Sarah Murray
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Whether you have been for counselling before or this is your first experience, I understand that making the first contact and attending the first session can feel like a daunting prospect. It is often the first step to talking about a problem, something you dislike about your current situation, uncomfortable feelings or something from your past. I cannot tell you how brave I believe you are, even just to be reading this profile shows you are considering taking this big step to helping yourself.
My experience is that clients come to counselling for many different reasons and often want to gain something different from sessions, here are some examples:
- Some clients are experiencing difficult feelings they do not understand and do not know how to change, such as anxiety, depression, having panic attacks or feeling sad. They want a space to explore these feelings together, to understand them better and find ways of coping.
- Some clients come with a very clear idea of what they wish to talk about, for example if they have experienced a bereavement, trauma, family issues or relationship breakdown or have a difficult decision they’re facing and want a space to process their feelings to support them to move forward.
- Others feel they benefit from a weekly space that is just for them, perhaps they don’t have a close friend or partner they feel they can open up to and find counselling helpful to offload and process what they are experiencing week to week.
- Others perhaps don’t feel they have a particular ‘problem’ but feel they would like space to do some personal work, to understand themselves better, to learn and develop. For example, in this scenario, clients have a sense of something underlying and when they attend counselling they are not sure what is going to come out of it until they begin to open up. This has often resulted in clients uncovering something holding them back in life, exploration of how they are in relationships or a consideration of their personal boundaries and self-care.
Long story short, there is no right or wrong reason to come for counselling, some clients find as little as 6 sessions helpful, whereas others attend longer term for several months or years. If you’re reading this page there is something within you that is feeling ready and is considering that you might find having this space helpful. Working with a wide variety of clients has shown me how fragile life can be and the difficulties it can unknowingly throw at us. I believe I am a kind, gentle, caring person and that I can provide you with a safe space to reflect on and explore your feelings. Whatever you bring to counselling, please feel reassured that I will listen with an open mind, without judgement and we will always go at your own pace.
At Moment by Moment Counselling my aim is that you will leave each session feeling listened to, cared for and valued, truly for being you.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a fully qualified Person Centred Counsellor with a Postgraduate Diploma in Person Centred Counselling and I am also a qualified Counselling Supervisor. I am a registered member of the BACP and fully insured.
I have had my private counselling practice for 8 years and I have over 18 years of experience within a therapeutic environment, as a listener, a supporter and a counsellor. Alongside private practice, I have worked in a variety of roles:
- Managing a counselling service for young survivors of sexual violence
- Managing a counselling service for black, minority ethnic women and girls
- Counselling young people affected by sexual violence
- Counselling within a holistic health and well-being centre
- Counselling within a service for those affected by cancer
- Counselling within charities that offer low cost or free counselling
- Empowering adults with learning disabilities to be more independent
- Supporting adults and young people affected by homelessness in a drop-in day centre and in residential supported accommodations
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
Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you feel your reason for counselling is not listed above, this is simply the areas I have most experience in and it does not mean I can't work with you. As previously stated clients come to counselling for a wide variety of different reasons.
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 - £80.00
Additional information
Initial session fee: £60
On-going sessions: £80 per session
The session fee can be paid by bank transfer on the day of the session.
Please note: The full cost of the session applies for cancellations made with less than 24 hours notice as I am usually unable to fill the appointment at such short notice.
When I work
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Further information
For further information about how I work please visit my website. Please don't hesitate to get in contact if you have any questions or concerns about coming to counselling. I understand this is an important decision and I want to be able to offer any reassurance you may need.
Text or phone: 07865859893
Email
Or simply click on the 'email me' or 'phone me' button on this page.
Please note: I work Wed & Thurs but please feel free to get in touch whenever suits you to leave me a message by text, phone or email and I'll get back to you as soon as I can on my return to work.
