Sonal Kadchha
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Why counselling?
The modern pressures of life can take their toll on us – increasing responsibilities and being connected 24/7 can leave us feeling burnt out, anxious, and overwhelmed. Even when we do manage to disconnect, we find it difficult to disconnect from our racing thoughts. If you’re new to therapy it can be daunting, however, taking this brave step can be rewarding. It can give you the space to explore what is really going on, process difficult emotions, develop healthy coping strategies and restore your mental well-being - so that you aren’t just surviving, but thriving in the world.
How I work
I work analytically to help you step behind your thoughts and gain new insights into your inner world. At the same time, I provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to process your emotions. As we gain new insights on why you do the things you do and learn to sit with difficult emotions – they gradually stop having such a stronghold. We also work together to “connect the dots” to clearly see the bigger picture and themes emerging in your life – giving you direction on where you want to go to next - through inspired action. By growing in self-awareness, learning to pause before reacting and making different choices – you’ll start to feel more inner freedom. It’s these small consistent changes that compound into huge shifts over time and create meaningful changes in your life.
As well as talk therapy, we explore other more creative and practical ways of working such as visualisations, role play, meditation, dream work– which can really help to draw out what’s going on beneath the surface of the mind, in the unconscious. Through this way of working, we’re able to work at depth and honour all aspects of you as a human being – on the level of intellect, feelings and soul.
Next steps
I offer an initial free phone consultation to see if I would be able to help, answer any preliminary questions you might have and for us to get a sense of what it might be like to work together. If we decide to proceed, we will establish a counselling contract to ensure transparency, confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.
The first official session is used to explore your family history, hopes for therapy and what life might look like if what brings you to therapy is resolved. Each session usually lasts 50 minutes although the first one might be a bit longer depending on how much there is to cover.
Training, qualifications & experience
Experience
In my private practice, I work with professionals suffering from anxiety, depression, burn-out and (midlife) crisis. I also work with people who are trying to make sense of other types of crisis e.g. spiritual emergencies, intense psychedelic experiences, sudden loss (job, relationships, loved ones etc). I've been working in the field of mental health since 2019, including the following organisations:
- PsyCare UK - providing welfare and harm reduction services at music festivals and events
- Spiritual Crisis Network UK - helping people make meaning of and integrate crisis experiences
- Cruse Bereavement Support - helping people deal with the grief around the death of their loved ones
- Psychosynthesis Trust’s counselling service
Qualifications & Affiliations
As well as Psychosynthesis Psychology, I have qualifications in Jungian analytical psychology and bereavement counselling. I have an interest in Buddhist psychology and psychedelic psychotherapy (which is the basis of my current thesis).
- Post Graduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis Psychology (Level 7) - Institute of Psychosynthesis
- Diploma in Counselling (Level 4) - Institute of Psychosynthesis
Masters in Psychosynthesis Psychology (Thesis in progress) - Institute of Psychosynthesis in affiliation with Middlesex University - Post Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy (in progress) - Institute of Psychosynthesis (accredited by UKCP)
- Bereavement Support Foundation Level 2 (including CPDs in COVID-19 deaths, suicide prevention & control) - Cruse Bereavement Support (awarded through Ascentis)
- Foundations of Jungian Analytical Psychology - Society of Analytical Psychology
- MEng, BEng in Chemical Engineering - Queens’ College, University of Cambridge
- Member of the European Psychosynthesis Association (EPA)
- Student member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapists (UKCP) and as such, subscribe to the UKCP Code of Ethics
- Registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and as such, subscribe to the BACP Code of Ethics
- Professional Liability Insurance held with Holistic Insurance Services
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£75.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
When I work
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I have online slots available online mornings/early afternoon and limited in person slots available on Weds and Friday afternoons/early evenings
Further information
As well as working as a counsellor, I am the founder of a charity that empowers young women in East Africa called ETC. Previous to this, I held a number of leadership positions in the Financial Services industry, as well as the start-up world. Having lived in India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Uganda and the UK – I am adept at working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
