About Ariana Pedzikowska | BACP Accredited Psychotherapist
People-Pleasing and Childhood Trauma Specialist
Trauma-Informed Therapist Specialising in People-Pleasing and Childhood Trauma
Hi, I’m Ariana Pedzikowska, a BACP accredited counsellor and psychotherapist, childhood trauma specialist and people-pleasing therapist with over 10 years experience in private practice and the third sector. The last five of those years I have focused specifically on trauma and people-pleasing, and in that time I’ve sat with hundreds of people who’d called themselves a “people-pleaser” long before anyone had named it as trauma.
My work sits at the intersection of trauma-informed, attachment and integrative therapy. I specialise in people-pleasing, boundary setting, childhood trauma, intergenerational trauma, burnout, anxiety, self-esteem and relationship difficulties. I bring both professional and personal understanding to this work, alongside authentic human realness and clinical experience.
Am I the Right Therapist for You?
You might be here wondering if I’m the right therapist for you. I know how difficult it can feel to carry patterns of people-pleasing and trauma, and how it can affect your relationships and leave you feeling anxious, second-guessing yourself, or pretending to be okay when you’re not.
And I also know the relief of finding a therapeutic space where you’re met with warmth, where your emotions matter, where you feel safe, and where you don’t have to hide, perform, or explain yourself. That’s exactly why offering this kind of support matters so much to me.
My Psychotherapy Experience
I’ve supported hundreds of clients through some of the most difficult moments of their lives, moments shaped by patterns of people-pleasing and trauma that many hadn’t yet learned to name. That experience has given me something that goes beyond clinical training: a genuine, deep understanding of how these patterns shape identity, relationships, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we deserve.
I’ve seen how trauma lands differently in each person’s life, in the way we learn to manage others’ emotions, to make ourselves smaller, and to question our own reality.
My Psychotherapy Training and Clinical Background
I hold a BA (Hons) in Integrative Counselling and a Foundation Degree in Counselling, and I’m a registered and accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). BACP Accreditation is a recognised mark of professional quality, reflecting a high standard of counselling and psychotherapy training, years of experience, personal therapy, ongoing clinical supervision and ethical practice.
Alongside my private practice, I’ve worked within organisations including Mind, Rape Crisis, and in council settings,
How I Work
Trauma-Informed Therapy
This means the pace and shape of our work is led by what feels safe for you, not by a fixed plan. You’re never pushed to go somewhere before you’re ready, and what happened to you is understood as the context for your patterns, not a character flaw.
Inner Child Therapy
What this often means in a session is making sense of patterns that don’t feel like “you,” but like something much younger reacting, the part that learned to please, appease, or stay quiet to stay safe. We look together at what that younger part of you needed and didn’t get, so the trauma and people-pleasing patterns you carry now start to make sense, rather than feeling like something to be ashamed of.
Polyvagal Theory (Nervous System Understanding)
In practice, this looks like helping you notice what’s happening in your body, not just your thoughts, when you feel anxious, shut down, or on edge, often the very moments when people-pleasing or old trauma responses take over. Understanding your nervous system’s responses can make these reactions start to make sense as protective, not broken.
Person-Centred Therapy
This means you’re met where you are without judgement, at your own pace, in your own words. I won’t tell you what your experience should mean or hand you a fixed set of steps, Instead, I offer reflection, structure and safety.
Trauma-Informed Somatic Practice
Trauma often lives in the body as much as the mind, so alongside talking, we pay attention to what you’re feeling physically in the room, tension, restlessness, a sense of freeze, as another way of understanding and working through what’s stored there.
Attachment Understanding
Many of the patterns that bring people to therapy, people-pleasing, difficulty trusting, fear of conflict, took shape in early relationships. Looking at your attachment history helps explain why certain relationship dynamics feel so familiar and so hard to shift, and what a different kind of relationship, including our therapeutic one, can offer instead.
I believe every person has the capacity to build the relationships they deserve. My role is to work collaboratively alongside you, not to fix you, but to help you reconnect with the part of yourself that feels safe enough to start to prioritise your needs.
A Little More About Me
Outside of the therapy room, you’ll usually find me cooking (definitely not baking), spending time with family and friends, or with my furry companion. I’m also that person who stops to make friends with every passing dog I come across (literally every single one!).
Running, travelling, and being outdoors keep me grounded and resourced in my own life, things that help me show up fully for the adults I support.
PROFESSIONAL VERIFICATIONS
You don't have to keep managing this alone. Book your initial session today!
CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Humanities and Social Science
- Self – Harm
- Mindfulness
- Working with Anxiety
- Working with Depression
- Working with Relational Trauma: Dealing with Disorganised & Attachment
- A Pluralistic Approach to Therapy
- Polyvagal Theory
- Relational Depth in Counselling & Psychotherapy
- Trauma, the Brain & Recovery: Using the T.R.A.U.M.A. Recovery Model
- Therapeutic Safety with Traumatised Clients
- Intergenerational Shame – A Relational Approach
As an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I follow their ethical guidelines and attend regular clinical supervision. I also hold professional insurance and an enhanced DBS certificate for working with adults.