About me
If you are looking for a warm, pragmatic and compassionate therapist to support you to explore the difficulties you're having I might be the person. We can meet in person or online.
I love working with women and can support you to understand yourself in a way that feels empowering and helps you feel more confident and ultimately happier.
Talking with me can really help if you're experiencing any of these:
- Difficulty making space for the things you want to do
- Angry feelings
- Relationship or family issues
- Parenting difficulties
- Anxiety or worried thoughts
- Feeling stressed often and not knowing how to help yourself feel better
- Low motivation or a feeling of being stuck
- It's a struggle to set and keep boundaries with others, or yourself
- Concern about your mental health or self esteem
Perhaps:
- You're bereaved and struggling with grief
- Finding life a struggle and are afraid you're burning out
- Peri-menopause or menopause difficulties are getting in your way
- You comfort or binge eat or have bulimia
- You compromise too much
- You're experiencing symptoms that seem like ADHD and wonder what to do about it
- Your creativity is feeling blocked
- Something has turned your life upside down
Even at a time when things are seemingly on a pretty even keel things can feel tricky - just living our lives can be a challenge.
Talking to a supportive therapist in a safe space can really help. It's a sign of strength to ask for support.
A bit about me
I'm an experienced Humanistic Psychotherapist with more than 15 years experience. My approach is Integrative, which means that it is gathered from a range of psychological theories. As a Humanistic therapist, I believe that you know what is best for you.
I understand High Sensitivity and ADHD and am trauma informed - I will help you connect with your physical experience in the present moment and calm your nervous system. I use mindfulness and Polyvagel theory. I am also very experienced in working with relationship with food, body of image and creativity.
I know how hard it can feel to reach out to someone you don't know, especially when you're at a low ebb but please do contact me. You might find you feel better just from taking that first step.
Training, qualifications & experience
I'm a Registered Member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (MBACP Reg) and a Qualified Coach (EMCC).
My training and experience includes the following:
- Spectrum: Post-Graduate Diploma in Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy and Counselling (Qualified 2014)
- Spectrum: Certificate in Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy and Counselling (2006)
- OCR Certificate in Counselling Skills (2010)
- Childhood Sexual Abuse (2010)
- Spectrum Developing Clinical Skills (2011)
- Beyond Chocolate's year-long training around relationship with food and body image (2006)
- Therapist to Coach training. (2022-'23)
I comply with the BACP’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice and am in ongoing Supervision to support my work.
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
Burnout
If you're feeling overwhelmed by life, often feel got at, are perhaps experiencing panic attacks, or struggle with relationships, you might be moving towards burnout or already be there. You might feel constantly under pressure.
I can help you explore yourself and find the compassion and understanding that will help you get well.
High Sensitivity
If you find experiences and places that many other people are not bothered by too much you might be Highly Sensitive. Common difficulties arise over busy places, too much noise or shiny surfaces or too much doing. Maybe you were told as a child that were 'too sensitive’, or ‘over sensitive' or ‘shy'.
High sensitivity brings with it both benefits and difficulties - we can work together to help you learn strategies that will help you feel calmer and happier day to day.
For further information check out: https://hsperson.com/
Creativity
If you're a creative that is feeling 'blocked' it can be both depressing and baffling. Therapy can help you bring it back, and as a creative myself, I have particular interest and experience in working with you.
Difficulty setting boundaries
When we set healthy boundaries we feel empowered and capable.
If you have been taught that others matter more than you, and you must be helpful and caring all the time you might end up saying ‘yes’ when you mean ‘no’. I can help you explore how to get more of what you want in your life and say 'no' to what doesn't work for you.
Anger
If you were taught that your anger was too much and shouldn't be felt or expressed you might find yourself behaving in angry ways you dislike
Anger is a creative force that we need and yet so many of us were taught that we shouldn’t express it.
I can help you explore and process your anger safely, without involving others.
Relationship with food and body image
Our relationship with food is formed very young and society’s expectations of how we might look can cause great difficulty. Therapy can support you to address these difficulties.
Fees
£80.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Some concessions available - please enquire.
I work in a small village between Wallingford and Henley in South Oxfordshire from a beautiful barn adjacent to my home that overlooks my garden. I also work online.
Making Contact
Please do reach out - I'm happy to help you decide whether I'm the right therapist for you.
We'll start with a short introductory phone call so we can hear each other's voices and set a date for a first session if you'd like to do that.
At that first session, either in person or online, we'll discuss what's bringing you to therapy and I'll answer any questions you have. If that feels good we'll set up a time to meet that works for both of us going forward.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Sarah
When I work
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Further information
Testimonials
"Sarah’s support has enabled me to set the boundaries I need to
enhance my life and really be myself."
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"It’s been a beautiful experience. There’s an ease creeping into things that I didn’t have before”.
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“Sarah has helped me think more deeply about what I want - we explored different areas of my life and she helped me make connections between how I approach those situations, where I was seeing them rather in isolation before.
The grounding work helped me focus on the feeling I want.”
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"It feels like the circle is closing and I see my self at the centre whereas before it felt as though everything was a bit disparate and unconnected - making the links within myself has rounded the circle."
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"I felt it was a very safe space and the sessions were really productive and helpful."
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“Sarah creates a warm space for me to think about myself and I generally leave feeling grounded and with a sense of satisfaction.”
