Sarah Waters
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am an approachable, experienced Integrative therapist whose aim is to help alleviate anxiety and get to the roots of the disharmony that you may currently experience in your life. You may be struggling because of the stresses and worries of an ever increasingly hostile world, a specific incident or relationship(s) or because of trauma/abuse/neglect experienced during childhood. Although I am trained in Person Centred Therapy I also incorporate knowledge of Attachment Theory and Childhood Trauma into my approach. This acknowledges the huge impact our early months and years can have on our emotional (and physical) health and well-being.
Please look at my website at http://www.swtherapy.net for more information.
Alongside listening to your background and what has led you to me, I like to view my clients (adults and young people) through a holistic lens and have a very keen interest in how the likes of screens, sleep, exercise, connecting to nature, nutrition, toxicity, the breath, and gut /oral health affects us emotionally. I have close links with practitioners locally (or further afield) who specialise in supporting people’s physical and emotional health naturally either through yoga, herbalism, homeopathy, massage, breathwork and kinesiology to name but a few. It can often be very helpful to combine the therapy sessions with support from one or several of these other modalities or we can just spend some time considering how your emotions may be being affected by other lifestyle/ environmental factors.
Alongside running my private practice, in 2015 I set up and led a therapy service for parents for a local charity that supports children and families that have experienced Domestic Abuse. I ran this for 4 years but now run my private practice alongside working as a self employed practitioner for Cornwall Council offering support to families struggling with abuse and trauma.
I am happy to work short term as I do appreciate that committing to therapy long term is a big financial and emotional commitment. However you may require more than this and it can sometimes take time to reach the depths where real transformation can happen. If appropriate we would therefor look into the type of nurture you received as an infant and child as this would give us a unique insight into your emotional development. It would also help us to understand how and why you relate to others in the way that you do and armed with that awareness we can work on any changes you may want to make.
All of this would take place in a space in which I’d hope you’d feel really listened to and respected. I believe this is one of the most helpful things one person can do for another. I don't give advice or tell you what to do – although I will offer insights and reflections based on my experience. The emphasis of my approach is on a collaborative, empathic, confidential and open relationship where we can try together to get a better perspective on whatever your problems or worries may be.
Learning to see your situation more clearly and most importantly, cultivating acceptance of yourself in it can take time; it certainly takes commitment and courage so well done for taking this first step. So you know you're in safe hands I am a registered member of the BACP and adhere to its strict code of ethics plus have insurance, am DBS checked and have regular clinical supervision.
I work privately from home on the outskirts of Penzance in a cosy room looking out onto a garden.
I am from Cornwall and have also spent a long time in London and Sydney, which has given me a wide variety of experience. I am also a mum to two children - a 15 year old daughter and 21 year old son.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
THERAPEUTIC PARENTING:
I have extensive experience of working with parents whose children have witnessed or suffered abuse, neglect and trauma. I offer psycho education/therapy to parents/carers to help them understand the psychological impact of direct or indirect abuse that a child or young person has experienced and encourage them in therapeutic parenting techniques.
I am trained in a therapy called DDP (Dyadic Developmental Practice: Parenting & Psychotherapy) and am fully certified in this approach. This informs my work with parents on their own or with a parent and child together.
What do the words mean?
‘Dyadic’ means ‘something about two people’. This word was used because this therapy helps people with their relationships with other people. DDP specifically aims to help parents or caregivers and their child make deeper emotional connections with each other. ‘Developmental’ is used because the children and adolescents who have experienced developmental trauma may have had their emotional, social or cognitive development affected. This therapy aims to work out whether and how your child’s development might have been affected and how you might be able to help your child’s development progress.
What does DDP aim to do?
