About me
Hello, I’m Sarah. Thank you for clicking onto my profile.
I know how challenging life is, especially right now. Life is so busy and we face so many daily demands. I'm also aware of how overwhelming the search for a Therapist/Counsellor can be ....so many to look through! Let me tell you a little about myself and the way I work, so you can consider if I might be the right fit for you.
A safe space to be yourself & speak openly - I strive to offer a welcoming, non-judgemental and confidential space and will aim to help you empower yourself to make positive changes in your life. I offer my wholehearted support, empathy and understanding in order to enable re-connection with yourself and your inner strengths to find your way forward.
Whether you are looking for self-discovery & awareness, personal growth & development, emotional support for the stresses of life, post trauma healing & recovery, coping strategies or coaching & solution focus, I will tailor the therapeutic work with the intention to meet your individual needs.
I am a BACP Accredited & NCPS Senior Accredited Integrative & Trauma Informed Therapist, Therapeutic Coach & Clinical Supervisor, who is Neurodivergent friendly. Now with 12+ years delivering therapy sessions and over 13,000 clinical practice hours, I have extensive experience in working successfully with clients in areas including trauma & recovery, anxiety & panic, grief & loss, low mood & depression, family/relationship problems, positive communication & assertiveness, work stress, burnout and surviving physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and violence. I draw upon a number of techniques and theoretical models to suit each individual client.
Specialism - I have a particular interest in assisting women to access their own personal power and supporting them to navigate their way through challenging and sometimes very difficult life transitions and traumatic events including perimenopause/menopause, pregnancy, termination & baby loss, career shifts, separation and divorce, boundary setting, recovery from toxic relationships, physical & mental health diagnosis, empty nesting, caring for loved ones/elderly parents and retirement.
Alongside my counselling work, I am also available as a Clinical Supervisor. I offer supervision to counsellors at all stages of their career, as well as supervising other professionals in various front line & caring professions.
Please take a look at my Supervisor profile and visit my website for further details and information on all the services I offer - www.sarahoaktherapy.co.uk
Session Formats:-
Zoom Video & Telephone Sessions - Following the pandemic, more and more clients are choosing to engage remotely and so the majority of my work is undertaken by Zoom video or telephone calls. This is just as effective as the traditional face-to-face sessions and I provide the same level of professional service in whichever format is used.
Video/Telephone counselling sessions can offer you the ability to undertake sessions in the comfort of your own home or chosen space, avoid the additional time and cost of travel and is particularly beneficial for individuals who are unable to physically access an office or who have a time limited schedule.
Video counselling sessions are fully encrypted on Zoom, which means our meetings are safe and secure online. All you will need is a device to click on the Zoom link which will be provided via email; this can be a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop or pc, and a private space where you will not be disturbed.
Face-to-Face Sessions - I offer a limited number of face-to-face sessions based in Milton Keynes.
Walk & Talk Therapy - Sometimes, it may be uncomfortable or difficult to be seated for a counselling session if health issues are a concern. Or you may be looking for an alternative environment to help stimulate thoughts and creativity.
Walk & Talk Therapy brings together the traditional talking therapy with the energy of walking, side by side at a pace that suits you. Research shows that exercise can have a significant and positive impact on stress, anxiety and depression, whilst improving overall mood. In addition, connecting with nature and being outdoors can be meditative and enrich reflection. Walk & Talk sessions can offer a new dynamic to get you moving, enhance your emotional well-being as well your physical health.
