Shannon Chester

I am a psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapist providing a safe, warm and professional space for those looking to find treatment for a mental health issue, or to simply improve emotional well-being and to bring about change in their lives.  Psychotherapy is a clinical treatment effective for a wide range of diagnoses and mental health issues. We can work together to address and resolve complex and multiple issues within one therapy.  Psychotherapy can also be a creative, explorative and relational process for gaining self-awareness, insight and understanding. Psychotherapy uses the relationship between client and therapist as a tool for gaining understanding about what is happening in other relationships,. This alliance and bond can help to ease relational difficulties, and bring about healing from past trauma. 

I currently work in the NHS within a specialist personality disorder service and specialise in working with people who have endured complex trauma and adverse events in life.  Our past relationships and events shape who we are, how we relate to others, and how we feel in the world. They provide the foundations for how we approach significant relationships throughout our lives. We all need relationships to grow, cope and to flourish, however at times, relationships can feel difficult and hard to maintain. Together, we can make sense of difficult experiences that have happened in your life and to start to understand what behaviours and patterns are effecting you that often feel unhelpful and difficult to change.

We can experience emotional distress at any point in life and for various reasons, sometimes the reason is clear; a traumatic event or a loss; and at other times the reason we feel distress such as anxiety and depression is not always clear and this feels confusing, painful and very difficult. Therapy is a non-judgmental explorative process that allows insights into relationships, difficulties, problems and symptoms, illuminating what may be causing them. Often processing feelings, becoming aware and gaining insight leads to symptom relief and enables us to make the changes to become healthier and more at ease in mind and in body.

If you would like to explore whether psychotherapy is the right fit for you, I initially offer an assessment consultation appointment that lasts for 1.5 hours. This creates space and room for exploring difficulties and to really think about your problems, needs and what will be helpful. This is a chance for us to get to know one another and for you to consider whether you want to work with me. I can provide within these appointments clinical advice on other treatment options if you feel that my approach is not the right fit for you.  This appointment charge is £90.

I offer singles session of 50 minutes weekly or twice weekly depending on need on a sliding scale of £60-80 per session. I work in three locations, Hythe, Ashford and Whistable, and I am also able to offer online appointments to those who would prefer.

I do offer concessional rates for those who may need, please let me know in our initial discussions.

I look forward to hearing from you