About Your Counsellor
Celia Walters De Lima
Bristol based counsellor for individuals and couples
I am a professionally accredited counsellor offering face-to-face counselling for individuals and couples in Easton, Bristol.
My work is rooted in curiosity, warmth and careful attention. I am interested in what sits beneath the surface - the patterns, histories and relationship dynamics that quietly shape how you feel, how you respond, and how you connect with other people.
Many of the people I work with are used to holding things together. They may appear capable on the outside, while privately feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, grieving, stuck in old patterns, or unsure how to move through a difficult transition.
My role is not to tell you who to be or what to do. It is to help you understand yourself, your relationships and your choices with more clarity.
Experience that goes beyond the therapy room
I qualified as a counsellor during the pandemic, a time that brought emotional strain, uncertainty and loss into sharp focus for many people.
Since then, I have built up nearly 5,000 hours of direct client work across private practice and wider support settings, including addictions, community work, learning disabilities, social services and safeguarding.
That experience matters. It has shaped the way I listen, the questions I ask, and the steadiness I bring to the work. I am used to sitting with complexity. I do not panic when things feel messy, contradictory or difficult to put into words.
Clients often tell me they value that I am warm, clear and quick to understand what they are trying to say - even when they are still trying to make sense of it themselves.
How I work
My approach is relational, thoughtful and gently challenging.
That means I pay close attention not only to what you are saying, but to the patterns that may be running underneath it. The repeated arguments. The familiar anxieties. The ways you protect yourself. The moments where what you feel and what you show the world may not quite match.
I am not a passive therapist who simply nods along. I will listen carefully, but I will also reflect things back. I may ask questions that invite you to pause, notice something differently, or consider a pattern that has been quietly shaping your life or relationships for some time.
The work is collaborative. You remain in charge of your own choices. I bring professional experience, emotional honesty and a trained eye for the dynamics that can keep people stuck.
Working with a female counsellor
For some people, working with a female counsellor feels important. You may feel more comfortable speaking with a woman because of your personal history, cultural background, relationship experiences, or the nature of what you want to bring to counselling.
That preference is valid. You do not need to explain or justify it.
My role is to meet you with care, clarity and respect - whether you are coming to counselling as an individual, or attending couples counselling with your partner.
Did you know?
Vita Nova means "New Life".
For me, this is not about becoming someone else. It is about finding a different way to live with what has happened, understand what is happening now, and begin to relate to yourself and others with more clarity.
Counselling does not erase the past, but it can help you move into the next chapter with greater honesty, steadiness and self-understanding.
Counselling for individuals
People often come to individual counselling when life has become difficult to carry alone.
You may be experiencing anxiety, grief, trauma, work-related stress, relationship difficulties, menopause or perimenopause, ADHD or ASD, chronic pain, miscarriage or baby loss, depression, OCD, procrastination, or a major life change such as divorce, redundancy, retirement or relocation.
Sometimes there is a clear reason for coming. Sometimes there is simply a sense that something is not right; that you are functioning, but not really feeling settled, connected or yourself.
Individual counselling gives us time to understand what is happening more fully, rather than rushing to cover it over.
Couples counselling and relationship work
I work with couples who feel disconnected, caught in repeated arguments, struggling after infidelity, considering separation, or finding it difficult to communicate without defensiveness, silence or escalation.
In couples counselling, I am not there to take sides. I am interested in the cycle between you - what happens, how it starts, what each of you is protecting, and what remains unsaid underneath the conflict.
Many couples arrive believing the problem is the argument itself. Often, the argument is only the visible part. Beneath it may be loneliness, fear, resentment, grief, disappointment, or a longing to feel understood again.
My role is to help you slow the pattern down enough to see it clearly, so you can begin to relate to each other differently.
Face-to-face counselling in Bristol
Sessions take place in person at The Old Co-op, 38 Chelsea Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6AF. What3Words - ///elbow.saying.sport
The practice is within reach of Easton, St George, Greenbank, Bedminster, Ashley Down, Southmead, Temple Meads, Brislington, Knowle, Eastville, Cotham, Kingsdown, Montpelier, St Pauls, St Werburgh’s, Southville and surrounding areas of Bristol. There is free parking on Chelsea Road and nearby roads, 24 hours a day.
I work Monday to Thursday, with longer days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Individual sessions last 50 minutes. Couples sessions last one hour.
I do not offer online sessions. In some circumstances, telephone sessions may be available for individual clients only.
Fees are structured to reflect whether you are attending individually or as a couple.
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Individual counselling sessions are £55–£60.
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Couples counselling sessions are £75–£85, with fees discussed according to circumstances.
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A discounted individual rate of £45 is available for key workers, including NHS staff, social workers, care workers, teachers, police and support staff, civil servants and local authority employees.
Taking the first step
You do not need to arrive with everything neatly explained. Most people don't.
You may only have a sense that something feels too heavy, too confusing, or too difficult to keep carrying alone.
You might know exactly what has brought you to counselling, or you may simply know that something needs to change.
A short message with a little context is enough. You do not need to find the perfect words or tell the whole story straight away. From there, we can look together at whether individual counselling or couples counselling feels like the right next step.
Take the first step by contacting Celia here.