Sarah Cunningham
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Welcome to Sarah Cunningham Therapy. I am an experienced and fully qualified psychodynamic and integrative psychotherapist, counsellor, and clinical supervisor. I am a BACP registered psychotherapist, and I abide by their ethical guidelines.
I see clients online and by telephone, many of whom are based all over the UK and in Europe. I split my time between Greenwich in South East London and Exeter in Devon. I currently only have availability to see clients in-person at my office in central Exeter, Devon, UK. By appointment only.
I offer curiosity, non-judgemental exploration and gentle challenge to help my clients gain a deeper understanding of their lives and how they relate to others.
I work with all sorts of people and I have particular experience working with attachment-related issues, trauma, neurodivergence, anxiety, depression, social marginalisation, loss and family-related issues. I have extensive experience working as an IDVA and trauma therapist for survivors of domestic abuse, coercive control and those overcoming narcissistic abuse. I am an LGBTQIA affirmative therapist.
My approach:
My working model is client centred, integrative and relational. 'Integrative' means that I incorporate understandings drawn from a variety of psychotherapy modalities (psychodynamic, humanistic and somatic) into my practice. I believe that every person is unique, so I tailor my approach to try and meet your individual needs and will regularly check in to see if therapy is what you hoped it would be. I am attachment focused so there will be a curiosity about how your early experiences with caregivers may have initially shaped your ways of relating to others and yourself.
Working 'relationally' reflects the concept that we evolve through our relationships. In relationships, we learn how safe it is to be in the world, what we can expect from other people, and how to relate to our needs and boundaries. The therapeutic alliance offers us a chance to discover not just who you have become because of your experiences, but a safe and contained environment to try out new ways of being. I may also signpost to CBT and grounding techniques as a way of managing anxiety/ panic attacks/ activation where appropriate.
I believe that my clients are the experts in their own lives and have the capacity to fulfil their own potential if given a space where they feel heard and accepted. I welcome clients from all backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations and nationalities.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
MA Counselling & Psychotherapy (Distinction), Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK
Postgraduate Certificate in Psychotherapy & Counselling, Regents University, University of London, UK
Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Supervision, The Iron Mill College, Exeter, Devon, UK
Continual Professional Development (CPD courses)
- The Applications of Attachment theory to Psychotherapy, led by Dr Christopher Clulow and Linda Clundy
- Codependency in Adulthood
- Working with survivors of gendered violence and domestic abuse
- Overcoming narcissistic abuse
- Working with couples
- Understanding Childhood: social and clinical perspectives
- Contemporary Trauma Practice
- Working with the Menstrual Cycle in Psychotherapy led by Dr Margaret Altemus and Letticia Banton.
- Telephone, online and e-counselling
Group facilitator qualifications
- Qualified Group Facilitator Trainer for running the Freedom Programme for female survivors of domestic abuse and coercive control: https://freedomprogramme.co.uk
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
Coercive control. Attachment trauma. Men's issues. Relationship issues. LGBTQ+. PMDD. Overcoming narrcistic abuse. Boarding School Syndrome.
As well as working as a Psychotherapist, I also work as an IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) for a domestic abuse charity, providing emotional support and legal advocacy for survivors. I also work for a variety of Universities in London as a wellbeing mentor to students with mental health issues and a variety of learning disabilities.
I wrote my Master's thesis on the impact of coercive control on childhood development and I am experienced in working with survivors of narcissistic abuse and trauma.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £85.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free 15-minute initial telephone consultation.
I offer a sliding scale for sessions from £65-£85 per 50-minute session, depending on what you can afford so please let me know in your initial email.
I offer concessions for trainee psychotherapists, students, key workers and those on a low wage but there is high demand so I may have to add you to my waiting list.
Please note that I am not currently set up to receive payment through private health insurance.
When I work
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Further information
I offer supervision online and in - person at my office in central Exeter.
