About me
Justin Stoneham MBACP – Counsellor in Polegate, East Sussex
For men who have been holding it together for everyone else, but privately it’s getting harder to keep going.
If you’ve found yourself on this page, there’s a fair chance you’ve spent a long time putting this off. You go to work, you get things done, and people rely on you. From the outside, you’d probably say everything is fine. But behind closed doors, it can feel very different.
Perhaps you’re lying awake thinking about work. Your patience isn’t what it used to be. You’re snapping at the people you care about, switching off emotionally, or wondering why you can’t seem to switch off anymore. You might not even know exactly what’s wrong. You don’t have to. Part of my job is helping you work that out.
Hi, my name’s Justin… although if you’d met me during my 29 years as a firefighter in the Fire & Rescue Service, you’d probably know me as “Stones.”
During my time in the fire service, I also supported firefighters after traumatic incidents. One thing I noticed, time and time again, was how many men carried things in silence. They’d look after everyone else before ever thinking about themselves.
That experience still shapes the way I work today. There’s no pressure to tell me everything in the first session, or even the tenth if you’re not ready. We work at your pace. You decide what feels important, and you’re always in control of where we go and how quickly we get there.
Clients often tell me it feels less like coming to therapy and more like sitting down for an honest conversation. There’s no pressure to have the right words. No expectation that you need to have everything figured out before you arrive. Sometimes we talk about what’s happening today. Sometimes we make sense of things that have been sitting in the background for years. Occasionally we even laugh.
My job isn’t to tell you who you should be. It’s to give you the space to understand what’s happening, make sense of it, and help you find a way forward that feels right for you.
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve already done one of the hardest parts. I mainly work with men under pressure, including those in the emergency services, healthcare, education, business and leadership roles. Whatever your job, if you’re used to being the one other people rely on, you’ll be very welcome here.
Have a look around, and if you’d like to find out whether we’re a good fit to work together, I’d be happy to have an initial conversation.
Best wishes,
Justin… or Stones, if you prefer.
You can read my blog: https://is.gd/G8Ji63
Copy and paste link into your browser
Training, qualifications & experience
- Diploma in Person-Centred Therapy
- Certificate in Trauma Therapy
- Diploma in Trauma Therapy (In progress)
- Level 2 in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
- Certified in Solution Focused Brief Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Trauma-Focused CPT
- ILM Certified Coach & Mentor
I combine these approaches to help men move from burnout and avoidance to clarity, confidence, and direction.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I also work with something called Personal Consultancy. It’s a way of combining counselling and coaching, so we can look at both what’s going on underneath and what’s happening day to day.
Sometimes it’s about untangling the stuff that’s been keeping you stuck or draining your energy. Other times, it’s about finding your focus again, building the confidence and direction to show up stronger in your work and in life.
This approach helps you deal with what’s holding you back, while also improving how you perform, lead, and handle pressure in your professional world. It’s about getting you back to feeling clear, capable, and steady in yourself.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Sessions are £70 for 50 minutes.
I offer a small number of concessionary places where this feels important, and I’m always happy to talk this through.
If you’re thinking about starting counselling, I also offer a free 20-minute initial consultation to help you decide whether working together feels right.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
My Counselling Room is conveniently located in the heart of East Sussex, offering easy accessibility via the A27. Situated at the end of a peaceful street, the office boasts its own private entrance, ensuring discretion and comfort for all clients. Ample parking is available, allowing for stress-free arrival and departure.
The tranquil setting provides an ideal environment for therapeutic sessions, promoting a sense of calm and privacy. This central location makes it easily reachable from various parts of East Sussex, making quality counselling services more accessible to those in need.
