Sara State

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MBACP (Accr.) LLB(Hons)
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I am a BACP Accredited counsellor, psychotherapist specialising in relationships. Working with couples and individuals focusing on how they can feel better about themselves and the relationship.s they have in their lives. We look at such things as anxiety, imposter syndrome, and lack of self-worth. I also work specifically with marital and family Dynamics. This often can be about mother/daughter son/mother issues and narcissistic relationships.

I am a trained mediator. I'm very aware of relationships where things don’t feel right and work with you towards a place where it begins to feel better and that the relationship can work out rather than end. I have worked extensively with relationship issues, anxiety and depression between couples and family members. I have experience of working with couples both in resolution and working towards separation. Relationships are very difficult and often confusing. We work together on  anxieties and fears that can come with this and the best resolutions.

I am a children’s therapist incorporating play therapy. I am also a trained supervisor of counsellors. I have extensive experience in individual work, couples and relationship therapy, children’s therapy and group work. I also specialise in anxiety, depression, self esteem issues, bereavement, divorce, trauma, eating disorders, abuse and family/relationship issues focusing on self-esteem, and finding ways to move your life on. I also work as a hypnotherapist on such matters as weight loss, giving up smoking, shyness and anxiety.

I run a very busy private practice where I see couples, individuals and children. I can also work with you from your own home via Skype, Zoom, FaceTime or the telephone. Although weekly appointments are the way I usually work, if this does not suit you I will try to be as flexible as possible. You can find the following car parks nearby:

  • https://g.co/kgs/ZqUcgg
  • https://g.co/kgs/646V1C

I am within walking distance of the city centre so you can have a coffee or a shop before or after if you wish.

I have worked for agencies such as Signpost and Watford Peace Hospice with individual adults dealing with anxiety, depression, abuse and behaviours that were paralysing people from leading the lives they wanted - leading to such issues as anxiety, depression, OCD, and generalised anxiety or fear of living the way you deserve. At The Peace Hospice I dealt with all aspects of bereavement which were often the result of unresolved issues within the family, the relationship or from childhood.

I worked for Hertfordshire County Council as a school counsellor for 5 - 18 year olds. Therefore, I have much experience of working with children (individually and in groups) and dealing with anxiety, anger management, self esteem, eating disorders, bereavement, divorce and all issues relating to bullying and friendship.

I have worked on the phone lines of Family Lives (formerly known as parent line plus) where we advised and worked with adults on a number of issues especially those of relationships, parenting, dealing with self esteem, anxiety, anger and managing relationships in the family. I worked for Mediation in Hertfordshire where we worked towards resolution for the parties involved.

My private practice has included a lot of couples work where we have worked on divorce, separation, step children, step parenting and of course communication skills and many other relationship issues such as self esteem and anxiety to enable the couple to have a better relationship. Affairs and betrayal and the consequences of this are something I have dealt with a lot in my work.  

Approved insurance work

£85 per session

  • Aetna Global Benefits
  • Aviva
  • Vitality Health
  • AXA PPP healthcare

Training, qualifications & experience

  • Registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (Accred)
  • Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Integrative)

Training & work

  • Fully trained, experienced & Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist
  • Fully trained and certified supervisor of counsellors
  • Trained Bereavement counsellor for Watford Peace Hospice - adult work
  • Trained mediator doing mediation work for Mediation in Hertfordshire - adult/couple work
  • Trained helpline facilitator for ParentlinePlus(now Family Lives) working with individuals, couples and families
  • Trained Counsellor for Herts County Council schools working with children aged 5-18
  • Trained Counsellor for Rape Crisis
  • Trained Counsellor for young people (13-25) for Signpost working with anxiety, stress, anger, eating disorders, addiction and anything that affects young peoples and thus adults lives
  • NLP Vision BACP endorsed hypnotherapy course
  • OCN Level 4 Trained Counselling Supervisor

Counselling young people and children; Art Therapy in counselling training; Integrative Dip Therapeutic counselling; Rape Crisis training; Peace Hospice Bereavement Training and work; Mediation training and work; Play Therapy Training and work; Family and couples work with Parentlineplus (now Family Lives); Fully Trained Supervisor of Counsellors.

Additional information

  • Enhanced CRB check and fully insured
  • I attend regular supervision, in line with BACP requirements, to support my work and further my professional development
  • I also attend regular CPD (continual professional development) training

Member organisations

school 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.

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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

British Association for Counselling & 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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Fees

£85.00 - £110.00
Free initial telephone or online session

Health Insurance/EAP

  • check_circle Aviva
  • check_circle Axa Health
  • check_circle Vitality

Additional information

  • Individuals / Children: £85 per 50 minute session
  • Couples: £100 per 1 hour session
  • Families: £110 per 1 hour session
  • Supervision: £75 per hour, £110 for 1 1/2 hours
  • Insurance: £85 per 50 minute session
  • Hypnotherapy:£120 per session (including recording of 1 script)
  • Letter / form writing: £50
  • Extra hypnotherapy scripts: £50

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Online and insurance work available.

Further information

I am an experienced Accredited BACP counsellor and Psychotherapist for mainly couples and families and a Qualified Supervisor of Counsellors based in the centre of St. Albans. Where are you can either park in one of the main carparks and do a bit of shopping and have a coffee. Or otherwise right opposite my house there are parking meters and the Civic Centre carpark: https://g.co/kgs/ZqUcgg

I have worked in a wide range of settings working with couples and family situations with a good expanse of experience. Particularly focusing on how to make relationships work, anxiety, self esteem, bereavement, addiction, domestic abuse, anger management, couples/relationship and parenting issues with a diverse client base. I have worked for Hertfordshire County Council as a child counsellor in their schools. But I now mainly work with couples and families.

I believe we all have the capacity for change and that talking can identify patterns of behaviour that may be preventing us from living a more fulfilling and happy life. Being aware that anxiety, depression, anger or other strong feelings may be difficult to manage. Often we can feel paralysed by fear, anxiety or just feel stuck and unable to move forward. Therapy can help you look at why you are stuck and what you can do about it and which path you would like to take in the future.

We may feel consumed with such feelings as anxiety, stress, anger, betrayal, uselessness and and fear (to name just a few) and managing this and exploring where it has come from is often what is needed to help someone become less stuck in a life that they are not able to enjoy. It may feel like we've reached a junction in our life and don't know which way to turn or that we've simply hit rock bottom and now want to make a change. Counselling can help you to look at life in other ways that may be more helpful to you.

Sharing intimate thoughts and feelings can be a daunting prospect. My aim is to offer you a safe, non-judgemental environment, where you can work through your difficulties at your own pace. Whatever you want to discuss is up to you. This will be your time.

You may decide that you only need a few sessions. However, you may also discover that you want more time and that open-ended counselling proves to be more appropriate. The choice is yours.

The hypnotherapy course is usually one of 6 to 8 weeks. This is where you will be in a relaxed atmosphere and we will talk about what is going on for you in your life and then gradually a personalised script will be made for you that will enforce positive change and thinking. You will be sent a recording of this script to work with and keep so that once we have finished working together you will be able to reinforce your new and different way of thinking.

Online, email or telephone counselling also available.

St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people (13-17)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)
Couples
Families

Key details

Plenty of free Parking immediately outside. Front door step.

Supervision

In person
Online
Phone

I work as a well rounded Supervisor. I am there to support you in your work and take you through the difficult and wonderful aspects of counselling.

View supervision profile

Sara State
Sara State