EMMA DAVEY, MSc
Work With Me
If you’ve experienced coercive control, domestic abuse, narcissistic abuse or other forms of psychological and emotional abuse, you may have spent a long time questioning yourself, trying to make sense of what happened, or wondering why it has affected you so deeply.
You don’t have to explain it perfectly to me.
I’m Emma Davey MBACP, founder of My Trauma Therapy. I’m a trauma-informed counsellor specialising in coercive control, trauma and abuse recovery, and I also bring lived experience to the work I do.
Over the years, I have worked with thousands of people affected by trauma and abuse, supporting them through their recovery as well as through the emotional impact of navigating family and criminal court proceedings. This has given me a deep understanding of how abuse can continue to affect someone long after the immediate situation has ended.
I understand abuse from both sides of the therapy room.
My approach is warm, compassionate and client-led. I won’t tell you what you should do, rush you into talking about experiences you’re not ready to explore, or judge you for the decisions you’ve made.
Whether the person causing you harm is a partner, ex-partner, parent, family member, friend, colleague, boss or someone else in a position of authority, you are welcome here.
You may still be experiencing the abuse, trying to distance yourself from the person, navigating the aftermath or processing something that happened many years ago. Wherever you are in that journey, we start with you.
You don’t need to have the right words. You just need somewhere safe to begin.
What to Expect
Therapy is led by you. We start wherever you are, at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.
When you work with me, you can expect:
- A free 15-minute introductory call to see if we’re a good fit
• Private 1:1 online counselling
• A trauma-informed, non-judgemental space
• Specialist support for coercive control, abuse and trauma bonds
• An integrative approach, tailored to you and your individual needs
• Working with your nervous system, helping you build a greater sense of safety and regulation as we process trauma
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you come to therapy.
You will be heard, believed and supported.
Who I Work With
Abuse and coercive control doesn’t only happen within romantic relationships.
I work with anyone who has experienced — or is beginning to question whether they are experiencing — coercive control, domestic abuse, narcissistic abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, manipulation or other forms of abusive behaviour.
The person causing you harm could be:
- A current or former partner or spouse
- A parent, sibling or other family member
- A friend
- A boss or colleague
- Someone in a position of authority
- A carer or someone you depend upon
- Someone else in your life who uses control, intimidation, manipulation or fear against you
Abuse isn’t defined by the title of the relationship.
You don’t need to be in a romantic relationship for your experience to matter, and you don’t need to have a particular label for what is happening before you reach out.
You may be:
- Still in contact with the person causing you harm
- Trying to understand whether what you’re experiencing is abuse
- Feeling controlled, manipulated, intimidated or constantly made to doubt yourself
- Trying to create boundaries or distance yourself from someone
- Struggling with guilt when you put your own needs first
- Dealing with the effects of abuse after the person is no longer in your life
- Trying to understand or break a trauma bond
- Rebuilding your confidence, identity and ability to trust yourself
- Processing experiences from childhood, your family, a friendship, workplace or previous relationship
Sometimes the hardest part is recognising that what you’re experiencing is abuse, particularly when the person hurting you is someone you love, trust, depend upon, work for or have known for most of your life.
You don’t have to prove that what happened was “bad enough.”
You don’t have to know exactly what to call it.
And you don’t have to wait until the relationship or situation has ended before asking for support.
If someone’s behaviour is causing you to lose your sense of safety, autonomy or sense of who you are, we can start by talking about what you’re experiencing.
My Approach
My approach combines professional training, specialist knowledge and lived experience of coercive control.
I understand that abuse is complex. Whether it involves a partner, family member, friend or someone in a position of authority, simply being told to “leave” or “cut contact” is rarely the answer.
I use an integrative, trauma-informed approach, working with both the mind and nervous system to help you process trauma safely, understand unhealthy patterns and trauma bonds, and reconnect with yourself.
Therapy is tailored to you — not the other way around.
Therapies I Use
You do not need to know which therapy you need before booking a session with me.
That is something we can explore together.
Depending on your individual needs, I may draw on one approach or integrate elements of several.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a trauma-focused approach that can help us work with experiences that may be difficult to process through talking alone.
For some people, they understand logically what happened but still feel as though their body and emotions are responding to the past. Brainspotting gives us another way to work with those experiences without requiring you to repeatedly retell every detail of what happened.
Narrative Therapy
When someone has repeatedly controlled, criticised, manipulated or undermined you, their version of events can gradually become louder than your own.
Narrative Therapy can help you explore the stories and beliefs you have developed about yourself and begin separating who you are from what happened to you.
It can be particularly powerful when rebuilding your identity and reconnecting with your own voice after abuse.
ICF Trauma-Informed Somatic Therapy
Trauma doesn’t only affect our thoughts. It can also affect how we experience and respond to the world through our bodies.
Trauma-informed somatic therapy brings awareness to these physical and emotional responses and allows us to work gently with what your body may still be holding or responding to.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Therapy focuses on your experiences in the present moment and can help you develop greater awareness of your emotions, thoughts, behaviours, relationships and physical responses.
Rather than focusing only on what happened in the past, we can explore how those experiences may still be affecting you today.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT can help you develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions rather than feeling that you have to fight, avoid or eliminate them.
