About me
Do you find yourself caught in patterns that you know are no longer helping you, but struggle to stop? Perhaps you’re constantly trying to meet other people’s expectations, feel guilty when you put your own needs first, or find yourself turning to pornography, sex or other behaviours to cope with difficult emotions. You may feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, or simply exhausted by trying to keep everything together.
Sometimes we know something needs to change but aren’t sure where to begin. Therapy can offer a space to slow things down, make sense of what’s happening, and begin to understand the patterns underneath.
I’m Samantha, a qualified and experienced Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist. I work with adults and young people and support people with a wide range of concerns, including compulsive sexual behaviours and pornography use, anxiety, depression, low self-worth, trauma, relationships, affairs, sexuality and identity, neurodiversity, shame, burnout and life changes.
I have a particular interest in supporting people who feel that their relationship with sex or pornography has become difficult to control or is causing distress in their lives or relationships. This might involve repeated pornography use, compulsive sexual behaviour, affairs, using sex or sexual behaviours to manage emotions, or feeling caught in a cycle of shame, secrecy and attempts to stop.
You don’t need to feel ashamed or have everything figured out before coming to therapy. We can explore what is happening without judgement and work towards understanding the emotional needs, triggers and patterns that may be maintaining the behaviour. The aim isn’t simply to focus on the behaviour itself, but to understand what sits underneath it and help you develop healthier ways of coping and relating.
How I work
My approach is integrative, which means I draw on different therapeutic models depending on you and what you want to achieve. My training includes Transactional Analysis (TA), Person-Centred therapy, CBT and Gestalt approaches.
I’m particularly interested in how our early experiences can shape the way we think, feel and relate to ourselves and other people. Sometimes beliefs we developed much earlier in life—about being good enough, lovable, safe, accepted or worthy—can continue to influence our relationships and choices without us fully realising it.
Together, we can explore the thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical responses that are part of your experience. I’m also interested in how difficult experiences can be held within the body and nervous system, and how this can contribute to automatic patterns of responding.
We might look at what triggers certain behaviours, how you relate to yourself and others, the tone of your inner dialogue, or the ways you have learned to manage difficult emotions. Where appropriate, we may explore earlier experiences—not to dwell on the past, but to understand how they may still be influencing your present.
Alongside warmth, empathy and acceptance, I’m comfortable gently challenging you when I feel it could help. My role isn’t to tell you how you should live your life. Your goals, values and what you want to change remain at the centre of our work.
Who I work with
I work with people experiencing a range of difficulties, including:
Compulsive sexual behaviours, pornography use and sex addiction
Anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed
Depression and low mood
Low self-esteem and self-worth
Shame and guilt
Trauma and difficult past experiences
Relationship difficulties and repeating relationship patterns
Sexuality, identity and belonging
LGBTQ+ issues
Neurodiversity
Burnout and work-related stress
Life transitions, loss and bereavement
Difficulties with emotional regulation and coping
Behaviours or thought patterns that feel difficult to change
I work inclusively with people across different identities, backgrounds and experiences, including LGBTQ+ clients and neurodivergent clients.
I’m also a qualified teacher, which gives me additional experience and perspective when working with young people, neurodiverse clients and professionals experiencing stress or burnout.
A space without judgement
Reaching out for therapy can feel intimidating, particularly if you’re talking about something you’ve kept private for a long time. You may worry about being judged, misunderstood or told that there is something wrong with you.
My aim is to offer a space where you can speak honestly and feel heard and understood. You don’t need to arrive with the right words, and you don’t need to have worked out exactly what is going on.
We can start wherever you are.
Whether you’re struggling with compulsive sexual behaviour, anxiety, relationships, identity, trauma, low mood or simply feeling that life has become harder than it should be, therapy can help you make sense of your experience and create meaningful change.
I offer sessions both online and in person at Cherry Tree Therapy Centre in Henley..
*NOTE - I am currently full for in person at Essex. Online spaces are available.*
If you feel that I might be the right therapist for you, please get in touch. We can talk about what is bringing you to therapy and whether working together feels like a good fit.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an Integrative Psychotherapist at Cherry Tree Therapy Centre in Henley-on-Thames. I completed my Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy with distinction in 2010 at the University of East London. I’m also a qualified teacher with eight years’ experience in education, which gives me a distinctive insight when supporting young people, neurodiverse clients, and professionals navigating stress or burnout.
I have lived and worked overseas in USA and Australia. I welcome clients from all backgrounds, countries and religions.
I have extensive experience supporting LGBTQ+ communities through my work with East London Out Project (ELOP),
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£80.00 per session
Additional information
My first session
You can arrange a free, 15-minute introductory chat online or by phone. This short conversation gives you the chance to ask questions, share what has brought you to therapy, and get a sense of how I work, so you can feel confident about taking the next step.
The first full session is slightly different from subsequent sessions. We’ll complete a detailed assessment and go through the counselling agreement, creating a clear foundation for our work together. We will also establish your goals for therapy and check in on your progress regularly to make sure the sessions are supporting your needs effectively. Many clients notice positive changes starting within the first few weeks of therapy.
Further information
What I can help with
ADD / ADHD, Anxiety, Autism spectrum, cheating compulsion, Depression, gender transitions, Identity issues, LGBTQ+ counselling, Loss, Neurodiversity, Obsessions, Personal development, Phobias, Post-traumatic stress, Redundancy, Relationships, Self esteem, Sex-related issues, Sexual identity, Sexuality, sex addiction, Stress, Trauma, Women's issues, Work related issues
Types of therapy
Integrative, Person centred, Psychodynamic, Transactional analysis, Egan model of helping, Gestalt, CBT
Clients I work with
Adults, Trainees, Young people
How I deliver therapy
Long term sessions, Long-term face-to-face work, Online therapy, Short term sessions, Short-term face-to-face work
