Deborah Wearn

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Counsellor and Psychotherapist, Couples and Individuals
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN38
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

First Step

You don't have to struggle by yourself and deal with life alone. Don't dismiss your feelings and needs as unimportant.

Speaking to an experienced counsellor and psychotherapist may help you make changes. You can get in touch with me to talk through what is happening. It could be just for yourself or with your partner.

I often suggest we book one initial session to experience what it would be like to work with me and then decide if you would like to continue with regular appointments.

You can come for as long as you need, or you may want to have a set number of sessions and I suggest 12 sessions to give you a good chance to explore your feelings.

All sessions are 50 minutes long and it’s important to come weekly to get the best from your counselling.

I see clients in person in my consulting room in St Leonards. I also see people online by Zoom or VSee, and by telephone.

How You’re Feeling

- It’s been an anxious time lately and you may be feeling overwhelmed or feeling sad. Stress and anxiety show themselves in many ways, from panic attacks to drinking too much, and feelings of depression can lead to low self-confidence and low self-esteem.

- many people experience emotional distress in their lives, maybe because of a difficult childhood, past or recent traumas, or current problems affecting daily life.

- you may feel that you are in crisis or that life has lost meaning for you.

- you may be faced with important decisions, know that you want to make changes but are not quite sure how to go about this.

- sometimes it’s your relationships, perhaps family issues, friends or work colleagues, which are causing unhappiness.

- talking to an experienced therapist such as myself, however, can help you get to the root of what is stopping your life moving forward and feeling happier, and also give you extra support in making changes.

How I Work

  my approach integrates looking at your past, present and future, changing unhealthy patterns in your life so that you can feel more ‘whole’ and more completely yourself.

- it is important to feel accepted and understood for whom you really are and to this aim I provide a supportive environment for self-discovery.

-  it means that you will be helped to see how the past is impacting on your present, affecting the way you think and behave now.

- you will be supported to make changes in the present, explore what your life’s meaning might be and how to grow and develop in the future.

Please get in touch if you would like to find our more about how I work.

Suffering Anxiety?

- we work together to help regulate your nervous system, using techniques to help you soothe and calm yourself, to help prevent panic attacks and feeling overwhelmed.

- this includes building up your own inner voice to help comfort and calm you when you start to feel anxious.

- you learn how to stay more in the present moment and not race ahead with anxious thoughts about what can go wrong in the future.

- all of this can help you feel more in control of your life and give you healthier coping mechanisms rather than the old  unhealthy ones.

If you would like to discuss your feelings of anxiety further, please get in touch.

Couples Counselling

- your relationship might currently be under strain, and you may feel you are growing apart or failing to communicate.

- relationships often falter after a major life event such as the birth of a baby or the death of a parent.

- you may be feeling insecure and anxious in your relationship because your needs aren’t currently being met. Counselling, either on your own or with your partner, can help you understand yourself and your partner better so help you feel more secure in your relationship and so happier.

- in couples counselling we do exercises in the session to see what happens with your communication and how it can be adjusted and improved.

- we look at how you both react under stress e.g some people withdraw so might appear cold or uncaring, some people reach out but can be experienced as suffocating or hysterical. This helps with how to negotiate your relationship better in stressful times..

- we find out what you are both bringing into your relationship from your past, what unmet needs you are trying to get fulfilled by each other, to see how realistic that might be and how it might change.

- couples counselling can be the first time you hear certain feelings from your partner and this helps you get to know each other better and at a more profound level so that you can feel closer and happier together.

I am happy to discuss what you might need as a couple if you want to contact me before making a booking.

Work Related Stress

- work may have been difficult recently, managing changes, relationships at work, or working remotely.

- you may be someone who gets your sense of validation from your performance at work, but are finding this isn’t happening how you need it to.

- boundaries can be important at work, especially if you are someone who finds it hard to say no and want to please.

- we work together to see what your expectations might be of the work place, and how to put down better boundaries.

- we look at how you behave in groups, especially in your family group, as the workplace can be like a family, with managers like parents and colleagues like siblings, so it can be very helpful to find out how you behave in a group.

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your workplace issues further.

Issues Counselling Helps With

These are just some of the reasons you may want to get in touch:

-         Anxiety

-         Depression

-         Family Issues

-         Feeling sad

-         Low self-confidence

-         Low self-esteem

-         Panic attacks

-         Phobias

-         Stress

-         Couples counselling

-         Work related stress

I hope you feel reassured to contact me to discuss what you are looking for from counselling.

Training, qualifications & experience

Training and Qualifications

  •    Certificate in Fundamentals of Counselling and Psychotherapy, CCPE, 2000
  •    Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, CCPE, 2005
  •    Diploma in Couple Counselling and Psycotherapy, CCPE,  2017
  •    Diploma in Attachment-based Therapy, The Wimbledon Guild, 2017

Short courses and workshops include:

  • shame
  • trauma
  • addiction
  • PTSD
  • obsessional thoughts
  • disordered eating
  • attachment styles
  • siblings
  • boarding school syndrome

Work Experience

  • Honorary Counsellor at MIND in North London
  • Ceridian/Lifeworks (an Employee Assistance Programme) as a helpline counsellor, and a case manager
  • Affiliate Counsellor for several Employee Assistance Programmes
  • Private practice in London for 20 years, based in Maida Vale and Central London
  • Private practice currently only in Hastings and St Leonards on Sea, seeing individuals and couples

    My background is as a mental health support worker and the training and experience I received in this work now supports and complements my work as a private therapist.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

UKCP
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.

As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.

UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Accredited register membership

UK Council for Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

UK Council for Psychotherapy

Other areas of counselling I deal with

  • I have a particular interest in work related stress and issues, having worked for a workplace counselling service

Fees

£50.00 per session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • OAPs
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed
  • Refugees

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Axa Health

Additional information

Individual psychotherapy and counselling in Hastings and St Leonards on Sea and the surrounding area is £50 per session, both online and in person.

Couples counselling is £70 per session, both online and in person.

I am happy for you to contact me to discuss your individual situation regarding fees.

I ask for 48 hours cancellation notice not to charge the full fee.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I see people in person in my consulting room in St Leonards on Sea. I also see people online via Zoom or Skype and by telephone. 

Further information

  • I abide by the ethical guidelines of the UKCP
  • I have weekly supervision for my work

St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN38

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Adults
Older adults
Couples
Employee Assistance Programme
Deborah Wearn
Deborah Wearn