Together, we can explore what genuinely matters to you, reconnect with your values and begin making choices that move you towards the life you want to create.
Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Trauma-informed CBT can help us explore the connection between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours while recognising the impact that trauma and abuse may have had on them.
After prolonged manipulation or coercive control, you may find yourself questioning your judgement, blaming yourself or carrying beliefs about yourself that developed because of how you were treated.
Together, we can begin identifying and challenging those patterns while still recognising and validating the experiences that created them.
Solution-Focused Therapy
Not every therapy session needs to focus on the past.
Solution-Focused Therapy allows us to look at where you are now, where you would like to be and what could help you move towards that.
This can include recognising your strengths, rebuilding confidence, developing boundaries and identifying practical changes that support your recovery.
Session Options & Pricing
1:1 Counselling with Emma
1 hour — £120
I also offer extended 1.5-hour and 2-hour sessions for clients who would benefit from having more time.
Sessions are held privately online.
Before booking ongoing therapy, you can arrange a free 15-minute introductory call to briefly discuss what you’re looking for and whether working together feels right for you.
Book a Session with Emma
Or book your free 15-minute introductory call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is therapy confidential?
Yes. What you share with me during therapy is treated confidentially and I practise in accordance with BACP ethical standards.
There are limited circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken, particularly where there is a serious safeguarding concern or another legal or professional obligation. Where appropriate and possible, I would discuss this with you.
What if I’m not ready to talk about everything?
You don’t have to.
You will never be expected to tell your entire story in your first session — or before you are ready.
Trauma therapy shouldn’t be about forcing disclosure. We work at a pace that feels manageable for you, and you remain in control of what you choose to explore.
Does the abuse have to be from a partner or ex-partner?
No.
Abuse and coercive control doesn’t only happen within romantic relationships.
The person causing you harm may be a partner or ex-partner, but they could also be a parent, sibling, family member, friend, colleague, boss, carer or someone else in a position of authority or trust.
You don’t need to know exactly what label applies before asking for support.
What if I’m still in contact with the person causing me harm?
You can still come to therapy.
You don’t have to have left a relationship, cut contact with a family member, ended a friendship, left your job or removed the person from your life before asking for support.
Sometimes those things aren’t possible, and sometimes you simply aren’t ready.
We can start from where you are now.
Will you tell me to leave or cut contact?
No.
My role isn’t to make your decisions for you.
Abusive and controlling relationships can gradually take away a person’s autonomy. I don’t believe therapy should repeat that dynamic by having someone else tell you what you must do.
My role is to help you understand what you’re experiencing, recognise patterns, explore your options and support you in making decisions that belong to you.
What if I went back to my abuser?
You won’t be judged.
Leaving an abusive or coercively controlling relationship can be extraordinarily complicated, particularly when a trauma bond has developed.
Returning doesn’t mean you have failed, and it doesn’t mean you can’t come back to therapy.
We start from where you are now.
What if the person abusing me is a family member?
You are welcome here.
Abuse within families can be particularly difficult to recognise because family relationships can come with powerful expectations around loyalty, obligation, love and forgiveness.
You can love someone and still be harmed by their behaviour.
Therapy gives you a space to explore that relationship without pressure or judgement.
What if the abuse is happening at work?
You can still seek therapeutic support.
Abusive, intimidating, manipulative or controlling behaviour can occur within professional relationships too, including with a boss, colleague or someone in a position of authority.
Therapy gives you somewhere independent to explore what you are experiencing and the emotional and psychological impact it is having on you.
Do you only work with recent abuse?
No.
Some clients come to me while they are still experiencing abuse. Others come months, years or even decades after the situation has ended.
Sometimes it is only with distance that you begin to understand what actually happened.
There is no expiry date on asking for help.
Do I need to know which therapy I want?
No.
You don’t need to choose between Brainspotting, Somatic Therapy, CBT or any of the other approaches I use.
We will talk about what you are experiencing and what you want from therapy, and I will tailor our work to you.
Are sessions online?
Yes. My 1:1 sessions are delivered privately online, allowing clients to access specialist support without having to travel to a therapy room.
How long is a session?
A standard 1:1 counselling session is 60 minutes.
I also offer 1.5-hour and 2-hour extended sessions where appropriate.
Do you offer a consultation before I book?
Yes. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call so we can briefly discuss what has brought you to therapy, what you’re looking for and whether I’m the right person to support you.
There is no obligation to continue into therapy afterwards.
What is your cancellation policy?
I understand that life happens and there may be times when you need to cancel or rearrange your session. However, I do need to consistently apply my cancellation policy to ensure that my practice runs smoothly and efficiently, and that appointment times can be offered fairly to all clients.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, the following cancellation fees apply:
- More than 48 hours’ notice: No cancellation fee.
- Less than 48 hours’ notice: 50% of the session fee is payable.
- Less than 24 hours’ notice or non-attendance: The full session fee is payable.
Where possible, please give me as much notice as you can if you’re unable to attend. This gives me the opportunity to offer the appointment to another client who may be waiting for support.
I appreciate that unexpected circumstances can arise, and I will always approach these conversations with understanding. However, to be fair and consistent to everyone, the cancellation policy applies to all appointments and clients.
By booking a session with me, you are agreeing to this cancellation policy.