Sonia Minards
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
I am an experienced counsellor working with individuals and couples to support them through life’s difficulties. I provide an open, nurturing, and non-judgemental space through both via face-to-face and online therapy, to explore any challenges that may bring you to seek therapeutic support.
At times life can be challenging for all of us, challenges or difficulties can occur through the impact of specific external events and life transitions, or sometimes we are simply left feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, anxious, depressed, or have lost meaning and direction in our lives.
My approach is explorative and empathic, offering you an open and nurturing space in which to bring awareness to and address underlying issues or concerns to create meaningful change. I remain non-judgemental, whilst also providing appropriate reflection and inquiry to help you question your assumptions, and face your blocks, so that over time you can expect to see the impact in your daily life and relationships, moving forwards in a more meaningful way.
Together we will look at the issues behind the challenges you, or your relationship, is facing exploring ways to help you address patterned behaviours, and contact style in relationships, developing a greater sense of purpose and meaning and improved relationship dynamics.
Issues I work with include:
- Anxiety, stress, and overwhelm - including generalised anxiety disorder
- Depression - low mood, sadness, feelings of despair, loneliness, isolation, and questions around life direction and meaning
- Relationship and family challenges and breakdowns - including couples counselling for romantic relationships, friendships, colleagues, and family members
- Low confidence and self esteem
- Challenges with identity and purpose
- Damaging coping mechanisms - addiction, self-harm, damaging eating behaviours, and issues with anger management
- Loss, illness, and bereavement
- Pressures and challenges at work - negotiating work relationships, low self-esteem and imposter syndrome, career transitions, over-ambition, dissatisfaction and loss of meaning
- Work relationships - navigating competitive and / or male-dominated environments, building confidence, and developing leadership skills
I understand that seeking counselling can be a big step, but for many it is the most profound step towards transforming.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am qualified in Psychosynthesis Counselling, an integrative approach which looks at the causes of the issues you are facing, and focuses on moving forwards with renewed meaning and purpose. I am a registered member (MBACP) of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), and I operate under their ethical framework. I undertake regular training to deepen my knowledge and expertise, this includes:
Systemic Leadership Coaching & Constellations Practitioner Programme (in progress) - The Whole Partnership, in collaboration with the Centre for Systemic Constellations
Transpersonal Coaching (level 2) - Hetty Einzig
Diploma in Couple & relationship facilitation - AlkImia Training
Practitioner Skills for working with Eating Disorders - National Centre for Eating Disorders
Postgraduate Diploma Psychosynthesis Counselling - Psychosynthesis Trust
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
Fees
£77.00 - £110.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I operate a sliding scale fee structure linked to your income level, please contact me for more details.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
Further information
Please contact me by email or phone if you would like to find out more about working with me. I can also offer an initial 15-minute free phone consultation to discuss how I may be able to assist you.
If you would like to proceed from there we would then book an initial 50 minute, 1 hr 15 mins for couples, session to meet each other, and discuss in detail what has brought you to counselling, how we may work together, and for you to ask any questions you may have.
