Silva Counselling with Suzanna De Silva

Silva Counselling is the private practice of Suzanna De Silva, a BACP-registered integrative counsellor who works with autistic, ADHD and AuDHD adults in Godalming and Haslemere, Surrey, and online. It is for adults over 18 who are dealing with anxiety, burnout, masking, shutdowns, perfectionism or a long-held sense of not measuring up — often the result of years spent in settings not built for the way they process the world. A diagnosis is not needed: Suzanna works with people who are late-diagnosed, newly diagnosed, waiting for assessment or still questioning.

Suzanna has ADHD and describes a family that is a mix of autistic, ADHD and AuDHD people, so clients do not have to explain the basics before getting to the work. Suzanna's core training is person-centred and existential, through a Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Skills at Guildford College, with other tools drawn in as each client needs and the approach kept sensory-aware and trauma-informed. There is additional training in autism, ADHD, trauma and anxiety, and accredited training in online counselling and walk-and-talk therapy. Before setting up the practice in 2021, Suzanna counselled NHS clients in Croydon with Care To Listen and worked at Oakleaf Counselling in Guildford, after an earlier 15-year career in IT management. The practice is LGBTQ+ affirming, with family experience of gender and sexuality difference.

Sessions last 50 minutes, usually weekly, and are available online or in person. As well as the counselling room, Suzanna offers walk-and-talk sessions outdoors, which can suit people who find sitting face to face in a room hard going. A free 20-minute introductory consultation by phone or video comes first, giving a chance to judge the fit before booking. Payment is by bank transfer 24 hours before each appointment.