Sonia St John-James

Verified Professional task_alt Verified Professional
Verified Professional

Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.

BSc Psych., MSc Ther. Coun. ,BACP accred. ,EMDR accred. CTfD
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3TQ
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Feeling for a change? Despite all your best efforts of ignoring or pretending all is well do you still ask yourself 'Why can’t I shake this?’ Ready to rid yourself anxiety (worry, guilt, shame) triggered by memories that are so overwhelming that you’re having to twist yourself to reduce associated anxieties only to realise this too creates new problems? I can help you learn to regulate and reduce anxiety caused by the awareness of feelings, thoughts and behaviours, bringing about greater felt harmony. Then you’ll be able to feel and experience the full array of healthy feelings without fear so you can move towards mental and emotional equilibrium.

I am an EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) to work with adults. EMDR accelerates the brain's ability to process traumatic, life-threatening events and ongoing stressful situations.

I also have an EMDR child specialist certificate, this training has equipped me to EMDR to both children and adolescents, to support them through traumatic experiences towards feeling healthier and safer in themselves and in the world.

EMDR is evidence based and has at least ten inter/national guideline recommendations for the treatment of traumas and PTSD including from WHO (World Health Organisation).

I have completed IAPT Couples Therapy for Depression Training at the Tavistock Centre, supporting couples to understand and navigate their challenges and work towards repair and greater fulfillment.

Whether the difficulty is self-confidence, relationships, the haunting of an event you had first or second-hand experience from yesteryear - if you hear yourself saying ‘I need to move on from this, but can’t do it alone,’ then some specialist support to guide your processing could be the essential requirement to get you to a place of ‘Feeling a change?’

All the best to you.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • 2022 EMDR Child specialist intensive certificate (Trained by Ana Gomez)
  • 2020 Couple Therapy for Depression - Tavistock  Relationships
  • 2020 EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner
  • 2012 EMDR complete 4 part training - Accredited course with EMDR Works
  • 2010 MSc in Therapeutic Counselling
  • 2007 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
  • 2006 Introduction to Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy
  • 1994 BSc Hons in Psychology - London University


Member organisations

school Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

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.

EMDR UK
EMDR Association UK (EMDR UK)

EMDR UK

EMDR Europe
EMDR Europe

EMDR Europe

Accredited register membership

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Fully trained EMDR therapist.

Therapies offered

Fees

£80.00 - £120.00
Free initial telephone session

Health Insurance/EAP

  • check_circle Aviva
  • check_circle Axa Health
  • check_circle BUPA
  • check_circle Vitality

Additional information

60 min. assessment (phone/in person) - £80
50 min. individual therapy session - £70 weekdays (£80 Saturdays)

50 min. couples session - £80
50 min. EMDR sessions - £90

All payments to be made a week in advance of the session

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Exceptionally and for only short periods I offer sessions some early weekday evenings/Saturday mornings.

Further information

I am a registered and accredited member of:

the BACP

EMDR UK and Europe

I am a registered therapist with the following health insurers:

Aetna,

Aviva,

AXA,

BUPA,

Vitality Health,

Healix.

44 Dartford Road, Entrance on Holly Bush Lane, Opposite Dovetails, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3TQ

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone
Home visits

Types of client

Young people (13-17)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)
Couples
Organisations

Key details

Wheelchair user access info
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

Sonia St John-James
Sonia St John-James