Sarah Russell
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Mental health and mental wellbeing are being spoken about more than ever before. You may have heard about counselling and wondering if this is something that could help you. Or you may have had it before and feel that you would benefit by returning to counselling. By visiting my website, I imagine you are considering how counselling may be help you or, more specifically how I can help you?
Counselling isn’t about someone telling you what to do or what is good for you, it is about you having time and space to explore your thoughts, feelings and what you may want to do. To have someone accept us as we are, to sit with us and listen deeply without judgement, to help us navigate our way through can often be a rare experience. It is something that often those around us may not be able to offer – but this is what I offer you. I have experienced how talking therapy can help find a way through difficult times.
Be assured that there are many, many reasons why people seek counselling. As each of us is unique, so whatever is troubling you, will be personal to you. However, it may be helpful to see some of the reasons why people seek the support of talking therapy.
Feeling of overwhelm or stress at work or perhaps on the verge of burnout
Living with unhappiness, depression or anxiety
Feeling, lonely, isolated or helpless or finding it difficult to relate to others
Upsetting experiences – whether recent or a long time ago
Feelings of low self-esteem or low confidence.
Difficult life events, such as bereavement or relationship break up.
Life stages such as retirement, children leaving home or looking for more meaning in life
We can get to know ourselves better through counselling. I hold the belief that if a person is struggling, they will also find that they have their answer.
If you haven’t had counselling before you may be wondering what to expect and if you need to prepare in some way for our first meeting. You don’t need to – unless you want to make some notes to bring along. Some people can find this helpful, others don’t, and I don’t hold any expectations either way.
For most of the meeting we will talk about what is troubling you and to explore together what your hopes are for counselling. You will learn more about what I offer and how I may be able to help you, and I will consider how my experience and skills can help you. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. In terms of how long the initial session would be, like regular sessions, this session would be 50 minutes long. Towards the end of the session, we can talk about whether this is something we want to go ahead with, or not. There is absolutely no obligation to take it forward. It’s for this reason that I like to offer a discounted rate.
I am very much committed to helping my clients find a way of working through whatever is troubling them. Please contact me if you would like to arrange an initial session.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Accredited Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists
- BA Hons Integrative Counselling
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
- Foundation Degree (Distinction)in Humanistic Counselling based on Transactional Analysis
- ABC Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills
- Transactional Analysis 101 Certificate
- ABC Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching and Mentoring
- Enhanced DBS Check
As a Counsellor, I have worked in several local charities; Helping Hands for the Blind, Options Counselling and most recently in Basingstoke Counselling Service. – who provide counselling for a full range of personal problems. I am also a qualified coach and have worked within both private and public sectors
Please go to my website for more information, or please do give me a call.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I offer the first, no obligation meeting at a reduced cost of £30. Thereafter, regular sessions are £60 .
I offer both In Person and Online sessions.
When I work
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I am available from Wednesdays to Fridays for meetings either online or to meet in person. I currently have some availability for both options. Please do get in contact to discuss your needs
Further information
New to counselling?
If you haven’t had counselling before you may be wondering what to expect and if you need to prepare in some way for our meeting. You don’t need to – unless you want to make some notes to bring along. Some people can find this helpful, others don’t, and I don’t hold any expectations either way.
For most of the session we will talk about what is troubling you and to explore together what your hopes are for counselling. You will learn more about what I offer and how I may be able to help you. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. In terms of how long the initial session would be, like regular sessions, this session would be 50 minutes long. Towards the end of the session, we can talk about whether this is something we want to go ahead with, or not. There is absolutely no obligation to take it forward. It’s for this reason that I like to offer a discounted rate.
For online sessions I work in a room where I can maintain confidentiality as privacy is just as important as when meeting together in person. If you chose to meet online, I would ask that you too find a space where you can talk freely without being overheard.
Please do get in touch if you have any questions about an initial session that I haven’t been able to answer here.
