Sarah Finegan
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
At times living can be painful, complex, confusing and too much for one person to process. People usually begin counselling with me because they have become somewhat swamped with navigating their struggles alone. If you feel stuck, anxious or out of control you might find yourself wondering “Am I going mad?” or thinking that nobody might understand. This can be a frightening place to be in. I would like to come alongside you and understand life as you are experiencing it. As you begin to let me know, I will gain a sense of the changes you want and the capacities and limits that you have to make them. You might know these already or we might make some discoveries together.
My approach
I trained to become a person-centred therapist after spending a substantial part of my life as a youth worker and community development worker. I wanted something more stripped-back where I would be able to meaningfully support individuals, free from systems and structures and where my abilities to create trusting connections are of intrinsic value.
A key principle of the Person-centred Approach is that every person has the inner resources and potential to change, grow and choose ways of being in the world that are more personally meaningful and satisfying. I will work together with you, bringing my knowledge and skills to help you find new ways of being in your world and in yourself. We will go at your pace, co-creating a relationship where you feel more able to be as you really are.
I like to think about the counselling relationship as two body-mind systems working together to understand, support and resource you as a person to manage with more ease and to flourish. The relationship can become a place of strength, relief, rest and challenge. I have a straightforward, warm and relaxed manner and will bring my humour and humanness to our work together.
About me
I often find myself stripping life back to something essential and personally sustaining. I seek out time alone in remote landscapes (the more desolate the better). My second language is music and I like immersing myself in sound. As well as working, I am usually supporting my boys as they manage the ups and downs of childhood, feeding them(!) or drinking coffee. Life seems to have much more administration, maintenance and cleaning than I would design it to have. I appreciate the sacred quality of conversations and friendships that meander the depths, heights, questions and absurdities of being human together.
Location
My private practice is based in West Lothian. I work from a quiet and comfortable room in a small counselling space at the front of my home accessed by the main door. There are 3 steps. If you have restricted mobility pleased discuss this with me directly so we can assess how it is in practice for you. I also have a access to a room in a local counselling center if you use a wheel chair.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. I have a Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy and I am fully insured by the Psychologists Protection Society.
I also work part-time as a group facilitator and I have a Group Facilitation and Training Certificate from Persona Development and Training.
I have worked in counselling agencies and private practice with clients and groups exploring their experience of anxiety, depression, bereavement, trauma, relationships, fertility, stress, abuse, eating distress, loss of meaning, loss of ability and illness. I am interested in all aspects of loss and have recently completed a Bereavement specialist course for therapists.
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
Existential struggles
Death Anxiety
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Additional information
Sessions last 1 hour and cost £50
Further information
When I work
Monday and Tuesday. Please contact me for my availability.
