Sarah Kirrane

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Counsellor

About me

What's keeping you awake at night? 

Are there things happening in your life right now that have become overwhelming? 

Whether it’s day to day life getting you down, a specific, current issue or something from your past that keeps cropping up and bothering you, let’s talk about it.

But who with?

Choosing who to share this stuff with is half the battle. I've been the client myself and know how difficult it can be to find the right counsellor. Let me tell you a little bit about some of the issues I help people with, and you can see how you feel then. 

I am Sarah. I am a qualified counsellor. Since 2018, I have supported clients through many issues such as anxiety, worry, loss, health issues and more. However, lately, I find myself drawn to some more specific issues detailed below; 

Clients often come to me to talk about their bereavement following the loss of a loved one. This can be recent or past, human or animal. Counselling offers the time you need to talk about how your loss is impacting you. It can be somewhere for you to let go, make sense of the emotions you are feeling and to find ways of coping.

The term ‘loss’ also encompasses many other things and being able to identify and name life experiences as losses worthy of grief can be an important part of making sense of how you are feeling. For instance, fertility/IVF treatment or infertility.

If having a baby is something you desire, you may well be grieving an anticipated future or the opportunity to parent. Maybe you are craving connection with friends who are busy with their own families and no longer have as much time as once before. 

Research has shown that this threat of infertility can be more distressing for women and that we tend to assume more responsibility, feeling a sense of failure and finding it harder to feel positive or hopeful when going through treatment. 

I wonder if you...

Feel lost and uncertain about what your future holds. 

Are angry with your body. 

Feel ashamed and a sense of failure that something 'natural' isn't happening for you. 

Feel left behind as friends go on to have their second and third babies. 

Find it really hard to plan or look forward to anything right now. 

Get an overwhelming sense that you're running out of time. 

Are navigating IVF treatment alongside one or more chronic illnesses and feel emotionally & physically drained. 

Are jealous or resentful of others, but don't want to feel that way. 

If this sounds like you, I want to tell you right now that these are all normal responses to what you are going through. They are valid and important and I'd love to hear from you. 

But why choose to work with me? 

Because like you, I’ve been there. As well as being a qualified counsellor, I have my own lived experience of multiple chronic illness and fertility/IVF treatment. These alongside grief and bereavement are issues that I am extremely passionate about. We won’t talk about me in sessions, it’s your time. But what would it be like for you to talk to someone about this knowing they have been through something similar? 

How can I help? 

Combining counselling expertise with my own personal experience, together we can find ways to help you move from a place of overwhelm & self-blame to one that is softer & more compassionate. Counselling can help you to process and validate the complex feelings that accompany health and fertility problems. We can think about ways of creating healthier boundaries, managing your emotional triggers and reconnecting to a life outside of fertility treatment and other health problems. 

It is also time to vent and express your true feelings (jealousy? anger? resentment? hopelessness? fear? worry?) without then being assigned a different, more positive one. Because let's get real here - this is rubbish. Embarking on fertility treatment isn't particularly exciting and I'm guessing that this was not part of your future plans or dreams. 

Whether you are at the beginning and are considering treatment or are on a waiting list, have already begun or have reached the end of your journey, I'll be here to support you at whatever stage you find yourself. 

Okay - so I've read your profile. What happens next? 

If you've reached this section, thank you for taking the time to read, I'm sure you've seen a good few profiles already. If you’re still not sure but a little more curious, I offer a free 20-minute introductory call so you can ask any questions you might have and to get a feel for me as your potential counsellor. Just hit the 'email me' button and I'll get back to you asap. 

Training, qualifications & experience

Professional Membership

As a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I am bound by and adhere to their ethical framework for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy. 

Registered member of the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA). 

Qualifications

  • Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling: Integrative Pathway
  • Level 3 - Counselling Skills
  • Level 2 - Counselling Skills
  • Certificate in online and telephone counselling
  • Ongoing continued professional development 

Experience

  • Registered with Victim Support Homicide offering support to people bereaved by murder and manslaughter
  • Affiliate Counsellor for MCL Medics & Healthcare RM
  • EAP Helpline Counsellor for Vita Health Group
  • Bereavement Counsellor for Bereavement Care
  • School Counsellor at Place2be
  • Childline

Professional Membership

As a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I am bound by and adhere to their ethical framework for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy. 

Member organisations

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

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Living-loss (or non-death loss) 

Pet Loss

Therapies offered

Photos & videos

Fees

£75.00 per session

Additional information

Initial call: 20 minutes: no charge

Follow up sessions (50 minutes): £75.00

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Availability varies on the above days. Mondays and Wednesday I am based in Bushey and Thursday afternoon/evening I am in Ruislip. Please contact me to find out more. 

1a Ickenham Road, Ruislip, HA4 7BT

47 Capel Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD19 4AE

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Ruislip: I am located on the first floor of the premises. There is a flight of stairs leading up to the counselling room and unfortunately there is no lift. Bushey: I am located on the ground floor.

Online platforms

Microsoft Teams
Google Meet

Social