Sara Elphinstone
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This professional is temporarily unavailable and will not be responding to enquiries until they return.
This professional is temporarily unavailable and will not be responding to enquiries until they return.
About me
I am a neurodivergent therapist and I have advanced training in Neurodivergent Competent Therapeutic Practice.
Have you had counselling or psychotherapy before but never felt fully understood or like there was something missing?
Are you looking for a therapist who is autistic/ADHD themselves?
Do you need support with anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, but need a therapist who understands how your brain is wired?
Are you processing a diagnosis of autism or ADHD and unsure what it means for your identity?
My name is Sara and I work with neurodivergent people - including autistic people and those with ADHD - whether you are formally diagnosed or self identified. I work online and in person in Oxford and Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
I am autistic and ADHD - AuDHD and also a parent to neurodivergent children. I embrace mutual authenticity and believe shared experiences will deepen our therapeutic relationship.
My practice is neuroaffirming - grounded in respect, curiosity and the belief that neurodivergence is a valid and valuable way of being -not something to fix, but something to understand and learn how to live authentically with.
I can work with you to explore your emotional world and experiences, understand yourself more deeply and process the impact of unmet needs.
I am trauma- informed and I draw on a range of therapeutic tools from humanistic, cognitive -behavioural, psychodynamic, parts work and mindfulness approaches.
If you would like to unpack your past, process wounds, cultivate self acceptance, make lasting change in your life and reconnect with who you really are, contact me on: contact@saraelphinstone.com
or visit my website: www.saraelphinstone.com
Things I can help with:
Anxiety
Depression
Burnout
Autism
ADHD
Unmasking
Trauma
People Pleasing
Low self esteem
Inner critical voice and much more
Testimonials:
"I started seeing Sara when I was deep in despair and grief and couldn't see away forward. Sara has taught me the tools to move forward and with her help she has held my hand and led me from darkness into the light. For that I will always be grateful"
Anon, Oxfordshire
"Sara has been instrumental in helping me understand my autism"
Anon, Oxfordshire
"I came to counselling with Sara when due to family illness I was very anxious and emotionally exhausted. The process has taught me that I was feeling guilty about things i had no control over. Talking through the situation helped me enormously and I came away with strategies to help me cope with my feelings and get my anxiety better under control, something I use everyday. I am very grateful."
Anon, Oxfordshire
"Dearest Sara, Thank you for your wonderful support through my autism journey and beyond. In my thirty years of mental health struggles, i have counted two professionals that have made a positive caring impact on my emotional welfare. You are my third. You are wonderful, kind, measured and gentle. You have helped me understand more about myself, which has been invaluable to me."
Anon, Oxfordshire
"As a neuroaffirming counsellor Sara brings a powerful combination of professional expertise and lived experience. Her approach is grounded, compassionate and genuinely inclusive, creating a safe and validating space. Sara embodies all the qualities you want in a counsellor; insightful, empathetic, patient and deeply respectful."
Anon, Wiltshire
"Sara brings something truly special - a rare combination of professional skill, deep empathy and genuine authenticity. There is absolutely no judgement, she is one of the kindest and compassionate people I have met. What sets her apart is her ability to connect from a place of lived experience. Sara truly understands and this allows her to support in ways that feel both safe and empowering. Sara has an incredible gift for helping you feel seen, valued and capable of growth on your own terms."
Anon, Oxfordshire
For more information or for a free 15 minute initial consultation call, please email me -contact@saraelphinstone.com
Training, qualifications & experience
- Advanced Training in Neurodivergent Competent Therapeutic Practice
- Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice level 5
- Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory level 4
- Diploma in Hypnotherapy level 3.
- Level 5 Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) in Adult Nursing.
- I have years of experience working in an autism and ADHD service, providing screening, interviewing, mentoring and supporting hundreds of clients pre and post diagnosis. Within this organisation I set up and ran a successful counselling service. I also delivered training on autism, PDA and ADHD.
- I have experience seeing clients in a cancer support charity, counselling cancer patients, their relatives and those experiencing bereavement.
- Before training as a therapist I was a registered adult nurse and worked in an acute medical environment within the NHS providing emergency assessment care.
- I have experience teaching emotional and nervous system regulation tools, meditation, mindfulness and breath-work practices.
- I can offer support with: mental health, identity, unmasking, relationships, life changes, loss, low mood, anxiety, depression, trauma, bereavement, stress, personal development, work issues, difficult life experiences and more.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£70.00 per session
When I work
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Further information
My training was in pluralistic therapy and I am able to draw on a range of therapeutic theory and practice, using tools from humanistic, psychodynamic, mindfulness and nervous system regulation/polyvagal approaches.
I work from a neuroaffirming model which embraces differences, seeking not to fix but to empower radical acceptance and self-compassion. I am autistic and ADHD too, so I understand how it feels from the inside and sharing experiences with you will deepen our therapeutic relationship.
Sessions are confidential and I meet you from a place of deep curiosity and recognition. I believe your unique experience is valid and I offer a non judgemental space to help you move towards greater clarity and peace.
I also offer neurodivergent mentoring based on clinical knowledge and lived experience.
