attachment theory clinically and socio-politically

  • Extensive experience in working with complex trauma, attachment trauma and PTSD

  • 5 years experience in leadership positions in health and social care services including staff training and supervision

  • Originally from Munich, Germany, offering therapy in German and English

I am a Doctor of Counselling Psychology (registered with the HCPC) and an integrative psychotherapist registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). I am currently pursuing further development in psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy and am attending my own personal psychoanalysis 4 times per week. I receive ongoing clinical supervision from a clinical psychologist and also a senior psychoanalyst. I have also trained in Identity oriented Psychotrauma Therapy (IoPT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Sivananda Hatha Yoga and I practice ZEN meditation. I am a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance, an executive committee member of the International Attachment Network (IAN) and a committee member of the Reading Therapies Group (RTG).

I have extensive experience in working both within the NHS and in private practice.

As a psychologist, I work with all common diagnoses in the DSM V such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, ASD), addictions and sexuality related problems. Treatment approaches here often include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) or Schema Therapy.

However, as a psychotherapist, my special professional interest is ‘going deeper’, working longer-term, into greater understanding of the causes of the above conditions, from a bio-psycho-social perspective. This includes understanding (early) attachment patterns and family dynamics, including traumatic and non-traumatic experiences, and how these can shape our psychological development and our relationship patterns into adulthood, often in an unconscious way.

My experience is that this can contribute to many problems presenting for psychotherapy, and that working with it therapeutically can have a transformational effect. This can also be true for parents, who find themselves confronted with old patterns, and want to strive and work repeat to not them with their own children.