Sahar Mirshafiei, BACP Registered, Accredited Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
About me
Client Feedback in photo section below :) Something I reiterate to clients time and again is that this isn't all me ~ this is us, together, in a collaboration, an open process, in which I learn and grow and thrive just as much. It's reciprocal and vibrant and for that I'm eternally thankful:
A person-centred counsellor delivering a warm and supportive integrative approach including transactional therapy, CBT formulations, and psychodynamic therapy. I find that anxiety and depression are especially prevalent given the pace and structure of modern life, therefore they're commonly worked with in tandem to other presenting issues.
Tension often brings us to counselling, whether it be a result of sudden or unforeseen circumstances, from historical upheavals and traumas, or a combination of both. Everyone deserves a safe space to explore their thoughts and feelings in confidentiality. When this environment is created, we're able to build a landscape, diffuse and dis-empower panic, to reflect and make sense of what we have experienced, what is important to us, and where we'd like to go to next.
We're all involved in a myriad of relationships. At times, some of these may begin to feel imbalanced, unhappy, counterproductive, or unsustainable. Whether that be with ourselves, partners, children, family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours, or acquaintances. We also have relationships with our environments, our homes, places of work, cities, with food, hobbies, jobs, money, our bodies, cultures, and technology, to name but a few.
Beginning to understand the intricacies of our relationships and roles in one area casts much light on other parts of our experience. Oftentimes, greater clarity and understanding leads to an uplift in our quality of life due to increased confidence, autonomy, fulfillment, and enjoyment.
Training, qualifications & experience
Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and experience in working across a spectrum of client needs such as:
- Anxiety and Identity
- Intimacy and Relationships
- Loss, Grief, and Bereavement
- Sexual Abuse and Rape
- Body Image and Eating Disorders
- OCD and Control
- Depression and Suicidal Thoughts
- Bullying and Discrimination (race, gender, sexuality, disability)
- Addiction and Substance Use
Your age, sex, race, culture, faith, social status, ability, gender, and lifestyle have no bearing on the qualities which you'll receive in counselling. I'm lucky enough to have lived and worked with people from all walks of life and this is a great privilege in counselling too.
The strength of my practice rests on equality of both parties involved. I'm aware certain institution/religious/gender ideologies believe in hierarchies of human worth and entitlement to dignity, safety & security - such views are unwelcome in my home & practice, I would respectfully ask anyone who subscribes to "chosen one" or "sacred gender" mentality to seek support elsewhere.
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.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
Each client is considered on an individual basis based on income, so fees are on a sliding scale from £40 for students to £50/£60/£70 based on income/organization status. It's really helpful to have an initial chat to get a feel for one another. Whether it be over the phone or over a cup of tea, you're very welcome to set a date.
Further information
I believe the best work is done by client led and client paced work. The direction of discovery, along with the frequency of sessions is set by the client, with myself offering meaningful and intuitive focusing in a safe environment.
