Elissa Vale

After studying Psychology and Philosophy and completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Elissa Vale went on to teach in primary schools in London. She then worked in business as a conference organiser, office manager and senior account manager for international organisations.

Elissa later retrained as a psychotherapist and counsellor, qualifying and registering in 2001. She co-founded an Emotional Literacy training company, working with teachers and businesses, and began her own private therapy practice. Alongside her private work, which she continues part-time, Elissa worked at Signpost, a young people’s counselling service in Watford, and at Relate, where she trained therapists to work in schools. She later co-founded Echoes Charity with her colleague Maria Robinson.

Elissa works with individuals, couples, families and groups at her practice, Your Safe Harbour, in Rugby. Her work focuses particularly on communication and relationships, and she also specialises in bereavement, autism and other forms of neurodiversity, IVF and supporting people who have experienced abuse. Echoes Charity reflects her ambition to make mental health support available to everyone who needs it, regardless of circumstance.