Couples Therapy - Relationships can present many challenges. As a qualified Couples Therapist and Relationship Coach, I work with clients with the aim of exploring the struggles and resolving the conflict, always maintaining a mutual respect and non judgemental approach. **I'm afraid I do not have any current availability on my couples caseload at present and my waiting list is closed, very sorry**
You are not alone - I would very much like to hear from you, so please make contact to arrange a free 20-30 minute consultation where we can begin to get to know each other and take it from there. I will reply to you by email within 2 working days - please check your spam/junk file if my reply does not appear in your inbox, thank you.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Anti-Oppressive Supervision - Core Supervisor Training
- Certified ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) Coach
- Certified Relationship Coach
- Post Qualification Advanced Supervisor Training; Supervising Groups & Supervisors
- OCN Accredited Certificate in Counselling Supervision
- Certified ADHD Coach
- NCFE Certificate in Therapeutic Coaching
- Certified Online & Telephone Counsellor
- Advanced Post Diploma Certificate in Person Centred Couples Counselling
- Certificate in Working with Couples
- CPCAB Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Therapeutic Counselling
- Diploma in Substance Abuse and Drug Awareness
- Member of the PCU (Psychotherapy and Counselling Union)
- Enhanced DBS Certificate, GDPR Compliant & ICO Registered
Further Training
- Self-Care Through The Menopause & Empowering Menopause
- Preventing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Trauma & Burnout
- Child Protection & Safeguarding Procedures in Schools
- Dissociation & Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
- Neurodivergence Awareness in Couples Counselling
- Infertility, Baby Loss & Pregnancy After Loss
- Family Matters - Couples Counselling
- Supporting Bereaved Children & Young People
- Coping with Separation, Divorce & Death
- Working With Bereavement, Grief & Loss
- Dealing with Controlling People & Controlling Behaviours
- Pre-Trial Therapy (Following New AG Guidelines 2022)
- The Survivors Trust Advocacy Programme
- Working with Survivors of Sexual Violence, Trauma & Abuse
- Mindfulness & Somatic Awareness
- Supporting Parents to Cope With Self-Harm in Young People/Children
- Working with Suicide & Self Harm
- Working with Autism & Neurodivergence
- Understanding Anxiety & Managing Panic Attacks
- Counselling Remotely - Certified Telephone & Online Counsellor
- MKSCB Child Protection
- Counselling Children & Young People
- Healthy Relationships: Who's In Charge?
- Mood & Food - Eating Difficulties & Disorders
- Living with Addiction & MH Disorders
- Working with Children in Social Care Settings
- Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults
- Supporting Patients Living with Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs)
- RCGP Management of Drug Misuse Treatment in a Secure Environment
- RCGP Drug Treatment Planning & Harm Reduction
- Control Of Violence for Angry Impulsive Drinkers
- Critical Incident Debrief Facilitation
- Group Facilitation & Programme Delivery
- Counselling Assessment Referral Advice & Through-care
Membership
I am an Accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a Senior Accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). I adhere to their code of ethics to ensure safe and ethical practice.
I hold a current, enhanced DBS (formally CRB) certificate and I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.
I am also a member of the Person Centred Association and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
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
- Loss of a loved one by suicide
- Survivor Guilt
- Adjustment to Change & Transition
- Surviving Coercive Control & Abuse
- Managing Communication Difficulties
- Setting Personal Boundaries & Assertiveness
- Saying "No More" to Toxic Relationships, People Pleasing & Codependency
- Moral Distress & Moral Injury
- Supporting survivors of rape, sexual assault and sexual violence
- Acute Trauma, PTSD
- Complex Trauma, Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
- Life Limiting Diagnoses, Palliative Counselling, End of life, Facing mortality
- Supporters of Substance Users
- Personal Development & Self Directed Growth
- Working Creatively; using materials to facilitate therapeutic work
- Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress & Compassion Fatigue
- Clinical Supervision - As an experienced and approved BACP Accredited & NCPS Snr. Accredited Supervisor, I provide supervision to experienced, newly qualified and trainee counsellors, as well as Couples Counsellors, Relationship Counsellors, Therapeutic Coaches, fellow Supervisors and other Professionals working within the caring profession (please see my Supervisor profile or visit my website www.sarahoaktherapy.co.uk for further details).
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 - £60.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual Counselling (Adults Age 18+ only) - In order to decide if we could work well together, I offer a free 20-30 minute telephone or zoom video consultation to discuss your needs and how we may be able to work together. I'm afraid I do not have any Couples Therapy availability at present, very sorry.
***Reduced rate available upon request***
If you are a Student Counsellor in training, I can also provide use of therapeutic language within sessions to support links to course criteria and a letter/statement of attendance if requested.
I offer morning and afternoon appointments - I'm afraid I do not have any evening session availability, very sorry.
Payments to be made by way of bank transfer ahead of each session. Unfortunately, cancellations made within 48 hours will incur a fee.
When I work
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Further information
Therapy Schedules: I work in an open ended way and can provide brief, short-term goal-orientated therapy for focussed work to address immediate challenges and specific stressors or long-term & sustained in-depth counselling for complex struggles, recovery from trauma and abuse, to achieve restorative healing, self-understanding and lasting life changes.
Location: I offer face to face counselling sessions based in Milton Keynes (Limited Availability on Wednesdays Only).
Remote Sessions - Online & Telephone: Sessions are usually available on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays. Please fee free to ask for current availability.
I offer daytime appointments - including early morning sessions from 7am if needed to fit around busy schedules. I do not offer evening session times, very sorry.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to email me with your questions - enquiries@sarahoaktherapy.co.uk (please check your junk/spam file for a reply, thank you).
Thank you for reading my profile and I hope to hear from you soon.
