Alana Burton | Southdowns Psychotherapy | Dip TA Practice, MBACP
About me
Hello and welcome to my page.
**Covid-19** I am currently offering online therapy during our current health crisis. Social distancing does not have to mean psychological distancing so get in touch for further info.
It can often be quite daunting looking through profiles to find the right therapist for you so I hope the following will give you a little more info about me and can help you to decide whether I am the right person for you.
In my practice I offer a safe, supportive and confidential space for you to explore emotional obstacles and difficulties such as anxiety, depression or stress related issues. I work both short term and longer-term with adults and adolescents. When permitted, I work in different locations; Washington (easily reached from Storrington, Steyning, Worthing, West Chilt, Thakeham) and Christ's Hospital, Horsham.
My main training is in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy which is a model of psychotherapy that offers a framework and map that can be used to understand the structure of our personalities and our individual emotional makeup.
If you have ever found yourself stuck in a rut, maybe aware that certain behaviours, thoughts or feelings in your life feel destructive and are no longer working for you, Transactional Analysis therapy can help. Together we can untangle emotions and break down what is going on for you into manageable areas. You will learn what makes you tick and how to build new coping strategies to help you going forward.
Sometimes clarity can happen after a relatively short amount of time, and sometimes a longer journey of self-discovering and awareness is useful. I work with every client in a different way according to their hopes and intentions for therapy and what they want for themselves. Whether you are aware of what you want to change or not, together we will build on self-awareness, self-compassion and resilience to help you lead a more fulfilling life.
I am also trained in complex traumas, PTSD, suicide and suicide prevention, LGBTQ+ issues.
I am a member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with their Codes of Ethics and Professional Practice.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Diploma in Transactional Analysis Practice (Dip.TA Practice)
- Registered Member of BACP (MBACP)
- Advanced Clinical Training in Transactional Analysis (Level 7)
- Diploma level training in Trauma and Recovery Training including Attachment, Attachment Disorders, Trauma in children, Severe and Complex Trauma
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
- ASIST trained (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
- Psychosexual therapy
- LGBTQ+ awareness
- Certified Paws b Mindfulness Programme Teacher
I am also in continued professional training towards my CTA (Certified Transactional Analyst) qualification.
Member organisations

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

UK Association for Transactional Analysis
UKATA (formally the Institute of Transactional Analysis) is the national UK Transactional Analysis organisation representing all fields of TA theory and practice. TA can be used as an effective tool in a wide range of contexts such as: personal development, management, coaching, counselling, psychotherapy, teaching, education, parenting and more.
Accredited register membership

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.

Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
Individual: From £45/session.
Further information
I work from several bases within West Sussex so please let me know your preferred location when getting in touch. Washington is easily reached from surrounding villages such as Storrington, Steyning, Thakeham, Coolham, Ashington etc. and Christ's Hospital is convenient for Horsham and the surrounding areas. I will have different availability covering daytime and evening appointments at each location.