Saima Sahir

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Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE13

About me

I’m a relational psychotherapist working with adults, adolescents, and children. My approach is grounded in warmth, curiosity, and collaboration. Whether you are seeking short-term support or deeper exploration, therapy with me offers a space to reconnect with yourself, make sense of your experiences, and find new ways of being that feel authentic and alive.

“It is a joy to be hidden and a disaster not to be found.” - Donald Winnicott

We all hide parts of ourselves at times to stay safe. And yet, what once protected us can, over time, feel like a cage. As a psychotherapist, my role is to help you rediscover those hidden parts and bring them into the light gently, safely, and with care so that your authentic self can truly flourish.

My Approach

I am trained in Transactional Analysis (TA), a model that helps us understand how we relate to ourselves and others. TA explores the patterns we fall into, the roles we play, and the early life scripts that shape how we move through the world.

In therapy, we might explore the Parent, Adult, and Child parts of the self, the inner voices that guide, protect, or sometimes limit us, so that you can make new, more conscious choices in your relationships and in life.

TA also brings a spirit of openness and collaboration. It recognises that insight and change come not from being “analysed,” but from working together in a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.

While TA provides a foundation, I draw on other approaches to meet your unique needs. Each therapeutic relationship is shaped by who you are, what you bring, and what feels meaningful and possible for you at that time.

Integrating Creative and Psychoeducational Work

Sometimes words are not enough. I often use creative methods such as imagery, sand tray, drawing, or metaphor to help access what feels difficult to articulate. Creative work can offer another language for emotion, one that allows deeper understanding and expression without pressure to “get it right.”

At other times, therapy might include psychoeducation, gentle exploration and learning about how our minds and bodies respond to stress, relationships, and early experiences. We might look at how the nervous system regulates safety and connection, or how attachment patterns influence how we relate to others.

Understanding what is happening inside can be deeply empowering. When we can name our responses and recognise our patterns, we can begin to regulate, heal, and respond to life with greater compassion and choice.

This combination of relational exploration, creativity, and gentle education allows therapy to move flexibly between reflection, insight, and practical grounding.

Training, qualifications & experience

I work with Adults, Adolescents and Children.

I also facilitate group therapy. 

I hold a Masters in Psychotherapy (Child Specialism). UKCP Accredited. 

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

UKCP
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.

As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.

UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Accredited register membership

UK Council for Psychotherapy
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.

UK Council for Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Therapies offered

Fees

£70.00 per session

Additional information

I currently work online. 

Before we begin therapy, I offer a complimentary introductory call. Together we can explore your goals, see how we might work together, and decide if this feels like the right fit

Further information

Difference and Belonging

I am particularly interested in how difference in culture, identity, upbringing, or lived experience shapes our sense of belonging. Feeling “different” is something most of us know, yet when those experiences go unseen or misunderstood, they can quietly erode our connection to ourselves and others.

In therapy, difference becomes not a barrier but a bridge, a place for curiosity, dialogue, and growth. By exploring how difference has been experienced in your life, we can begin to restore a sense of belonging and wholeness.

Working with Trauma

I am trauma-informed in my approach, which means I work with an understanding of how overwhelming experiences can shape both the mind and the body. Trauma is often misunderstood. Many people think of it as a single, catastrophic event, but trauma is not defined by what happens to us - it is, as Gabor Maté describes, what happens inside us as a result of what we experience. Trauma is a disconnection from ourselves, a wound that affects our capacity for safety, trust, and connection.

What may be deeply traumatic for one person might not be for another. The impact of any experience depends on many factors, including our age, support systems, and sense of safety at the time. In this way, trauma is deeply p​​​ersonal, and healing must be approached with the same individuality and care.

In therapy, we work together to bring gentle awareness to the body’s responses and the emotions that have been held there. We attend to sensations, patterns, and meanings at a pace that feels safe and steady. This is not about revisiting painful memories for their own sake, but about restoring a sense of regulation, connection, and wholeness.

Healing from trauma involves re-establishing trust in yourself - in your feelings, your boundaries, and your ability to meet the world with presence and resilience.

What to Expect

Therapy with me is collaborative and relational. We begin by exploring what brings you here, your story, your hopes, your patterns, and the parts of you that may feel ready (or not yet ready) to be seen.

Together, we develop a shared understanding of what change might look like for you and move at a pace that feels grounded and respectful. Sessions may include conversation, creative exploration, or reflective exercises, whatever helps you connect more deeply with your own experience.

Through the process, you can expect to develop a clearer sense of who you are, how your patterns of relating have been shaped, and how you might begin to live with greater self-acceptance, freedom, and connection.

I work with adults, adolescents, and children, offering both short-term and longer-term therapy. Whether you are seeking clarity around a specific challenge or looking for deeper, ongoing exploration, therapy is ultimately about reconnecting with your authentic self and building relationships that feel more secure, meaningful, and alive.

Beginning Therapy

Starting therapy can feel daunting. It takes courage to bring forward parts of yourself that may have been hidden for a long time. My aim is to offer a space where curiosity, honesty, and presence guide the work, where you feel seen, safe, and supported as you rediscover your own capacity for healing and change.

When therapy feels safe, it becomes a place of genuine connection and growth, where understanding leads to healing, and acceptance opens the door to transformation.

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” - Carl Rogers

Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE13

Type of session

Online
Saima Sahir
Saima Sahir