Est. 1836
About Sanctuary Therapy Centre
A calm, professionally maintained home for therapy and therapeutic practice in Prestwich, Manchester and Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Who we are
Sanctuary Therapy Centre was founded to provide a truly professional, welcoming environment for both therapy clients and the therapists who serve them. We believe the space in which therapy takes place matters — that a calm, well-maintained, thoughtfully designed room makes a real difference to the quality of every session.
We are a small, independent centre — not a corporate chain. Our decisions are made with the wellbeing of our practitioners and clients in mind, and we are committed to maintaining the highest professional standards.
Est. 1836
A building with history
Oakhill Court in Prestwich is a grade-listed Victorian building that has served the local community for nearly two centuries. Today, its calm, well-proportioned rooms provide an ideal environment for therapeutic work — quiet enough to focus, characterful enough to feel human.
The building has been thoughtfully adapted for modern therapeutic practice: sound masking between rooms, a comfortable waiting area, step-free access, and on-site parking — while preserving the original character that makes it special.
Take a tour
Our team
A community of practitioners
Sanctuary is home to a small number of independent therapists — few enough that the building stays quiet and the people in it know one another. Rooms are let to accredited and registered practitioners, which is part of why the atmosphere stays as it is.
If you are a therapist looking for a professional base, see the room hire page or get in touch to talk about what your week looks like.
Gisela Ramirez
CBT & EMDR Therapist — OCD, Anxiety & Trauma Specialist
I help adults who feel stuck in patterns of worry, doubt and fear — whether that's OCD, anxiety, or the after-effects of trauma.
OCD — intrusive thoughts, checking, contamination fears, rumination, and the taboo themes people find hardest to say out loud (sometimes called "Pure O"). OCD thrives on secrecy, and many people wait years before telling anyone. You won't be met with judgement here. I treat OCD with CBT including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — the approach recommended by NICE, with the strongest evidence base.
Anxiety — constant worry and overthinking, panic attacks, health anxiety, and social anxiety. Together we look at what keeps the anxiety going, and build practical, lasting ways out of the loop.
Trauma and PTSD — a single event, or difficult experiences that built up over years. I use EMDR, a NICE-recommended therapy that helps the brain reprocess memories so they lose their grip on the present.
I also work with depression, low self-esteem, phobias and stress. Sessions are online across the UK and worldwide, in English or Spanish, with in-person places in Prestwich and Hebden Bridge.
