Ellena Fries

I’m a UKCP registered Psychotherapist with a body oriented approach. More than 20 years of experience have given me time to acquire a variety of tools and insight into many approaches to meet the needs of each client in an individual way that respects each person’s own wisdom towards healing.

Main specialities are trauma, depression, anxiety, spiritual development, anger management, berievement among many others.

I work online and face to face and the body oriented aspect can be practised surprisingly well via video links – I’m myself receiving support and supervision in this way.

I’m a psychodynamic and body oriented psychotherapist with my a practice in Penzance, Cornwall. Genuine compassion, kindness, mindfulness, contact, depth, kind confrontation and humour are some keys to describe the way I work. The aim is to build a trusting relationship that creates a sense of deep safety and can also withstand a challenge if that might be needed.

Sometimes words are not enough or cannot reach the place that wants to be reached. The way I integrate talking therapy and the body oriented approach depends on each individual client and their specific needs. With some clients I ‘only’ talk, but I will alwyas encourage mindfulness of breath and body.

Body oriented psychotherapy has proven most helpful for trauma, anxiety and panic disorders and depression. If you are feeling sad, experiencing relationship issues or just having a hard time feeling overwhelmed with life, your children or an illness, there will be a way forward.

Is it for you?

If you have been in therapy and found that just talking didn’t get you to the place you needed to go …
If you have ever craved for a therapy that gives you the space and the guidance to go deep and express, what feels unexpressable…
If you have noticed that when you feel depressed or anxious your body also seems to be suffering like IBS, being tense or aching

…then a body oriented approach might just be what you have been looking for. Our body is a miracle. It houses our personality, our spirit and our soul. Whatever we do or whatever happens to one of these aspects is intrinsically linked with the others.

What happens during treatment?

Talking is still a main tool in my therapy practice. But alongside the mind with its capacity to articulate and analyse, I will invite the whole of your Being to be present. We will work with body awareness, learning how to sense what your body feels like and to notice its messages. In order to do that I might invite you to close your eyes, deepen your breath or if appropriate to lie down. We might do specific exercises to support your grounding or the way you set boundaries. It is absolutely possible to do this via video link.

The only think we cannot do via video link is this: Sometimes I use touch (only in agreement with the client)  and I might use a particular massage: Biodynamic Massage, also called Gerda Boyesen Method. It is a  very therapeutic massage, that has been especially developed to work with the mind/body connection.

Essence – Simply Being – or: who are we really?

When we embark in deep psychotherapy, sometimes we find ourselves on the path of spiritual growth and a search for our true self. Metaphysical questions might open up and the journey becomes its own purpose. Spiritual development and coaching can be part of a treatment agreement. Mindfulness techniques and Meditation are both very nourishing for the soul and the nervous system and can take us beyond the realm of the thinking mind into Simply Being.

About myself

Born in 1960 I grew up in Germany near the French border. In 2002 I came to Cornwall. I work in private practice in Penzance and for Occupational Health, RCHT Truro. I have over 20years experience and still love it.
I’m passionate about spiritual development. I’m a Buddhist and a student of the Ridhwan school. I’m a  trained Yoga teacher and I have a degree in Social Anthropology, I care for the planet and I support  multiculturalism. I love humour, nature and the arts. Walking, painting and dancing are favorites. All the ‘hard facts’ like membership bodies and training you will find further down in my profile.

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate that you are taking the time.