Erjola Vija, Integrative Psychotherapist
About Me
Hello, I’m Erjola Vija, a qualified Integrative Psychotherapist and registered member of the BACP. With a background in Psychological Sciences, I have a deep understanding of trauma and a compassionate approach to counselling.
Utilising an integrative model that incorporates Compassionate Inquiry (CI), Polyvagal Theory, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Somatic approaches, I help facilitate healing and growth, supporting individuals on their journey towards emotional well-being.
I have extensive experience in working with diverse populations and adapting therapeutic interventions to meet their unique needs. I am passionate about promoting resilience, self-discovery, and transformation through the therapeutic process.
During times of hardship and trauma, I am committed to providing support, both remotely and face-to-face, for individuals and families. As a mother, I also wanted to work with families, parents and children. I gained experience working as a counsellor in a primary school and with the NHS. I can also offer sessions in Italian because in my twenties I lived and studied in Rome for a decade.
My Journey
My journey into counselling and psychotherapy began after a career change in finance. I gained a Master’s degree in Psychological Sciences in 2023 and completed a Level 4 Degree in the Person-Centred Approach in 2024. My passion in this field led me to undertake Gabor Mate's year-long course in Compassionate Inquiry. During this time, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and being a neurodivergent therapist, I am now able to support other neurodiverse clients.
I've gained considerable insight through additional qualifications into the latest advances and techniques, resolving deeply held trauma and harnessing the power of the body's natural healing process to treat trauma and relational wounds using step-by-step compassionate strategies and somatic techniques to heal deeply affected clients. I draw upon various therapeutic approaches to help transform psychological wounds for adult clients who were traumatised as children. To treat acute complex traumas, I employ effective neuroscience-based tools to transform childhood behaviours as well as creativity and playful pathways.
By integrating modalities with brain-based strategies, you can calm the anxious mind and body into creating new neural pathways for regulation. Exploring the brain-body connections brings about a transformative shift – changing how clients experience themselves and the world around them.
Professional Qualifications
•Master of Sciences in Psychological Sciences
•Level 4 Professional Qualification in Counselling and Psychotherapy – Humanistic Sciences (BACP Accredited)
•Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
•Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
•Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health
Certifications & Specialized Training
Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT)
•Certified BWRT Practitioner
Trauma and Somatic Therapy
•Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Maté (330-hour professional training)
•Complex Trauma Certification Training Level 1 & 2 with Janina Fisher
•Trauma Treatment Certification Workshop: Advanced Somatic Techniques (Janina Fisher)
•Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in Action: Treating Trauma and Relational Wounds
•Integrating Polyvagal Theory in Clinical Practice (Stephen Porges & Deb Dana)
•Treating Trauma with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
•Complete IFS Therapy Immersion: Integrating the IFS Model
•Using IFS to Heal Trauma and Addictive Processes
•Treating Complex Trauma with IFS (Frank Anderson)
•IFS Therapy and Polyvagal Theory: Enhanced Healing
Trauma-Focused & Informed Training
•EMDR Start to Finish: Foundational Training for PTSD and Complex Trauma (Informed Use)
•EMDR & Parts Work for Treating Complex Trauma (Informed Use)
•Revolutionizing Trauma Treatment with Babette Rothschild
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
•Creative & Playful Pathways to Treat Acute Complex Attachment Trauma
•ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) Certification
•Beyond Behaviours: Neuroscience-Based Tools for Childhood Trauma
Other Specialized Training
•Applying Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice
•Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for Attachment Trauma
•Calming the Anxious Mind & Body: Integrative CBT Techniques
•Ethical Trauma Treatment Certification