Dr Sukhdev Sembi
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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
Hiya, I’m Sukhi. Starting therapy can feel like a big step, and it’s completely okay to feel unsure about where to begin. You might be feeling anxious, low or overwhelmed, struggling with relationships, self-esteem, or simply finding life difficult to navigate at the moment.
I offer a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you can explore whatever is on your mind, at your own pace. As an integrative, relational and attachment-focused psychotherapist, I draw on different therapeutic approaches to understand your unique needs. My work also incorporates an awareness of the connection between mind and body, including the use of breath and embodied awareness where appropriate. Most importantly, I believe in the importance of the relationship we build together and creating a space where you feel heard, understood and safe to be yourself.
General Information
I am a UKCP and BACP accredited Integrative Psychotherapist with over 15 years’ experience in counselling, psychotherapy and mental health. My approach is relational and attachment-focused, with the relationship we build together at the heart of my work.
I believe that our early experiences, family relationships and cultural background can shape how we see ourselves and our place in the world. We may develop ways of coping that helped us feel safe or accepted earlier in life, but which may no longer serve us in the same way. Therapy can offer an opportunity to understand these patterns, develop greater self-awareness and begin to make choices that feel more authentic to who you are today.
I have a particular interest in working with people from ethnic minority backgrounds who may be navigating the complexities of culture, identity, family expectations and belonging. Sometimes this can mean finding a balance between honouring our cultural heritage and developing our own sense of identity, independence and freedom to be ourselves.
Experience
I have worked with people from diverse backgrounds across private practice, the NHS, mental health services and higher education. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, shame, relationship difficulties, bereavement, trauma, identity and belonging.
I also have specialist experience in parent-infant psychotherapy, supporting parents to develop secure and emotionally attuned relationships with their babies and young children.
As an Asian woman, I understand that cultural experiences can influence how we understand ourselves, our relationships and our emotional wellbeing. I offer a space where these experiences can be explored openly and without judgement.
I can offer therapy in Punjabi, my mother tongue, and can also work with clients who speak Hindi and Urdu.
Training, qualifications & experience
UK Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners Membership with UKCP Accreditation: 1011
Accredited by COSRT at Level 5: Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy
Accredited by COSRT at Level 5: Certificate in Couple & Relationship Therapy
Sessional Lecturer at Centre of Life Long Learning - University of Warwick
PhD in Health Sciences – Mums4Mums: Evaluating Telephone-Based Peer-Support for Postnatal Depression (Research Focussed).
PG Diploma Infant Mental Health
BACP Accredited Member: 00646585
Member organisations
school 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.
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
UKAHPP is a national accrediting organisation for all those who apply the theories of Humanistic Psychology in their work. The UKAHPP is an independent member organisation of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the UK Register of Counsellors. The Association is made up of a number of different membership classes e.g. Associate Members, Affiliate Members, Full Members, each with different requirements for entry. Full Members may use the initials 'MAHPP' after their names, and have undergone a rigorous accreditation procedure relevant to their discipline. All members of the Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners must commit to acceptance of the UKAHPP Code of Ethical Principles, the UKAHPP Code of Practice, the UKAHPP Ethical Review Procedure and the UKAHPP Complaints 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
£80.00 - £120.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My approach to the first session acknowledges the challenges of seeking support, especially if it's a new experience for you. It can be daunting to find someone who can meet both your articulated needs and the unspoken ones.
I extend an invitation to you to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation 30-minute online appointment. This introductory session allows us to connect and see if my therapeutic approach aligns with your expectations and we can establish our working relationship.
Further information
Practice description
I offer both face-to-face and online therapy, providing a confidential and welcoming space where you can feel comfortable exploring what has brought you to therapy. I hold an Enhanced DBS check.
How I work
My approach is rooted in creating a safe, compassionate space where you can explore yourself, your relationships and the experiences that have shaped you. It can be difficult to develop a strong sense of who we are when our identity has been influenced by family expectations, cultural values or the needs of others.
As a relational, attachment-focused Integrative Psychotherapist, I draw on different therapeutic approaches to understand your individual experiences and needs. Together, we can explore patterns that may have developed earlier in life and the ways these can continue to influence how you think, feel and relate to yourself and others.
My aim is to help you develop greater self-understanding, recognise what may be holding you back and feel more able to make choices that reflect who you are and how you want to be in this world.
