Sandra Russell
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am a qualified and experienced relationship/couple and psychosexual therapist with over 30 years experience in working with couples and individuals with relationship issues. I am comfortable working with the impact of neurodiversity in/on relationships. I am a very grounded, down to earth, non judgemental professional who works with you to enable you to see what issues from your past might be creating difficulties for you now, alongside very practical, structured tasks (and homework when necessary) to help you move forward in making your life and relationships the best that they can be. My aim is to help you see the unseen options in your life and have the ability to make informed choices for yourself and your relationships.
I will see you for an initial consultation which lasts 50 minutes (as does subsequent sessions) where we will discuss the issues that are important for you and how I can help you with these.
I see individuals/couples who are having difficulties in their intimate relationships, who are struggling to make intimate relationships or who are thinking about making a big commitment to their relationship eg moving in together or getting married and who want to understand their partner more or deal with any little areas of concern.
Relationship Counselling/Couple Therapy/Psychosexual Therapy is a chance to speak to someone who is not a family/friend (who often have their own views) about what is concerning you. If you are in a relationship you can discuss, together or individually, what you bring to the relationship, how your background affects who you are and what you contribute to the relationship. We can explore together how you can begin to make changes in your relationship. My role is not to "steer" you in any particular direction regarding your relationship but to help you decide how to shape your future.
As a relationship and psychosexual therapist I will help you to, for example and depending on your situation,
- improve a good relationship especially pre-commitment/marriage
- support and help you with any difficulties in your sexual life as an individual or as a couple.
- communicate better (enabling you both to find ways to say what you want and need)
- stop arguments that seem to have no resolution
- recover from an affair or betrayal
- revive your love if there is a lack of passion/loss of intimacy
- improve your feelings of emotional distress/being overwhelmed about your relationship
- make choices and decisions about yourself, your partner and your relationship - whether at the pre-marital/commitment stage, together for years or something in the middle
- find the right partner
- consider separation/divorce issues (helping your to think about yourselves and your children)
- understand any fertility problems, if you are considering/not sure about having children or have problems with your parenting of your children
- re-connect and make changes if mental or physical illness, including cancer, is affecting your relationship
- understand and make changes if childhood or adult abuse issues are affecting your relationship
After your initial consultation you can make a decision about ongoing counselling/therapy which is usually weekly at the same time each week but this can be flexible for with unusual working or lifestyle patterns with discussion.
I can see you for face to face, telephone and online counselling via Zoom.
Training, qualifications & experience
As a qualified and experienced relationship counsellor/couple/psychosexual therapist I have:
- Post Graduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Couple/Relationship Counselling and Therapy
- Relate Professional Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy
- Certificate in Client Centred Counselling
- Certificate in Solution Focussed Therapy
- Certificate in Systemic Family Therapy
- Diploma in Hypnotherapy
- Master in NLP/Life Coaching
- Emotionally Focussed Couple Therapy
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
- Certificate in Couples and Sex
- Introduction to CBT
- Certificate in Counselling with People with Cancer
- BA (Hons) App Soc Studies with CQSW
My initial training in counselling was a psychodynamic couple and individual therapy. I trained and worked for London Marriage Guidance Council for 8 years and then have been in a busy private practice as a Couple Counsellor/Psychosexual Therapist since 2003 in Central and South London and more recently in Coulsdon, Surrey. Whilst in private practice I have worked a as a couple counsellor for Relate (as a practitioner working under licence) for 10 years and in the Croydon Relate offices and in London Bridge.
I have undertaken groupwork and training with couples in private practice and for Relate. I have undertaken group supervision of counselling teachers. I run online courses on relationship issues.
I am the couple and family relationship counsellor for the South East Cancer Help Centre. I have also worked as a counsellor and trainer for a GP surgery in SW London supporting patients with issues around their relationships, stress, sleep issues, confidence/self-esteem and healthy eating.
I have been a senior/visiting lecturer/student tutor in counselling/therapy at a number of London universities working with students from entry level to Masters degree level in counselling for over 20 years.
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
Couple Counselling
Relationship Therapy
Psychosexual Therapy
Therapies offered
Fees
£75.00 - £85.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£75 (daytime)/£85 (evening) per session. There may be concessions available depending on your personal circumstances (usually for trainee counsellors and those on a low income/unwaged). Please feel free to enquire.
When I work
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Daytime - Monday PM and Tuesday and Thursday, Evening - Tuesday and Thursday
Further information
,I am a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Cousenlling and Psychotherapy) and fully abide by their ethics.
I have regular supervision of my work with a qualified and experienced supervisor and attend workshops, seminars and conferences as part of my ongoing professional development.
