About me
Thank you for taking the time to look at my profile.
I’m Sarah, a person-centred counsellor and member of the BACP.
Quite rightly, it’s important for you to choose the right therapist; so, spend a few minutes reading through my way of working to see if anything resonates with you.
How do I help my clients?
As a person-centred counsellor I offer a warm, confidential space, for you to freely explore your thoughts and emotions in, with the view to you finding a more comfortable peace of mind. This humanistic way of working values and focuses on, you, as a unique individual.
I do not judge you or determine the content of sessions; instead, I listen empathetically and work collaboratively with whatever you bring to help you make sense of what’s hurting or feeling uncomfortable.
We can focus on what's most important to you, right now, and work through it.
If you decide to choose me as your counsellor I offer emotional support with the aim of gradually lowering your psychological distress.
We can discuss what your expectations of therapy are, to identify what you hope to achieve from counselling in general.
My hope is that by gradually understanding you and your current situation, we may discover ways for you to find greater happiness, fulfilment and satisfaction in your life.
I have experience working with:
Bereavement
Anxiety
Relationship difficulties
Miscarriage
Health and wellbeing
Addiction
BSL (British Sign Language)
It is widely known that building a trusting relationship with one’s therapist is key. Feeling a genuine connection with them and feeling valued by them is considered to pave the way to long-lasting, positive, outcomes in therapy.
I believe this to be true, and if achieved, can be life-changing!
With my honest, steady, approach, the hope is that as a meaningful therapeutic relationship develops for you, positive changes will occur.
It's your time - so exploring your story develops at your pace.
The hope is that, together, we identify your current needs and concerns, we discover how they are affecting you, and work towards you becoming more in tune with yourself and more emotionally settled.
Although I can't predict how you will experience therapy, previous clients of mine have reported feeling: relieved, enlightened, happier, more confident, more self-aware; and have reported feeling an overall greater satisfaction for life after their therapy.
Starting therapy
You are likely considering therapy having had significant experiences in your life that have affected you - you might be going through something difficult right now - or perhaps you are not quite able to put your finger on what feels wrong, or upsetting. However you are feeling - I would like to help you investigate what's coming up, if you feel the time is right.
Together, we will prioritise the aspects of your therapy that best fit your needs.
There are so many reasons why people seek support from counselling; all very personal to them. Through compassionate, deep and meaningful exploration, I have supported clients through feelings of grief, relationship worries, loneliness, hopelessness, low mood, addiction, anxiety, body image worries and miscarriage - to name but a few areas of focus.
Are you considering counselling to experience change?
You may be looking for a counsellor with the hope of addressing and diminishing painful memories of: anguish, distress, discomfort, or sadness that won't go away; or, you may just want to talk about something that is impacting your day-to-day life. The topic might originate from the past, or may stem from a current experience - either way, your concerns matter to me.
I do not dictate the direction of your sessions, but am sensitive to the fact that you may hope to experience change and may have particular aspirations. Together, we will explore what you are hoping to achieve.
What might a counselling session look like?
Every session is different - the aim is for you to experience a safe space , a personal safe haven, where you feel heard and supported.
What you talk about doesn’t have to follow any particular pattern - it won't be judged and will be listened to with compassion, confidentiality, integrity, and respect.
My sessions last 1 hour and are held in a peaceful, comfortable, environment.
Counselling doesn't necessarily consist of a set number of sessions; so, we will discuss your expectations, with the view to tailoring a timeframe that suits your, psychological, and financial, needs.
As well as working in a classically person-centred way, I also offer working creatively. My experience is that using visual aids within sessions can be very helpful in explaining one's story and understanding how experiences affect us.
What happens next?
Having found out a bit more about me, do reach out if you would like to talk and we can discuss what counselling sessions might look like for you.
If you still don't know what to expect, or feel reticent about committing to therapy, that's OK! You can ask me questions and we can talk about what you might get out of it, to give you some clarity.
I offer a free telephone consultation, which gives you the opportunity to decide if I might be a good fit for you and for us to explore what you're looking for, at this particular moment in time.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a fully qualified person-centred counsellor, with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. I am also Trauma-Informed trained.
I also hold a Level 3 qualification in BSL and am a qualified fitness instructor.
I am a registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) having met their professional standards of training and practice. BACP No. 01013618 - registration number 416709.
As a member of the BACP, I commit to complying with their Ethical Framework - the fundamental part of the terms and conditions of my membership. That means: I have the appropriate skills and experience to practice ethically, competently, and safely.
I have focused experience working with bereavement, having previously worked for Cruse Bereavement Support for three years.
I am also a qualified exercise instructor and have an interest in overall health and wellbeing. The way one's psychological and physical health complement one another, fascinates me; which has led me to focus on health and fitness, and the benefits of music and movement on the mind.
I offer walking therapy, if clients are interested in this way of working.
I am interested in supporting people through their health and wellbeing journey; which seems particularly pertinent at the moment, with regard to the current prevalence of weight-loss injections. Losing weight, fast, can have a huge impact on one’s mind and body, and so discussing this with a counsellor might be helpful.
I also have a keen interest in working with deaf clients, as I have been a sign language PA to deaf adults for the past twelve years and also teach BSL to families in Oxfordshire with deaf children.
(*If you are deaf and would like my services, I can book an initial video consultation with you, to ascertain your needs. I am committed to ensuring the correct level of BSL for therapy; so I can refer you to other signing practitioners, if I feel it is more appropriate for you).
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
Trauma-informed trained.
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Additional information
Free initial telephone or online call
Individuals: £50 per 50 min session
If you would like to explore working with me, please make contact to arrange a free 30 minute call.
During the call, I will ask you a little about what brings you to therapy at this time and I will explain a bit about how I work. I welcome you to ask me any questions you have about what to expect and there is no obligation for you to choose me - the call is a chance for you to see if it sounds like we could work together, or not.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
I hold professional indemnity insurance and an Enhanced DBS certificate (Disclosure and Barring Service) and am registered with the ICO to enable me to handle clients’ personal details under GDPR law.
What is person-centred therapy is and is it the right style of counselling for you?
The person-centred approach to counselling is appropriate for anyone looking for therapy. It is collaborative and non-directive.
Your counsellor follows your lead, trusting in your pace and direction; rather than imposing a structure or interpretation to what is brought to therapy.
You, the client, are the expert on your life and your therapist tries to understand your world from your perspective, confidentially, without judgment, or bias.
While past experiences may arise during the therapeutic process, the emphasis is on present feelings, perceptions, and awarenesses - as you engage in a gradual exploration of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Empathic reflection is what underpins person-centred therapy and clients often report gaining a clearer insight into their feelings, needs, and values from this modality of counselling.
It helps them to connect more fully with their lived experience; which ultimately, may instil a greater sense of balance and inner calm to their lives.
Person-centred therapy can help clients understand themselves more deeply, as they feel more connected to their ‘authentic’ self. They may gradually feel more confident, self-determined, and fulfilled; with a heightened understanding of who they are, and what they want from life.
There is no hard and fast rule as to how long therapy should last; but it will be discussed between you and your counsellor, and periodically reviewed, to ensure clients are being provided an ethical service.