Create a safe and emotionally containing environment that helps positive relationships develop between parents or caregivers and their child
Provide a safe space for a child to explore thoughts, feelings and memories, including scary and unpleasant ones
Build trust
Help the parent or caregiver share the child’s emotional experiences and make sense of them together
Help the child to feel that his or her emotional experiences, thoughts, wishes, feelings, perceptions and motives are accepted and not made light of, or judged, by their parents or caregivers
PARENT INFANT THERAPY:
I also offer Parent/ Infant therapy for Mums (and dads/carers) who would like to learn more about having a positive relationship with their baby. The therapy sessions are with you and your child together, in a safe, confidential and nurturing space where you can explore your feelings and not be judged or told what to
We would work together to attend to the emotional health and development of both you and your child by:
Examining any adverse conditions that exist in your current situation
Looking at your experience of pregnancy and birth plus any previous birth experiences that you have had
Exploring your thoughts/feelings towards the presence and care of your infant
Wondering about your infants experiences and feelings when interacting with you
Allowing you to express any conflicts or emotions you feel when with your infant
Sharing in the observation of the infants growth and development
Looking at any past history of abuse, abandonment, separation and unresolved loss and how this may affect your relationship with your infant.
Training, qualifications & experience
Certified DDP Practitioner 2023
Dyadic Developmental Practice: Psychotherapy & Parenting ( Level 2) 2017
Dyadic Developmental Practice: Psychotherapy & Parenting ( Level 1) 2015
1st Class BA (Hons) Degree in Counselling Studies 2012:
The modules included:
Transpersonal Therapy/Nurturing the Soul
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Identity, Diversity and Difference
Ways of working with Rage and Anger
Working with groups
Thesis: How nurture affects to the brain development of infants aged 0-2
Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling and Therapy 2008.
CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies 2006.
CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills 2005.
I have attended courses/seminars on the following:
Differential Diagnosis - Autism or Attachment? 2023
Can Insecurely Attached Mothers Have Securely Attached Children? NScience Workshop 2023
Having Difficult Conversations - facilitated by Dr Kerry Davison Psychology Associates 2022
Narcissism, Gender Roles and Psychopathy: Exploring intersecting and reciprocal relationships Nscience workshop 2021
Holding All The Parts in Mind: Understanding, recognising and working with complex trauma and dissociation - facilitated by Betsy de Thierry & Psychology Associates 2021
Working and Thinking Systemically with Couples - facilitated by Hannah Sherbesky Psychology Associates 2020
Recovery in Community: Collective Trauma Recovery Plan during Covid-19 for children Stage 1, 2 & 3- Louise Michelle Bomber 2020
Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening love in traumatised children - Dan Hughes for The Centre for Child Mental Health 2020
Reflections on Trauma; Exploring clinical approaches through the lens of neurobiology, attachment theory, psychoanalysis and the body - Graham Music 2020
BACP CPD Presentation - Working Online 2019
Level 3 Multi Agency Child Protection Training (Domestic Abuse) 2019
Cornwall Council Core Parenting Programme 2018
Level 1 Safeguarding Adults 2018
Level 3 Multi Agency Child Protection Training (Core course) 2017
Safer Cornwall Basic Drug Awareness Training 2017
Level 2 Award in Health & Safety in the Workplace (QFC) 2017
Iron Mill College - Connecting through Creativity Conference - Facilitating relationship, healing and wellbeing in the therapeutic professions - 2017
Adult Mental Health First Aid 2 day Course - 2017
Brief Introduction to Motivational Interviewing – 2017
Infant Mental Health conference (2016)
IBA Identification and Brief Advice with Alcohol Users Training (2016)
ASSIST Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (2016)
FGM Awareness for the Voluntary Sector (2016)
PACE for Professionals (2015)
Group 2 Child Protection Refresher Training (2015)
Perinatal Mental Health Study Day (2014)
DASH Domestic Abuse, Stalking & Harassment, Honour-Based Violence Risk Assessment Training (2014)
Understanding Attachment in Children Seminar (2013)
Mindfullness for stress reduction 8 week course (2013)
Introduction to Core Process Psychotherapy (2012)
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
Parent Infant therapy/counselling
DDP - Dyadic work with a parent(s)/carer(s) and child or young person
DDP therapeutic parenting support
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Sessions last for 50 minutes and ideally take place on a weekly basis.
I work from home in Penzance.
I charge £60 for young person/adult sessions
I charge £80 per hourly session for DDP
When I work
Weekdays 9am-5pm