Sarah McMaster
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
I am a qualified and experienced counsellor and supervisor currently offering appointments in central Lancaster. My therapeutic approach is person centred, which means I work with each client as an individual and work at a pace which feel right for them. My practice is effective and ethical, I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am also a qualified nurse (RGN) currently working in higher education.
People come to see me for many reasons, it may be that something has happened in their life which they are finding very difficult to live with, this could be something that has happened recently or something which happened a long time ago but which has never been resolved, or maybe even acknowledged. Often people are suffering feelings which seem impossible to shift, these could be feelings of grief, anxiety, anger, shame, guilt, fear and confusion.
Sometimes it is not an event that brings people to counselling but a feeling of not having purpose or of being stuck and of wanting to experience change and growth in their lives.
It can be hard to talk to friends and family about how we really feel, we may worry that we are being a burden to them or feel that they will not understand or that they will judge us in some way, sometimes this can make us feel very alone and we can begin to lose hope of ever feeling better. Counselling can help you by providing a safe, supportive space for you to explore your feelings in confidence with someone who cares but will not judge you.
Clients have told me that having the opportunity to talk honestly, openly and without judgement about how they are feeling has given them a great sense of relief and acceptance. As therapy progresses and trust grows many clients find they are able to work through their thoughts and feelings, make sense of them and begin to find a way forward. Working with a skilled, careful and respectful therapist can help get to the root of problems, bring about change and restore hope, which may have previously seemed impossible.
I work with clients experiencing a range of issues including:
- anxiety / panic
- anger
- low mood / depression
- trauma
- relationship problems
- grief & loss
- workplace stress
- the impact of medical diagnosis, prognosis and treatment
If you want to know more about how I work or how counselling may help you please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training/qualifications:
- First-class degree in counselling - BA (Hons) Person-Centred Therapy gained at the University of Cumbria
- Postgraduate (L7) in Clinical Supervision
- Accredited Certificate in Couples Counselling
- Trauma training - Positive Outcomes for Dissociation Survivors (PODS)
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
- Working with bereaved clients - BACP
- Working with addiction - BACP
- Understanding Dementia - University of Tasmania
- Motivational Interviewing - Macmillan
- Safeguarding children
- Safeguarding adults
Experience:
Many years experience in counselling, including:
- working in private practice and in working for seeing individual clients and couples with a variety of problems.
- managing therapeutic services for a local cancer support service and providing counselling to clients (patients or carers) affected by cancer or bereavement
- working within a residential addiction recovery unit, providing person-centred counselling to clients in recovery
- volunteering within a local free/low cost counselling service, offering counselling to clients presenting with a wide range of issues for long-term therapy.
- Employee Assistance Program work - offering time-limited counselling for clients experiencing difficulties at work, these may be problems directly associated with work or more personal problems which are impacting upon work.
- In addition to my private practice, I also currently work for a local cancer charity, offering counselling to those affected by cancer or bereavement
- I am also a qualified nurse (R.G.N) registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) with over thirty years experience. Having previously specialised in palliative care, I am now a Lecturer in Adult Nursing.
- Six years experience of supervising student and qualified counsellors
I am a registered member of the British Association Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and abide by their ethical framework and hold appropriate insurance.
I practice continuing professional development. If you have any queries about my qualifications or experience, please just ask.
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
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
From £50.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Fees are £50.00 per session.
If you are unsure if counselling is right for you then I offer a free 30 minute session for you to come along and talk this through with me, I am also happy to answer any queries via telephone or e-mail.
If after a first session you feel you do not wish to carry on with counselling there is no obligation to book any further sessions.
The number of sessions needed varies for each individual, this is something we can discuss and review regularly together.
If you are enquiring about supervision please see my supervision profile for information and fees.
When I work
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Further information
If you have any questions about the way I work or about counselling in general, please just get in touch and ask.
