Dr Sarah Krantz

I hold a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy from Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University. I have many years of experience in private practice, voluntary agencies and the corporate space and apply my skills in assessment settings.  I have taught Advanced Clinical Practice at Metanoia Institute and also acted as clinical examiner and research supervisor on the doctorate course.

I regularly invest in my professional development and hold further trainings in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Couples Therapy (Intimacy from the Inside out, IFIO), Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT), Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Working with Miscarriage and Infant Loss. I am also a qualified Mindfulness Teacher.

My interests have led me to collaborate with Sporting  Chance, a sports mental health charity that offers one-to-one psychotherapy to current and former sportspeople and their families. I also run mental health workshops for the National Deaf Children’s Society, focussing on the well-being of parents of children with hearing loss.

Internal Family Systems

Internal family systems, or IFS, is a type of therapy that believes we are all made up of several parts or sub-personalities. It was created by Richard Schwartz, a family therapist, who came up with the idea of conceptualising the mind like an inner family.
 
Most people can think of a time when they were aware of different parts of themselves. For example, we might think ‘Part of me wants to leave my job and another part thinks I should stay’ or ‘On the one hand I want to say ‘no’ but on the other, I feel I have to say ‘yes’.
 
The good news is that these internal parts, or roles, are not set in stone so they can change with time and work. The goal of IFS therapy is to become aware of and to get to know our own parts and to achieve balance within our internal system, whilst achieving a stronger relationship with our true Self.
 
IFS is a non-pathologizing way of working – as captured by the phrase ‘there are no bad parts’. The behaviours or sides of ourselves that can be hard to face up to can therefore be worked on with more compassion and curiosity.
 
As a modality, IFS couples well with EMDR.

Couples Therapy - Intimacy from the Inside Out© (IFIO)

Intimacy from the Inside Out© is a model of couples therapy that draws primarily from the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of psychotherapy, but also includes aspects of psychodynamic theory, systems thinking and neuroscience. It carries the concepts of Internal Family Systems (IFS) into a relational setting and aims to use the intimate relationship as a vehicle for the growth and healing of each partner, as well as the couple. It is a non-pathologizing approach that helps people make sense of their life experience in a safe and collaborative way.

When each member of the couple can have a self-compassionate, secure relationship with themselves, they can stay connected to themselves and their partner even in times of stress and relational rupture.

The aim of IFIO therapy is to help you have difficult conversations without them being destructive or wounding. Wounding from childhood is often beneath troubled interpersonal dynamics and the  exploration of this can become a rich place for growth for you as a couple, as well for each partner.

As an IFIO therapist, my aims are to:

– help you identify repeating patterns of communication in a safe way
– offer the opportunity to gain an insight into these patterns
– invite you to communicate in a new way

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing - EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is one of the most significant, exciting and innovative developments for decades in the treatment of trauma-related conditions.  It is supported by extensive research and is recommended for the treatment of PTSD by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS).

EMDR appears to mimic what the brain does naturally during dreaming or REM (Rapid Eye Movements) sleep. EMDR is a natural therapy that helps the brain to work through distressing material. The process involves repeated left-right (bilateral) stimulation of the brain while noticing different aspects of the traumatic memory. Clients follow my hand-movements whilst we talk about aspects of the memory – but much less ‘talking’ happens than in the usual process of psychotherapy.

We can discuss the suitability of EMDR and I will do an assessment in collaboration with you. We will talk about what you are struggling with, your current ways of coping, what else is going on in your life at the moment and how the sessions would work for you. You do not have to be experiencing PTSD for it to be an appropriate treatment. EMDR can be useful with phobias, grief, accidents/injuries, other emotionally charged memories or events and some cases of depression/anxiety/panic attacks.

One-to-One Mindfulness Programmes

Not that long ago, most of us thought that the brain we’re born with is static – but fast-forward a decade or two, and we’re beginning to see the opposite: the brain is designed to adapt and mindfulness practice is one of the most successful ways to intentionally shape the brain. Practicing mindfulness is not a quick fix – it requires consistent, regular practice but the benefits can be far-reaching:

·     Reduced levels of stress and stress-related problems – including the “fight or flight” response (helpful in dealing with many areas of life)
·     Increased cognitive flexibility, including learning, memory and problem solving functions
·     Improved ability to regulate emotions, which is helpful in cases of depression and anxiety
·     Positive impact on health including reduced blood pressure and improved sleep
·     Better pain management, whether in acute or chronic conditions
·     Regulation of appetite, with implications for unhealthy eating patterns

Whilst there is a range of group 8-week mindfulness courses available, these may not be convenient or appealing to you. I offer tailor-made courses of 6-8 weeks. By working with you to learn what you most want to achieve, I can design and deliver personalized teaching to maximize the benefits for you. Please contact me for an initial conversation or to discuss other potential formats that may suit you better.

Examples of areas where previous clients have found mindfulness sessions beneficial include: challenges with parenting, workplace stress, relationship problems, weight loss, eating disorders, chronic health conditions, depression and anxiety.

Fees are £75-£130 and are based on the length of session (50 / 75 / 90 min).

If you are registered with Aviva, AXA PPP or Vitality Health Insurance, you may be able to speak to them directly or to your GP/Psychiatrist about a referral.

Limited concessionary places available by discussion.

I hold Professional Civil Liability Insurance and abide by the following codes of ethics: Metanoia Institute, British Psychological Society, United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy