Sophie Haggard

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Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

London, Greater London, SW6
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

These are tough times for coupledom. The modern companionate model of marriage is based on the idea that each partner look to the other to supply all their needs, and this new type of partnership has to last longer than ever before. Not surprisingly, perhaps, many long-term relationships flounder under the weight of such high expectations, and when this happens, couples feel bitter and blame each other.

I am an ex-journalist, writer and relationship counsellor with a particular interest in how long-term relationships can successfully negotiate middle-age and evolve in ways necessary to meet the challenges of this tricky life stage. It is no secret that middle-aged couples often feel overwhelmed by the challenges they face, which may include health problems, increased family pressures, affairs, diminished sex drive and function, thoughts of retirement and the empty nest. I work by attempting to improve understanding and communication, clearing up misperceptions, building compassion and enhancing self-awareness; especially awareness of what each partner brings to the partnership in terms of (sometimes inherited) attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, coping strategies and expectations, and levels of comfort with intimacy.

A secondary goal of my work is to inject a note of much-needed pragmatism into modern couple relationships; to help couples develop more realistic expectations of themselves, each other and of their relationships, and to give them permission to carve out areas of autonomy, privacy and independence as well as togetherness, intimacy and collaboration so that their relationships do not become bogged down, predictable and over-loaded.

Who I work with:

I work with couples and individuals with relationship difficulties (including singles) and often see couples together and separately. I am happy to see clients on a short or long-term basis depending on what is required and the nature of the presenting concerns.

How it works:

Normally clients call up and I take a brief description of their difficulties over the phone. After that, I invite couples in for a first meeting after which we decide whether to work together. Counselling does not thrive on interruption, so it is best, if you’re thinking of coming to counselling, to start the work at a point in your lives when you know that you’re free to commit.

Training, qualifications & experience

My first career was as a newspaper and magazine journalist. I completed my first counselling training in 2013, before embarking on a second dedicated relationship counselling training at Relate and subsequently completed the MA programme in psychodynamic couples counselling at Tavistock Relationships which is a world-renowned centre of excellence for the study of couple relationships. I currently see clients as a visiting clinician at Tavistock Relationships as well as undertaking private client work. I am happy to see couples or individuals for short or long-term work and may be able to offer concessions to some couples and individuals if they are able to come in the day.

I am a registered counsellor with and member of, the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) and abide by their ethical framework.

Member organisations

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.

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

Fees

Additional information

Individual therapy: £70 per session

Couples therapy: £95 per session

London, Greater London, SW6

Type of session

Online

Types of client

Adults
Older adults
Couples
Sophie Haggard
Sophie Haggard