Both Sides of the Couch

When Anna Wickins began counselling with her therapist, Paddy Magrane, she could barely speak in their sessions, silenced by traumatic memories from two decades before. But as trust built, Anna felt able to open up and she started to talk about the terrifying ordeal she experienced at university. As Anna examined her past, a transformation was occurring across the room. Listening to her tale awakened painful memories in Paddy about the horrors that occurred at his boarding school. After two years of healing work, Anna and Paddy embarked on an unusual therapeutic exercise: a visit to the site of her trauma, where Anna physically confronted the scenes of her nightmares. With Paddy's reassurance and support, she was finally able to leave her demons behind. Once robbed of a voice, Anna now helps others to find theirs, in the same way that Paddy helped her. Told in alternating perspectives, Both Sides of the Couch is a searingly honest account of how counselling shapes both client and therapist. A unique window into therapy, it shows, for the first time, the journey through the eyes of both participants. Both Sides of the Couch is a moving and inspirational story of finding light in the darkest of times.

Anna Wickins worked as a consultant engineer for a number of years before taking a career break to raise three children. During this time, she discovered a passion for reading, writing and photography and wanted to find a more fulfilling path. She retrained as a counsellor and now works in private practice in Devon, where she lives with her husband, their children and an energetic border collie.