Sonia Richards, Dip. Couns., Psych. Psychotherapist

Profile

About Sonia

Sonia has trained in counselling and psychotherapy, and has a Certificate in Counselling Skills, a Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling, and is also a qualified Psychoanalytical Psychotherapist. Sonia works both from home and at Waveney Counselling Services, a Counselling Centre near Lowestoft as Clinical Manager. She also works as a supervisor both at Waveney and at home in her private practice.

She is involved in regular in-service training and is supported by professional supervision.

Sonia has also worked in a voluntary capacity at Heatherwood Hospital in their Psychiatric department, and for the NHS in High Wycombe seeing clients in a clinical setting.

Sonia is also a member of the following Psychotherapy associations -

• The Counselling Directory
• The United Kingdom Council For Psychotherapy

How I work

I believe I work in a very 'human' way and each person is worked with absolutely uniquely. I believe very strongly that one size hat does not fit all, and as we are all individuals, an individual apporach needs to be taken.

I offer a confidential and caring environment in which to explore and work through issues from the past that may be currently affecting you, or preventing you from becoming the person you want to be. In addition I believe people feel heard, supported, encouraged, and understood, and each person is given as much time as is needed.

I have had my own private practice for many years, I work from home where I see people but in addition I also see supervisees  at home, in Lowestoft, and I can also offer supervision and client/patient work at premises in Ipswich.

How can I help?

I offer a space in which thoughts and feelings can be explored in a safe and confidential environment. I am non-judgemental and allow time to think about your situation differently. Being listened to in this way allows you to begin to become more conscious of thoughts and feelings, enabling you in time to make choices about how you wish to change.

• Talking allows deep exploration of the causes of emotional distress.
• This involves a regular commitment, sometimes over a lengthy period of time.

Why counselling or psychotherapy?

Counselling is dealing with the more immediate issues that life throws at us, counselling is supportive and offers a way of resolving something that may be specific to now.

Psychotherapy is more than this, it is about creating a way of understanding that sometimes our self limiting ways of thinking and feeling and our behavioural responses have a detrimental affect upon the way we live our lives. I help you use the insight I will give you to modify self defeating ways
of being that will in turn create a positive change and aid personal development.

The need:

Anxiety, depression, stress, relationship problems, anger issues, bereavement, loss, trauma and difficulties at work are just some of the many concerns that can be looked at together.

I work with couples and individuals for both long and short terms work.

Sessions are for 50 minutes, after an initial assessment which could last up to 1 1/2 hours.

Do call me or email me for any further information or help that you may need.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

Certificate in Counselling skills
Psychodynamic Counsellor
Psycoanalytic Psycotherapist

I have attended many training days and workshops, including

CBT
PTSD
Mantalisation,
Sexual Issues
Dreams
Neurology of Attachment
Sadomasochism
Personality Disorders

Areas of counselling I deal with

• Abortion
• Abuse
• Addiction(s)
• ADHD
• Adoption Issues
• Affairs and Betrayals
• Alcohol Dependence
• Anger Management
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Anxiety
• Asperger's Syndrome
• Avoidant Personality Disorder
• Bereavement
• Binge Eating Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder/Manic Depression
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Bullying
• Cancer
• Career Counselling
• Child Related Issues
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
• Couples Counselling
• Debt Management
• Dementia
• Dependent Personality Disorder
• Depression
• Disabilities
• Domestic Violence
• Drug Abuse
• Eating Disorders
• Emotional Abuse
• Family Issues
• Gambling
• Gender Identity
• Generalised Anxiety
• Histrionic Personality Disorder
• HIV/AIDS
• Infertility
• Internet Addiction
• Learning Difficulties
• Low Self-Confidence
• Low Self-Esteem
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Paranoid Personality Disorder
• Personality Disorders
• Phobias
• Physical Abuse
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Postnatal Depression
• Pre-nuptial Counselling
• Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Psychosexual Therapy
• Relationship Issues
• Schizoid Personality Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Schizotypal Personality Disorder
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Self Harm
• Separation and Divorce
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexual Issues
• Sexuality
• Smoking
• Spirituality
• Stress
• Trauma
• Work Related Issues

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I have worked with many clients showing wide ranging symptoms, and presenting with a range of needs and difficulties. These could include phsysical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Additionally I have worked with alcoholics, and other forms of addicitive type behaviour, together with difficulties in relationships, stress type issues, life changing decisions, job stress, eating disorders., depression and anger management.

Do please call me in order to discuss the next step, or for any futher information you may require.

Therapies Offered

• Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic
  - Psychoanalysis
  - Psychoanalytic Therapy
  - Psychodynamic Therapy

• Other Therapies
  - Integrative

Fees

Flexible, please ask, all fees are open to discussion depending on your individual circumstance.

Further Information

Services

People in all walks of life experience difficulties, which may be helped by sharing with a professionally qualified person.

Examples of need may be

• Needing to relate more closely to others
• Feeling stressed or under pressure at work
• Experiencing conflicting priorities between work and home
• Feeling tense or insecure in their relationship
• Having difficulty in coping with their children
• Bereaved, separated or divorced
• Carrying heavy responsibilities
• Feeling anxious, isolated or depressed

I work with both couples and individuals, and can provide short term supportive work and also offer longer term work, whereby we would seek to delve further into the main issues, depending on your need.

As a qualified psychoanalytic psychotherapist, I can also work analytically and help you to fully explore what may be going on for you.

I have my own web site, and write a blog each week. I have also been on Radio Suffolk, and there is a playable download on my site.

I trained at the Guild of Psychotherapists in London, and I am a full member of UKCP.

• Supervision available (view supervision profile)
• Online, email or telephone counselling available

Member Organisation(s)

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