Rachel Starkings
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Have you been feeling anxious, depressed or overwhelmed but not known how to start feeling better? I'm Rachel and I'm a therapist based in Haywards Heath. I work with clients to help them understand what's underneath the pain and discomfort. By understanding what's driving these feelings, you can then start to see recurring patterns or make changes to your life.
I work with a range of issues including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, ADHD, family and relationship problems. I also specialize in working with people who have cancer and other long term illnesses, along with grief and bereavement. I work face-to-face or online, depending on your availability and preference.
I pride myself on being warm and non-judgmental and I really value the therapeutic relationship. We move at your pace and I think it's important that we build trust and safety between us so you're able to open up. I work affirmatively with issues around gender and identity.
Our time together is yours to use as you wish. There’s no agenda for our sessions and there’s no right or wrong thing to say. There’s certainly no such thing as rambling! I see therapy as a puzzle - you have all the pieces but sometimes you need someone else to help you understand how they fit together. By allowing yourself to talk and think, these connections make themselves known and we can explore what they mean for you.
For example, have you ever wondered why something 'keeps' happening? Why you feel anxious about the same things, or why you end up in the same type of relationship? I believe those patterns tell us something about our history. We will work with both the present and the past to understand how these are connected for you.
When I work with clients who are experiencing cancer, we might talk about the anxieties that come up and how the diagnosis has impacted your day-to-day roles or your sense of identity. Similarly, when I work with grief, we can talk about the loss of the person but also what that loss means to you and who you are without that individual.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training
- PGDip (Distinction) psychodynamic therapy and counselling
- MSc General Psychology
- BA (Hons) General Psychology
Qualifications
- Registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
- Graduate member of the BPS (British Psychological Society)
- Executive member and trustee of BPOS (British Psychosocial Oncology Society)
Experience
- I previously volunteered with SHOUT, providing crisis support
- I previously volunteered with CRUSE, providing bereavement support
- Previous counsellor at a local hospice
- I worked with the local primary care network accepting referrals for clients in the community
I completed my postgraduate diploma in Psychodynamic therapy at the University of Brighton. I have an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in psychology as well. In addition to working with clients on issues from anxiety and depression to ADHD and low self-esteem, I have experience with crisis and bereavement counselling. I have worked with clients referred via the NHS primary care network and those within a hospice setting. I am a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), which is the governing body I follow for ethical guidance, and the BPS due to my background in psychology.
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 have experience supporting clients presenting with a range of issues from anxiety, depression, trauma to relationship breakdowns and neurodiversity. I have a special interest in working with chronic and terminal illness along with death, dying and bereavement.
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Please do contact me if the fee is a financial hurdle for you and we can explore your options. I offer an initial free phone call to talk about what you're looking for, how I work and the logistics of therapy.
When I work
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I currently have availability for sessions in the evenings, from 5pm onwards.
