Meet The Therapists

I am a qualified Family & Systemic Psychotherapist, having completed 4 years of clinical training with both the Tavistock and Kings College, Institute of Psychiatry, London; gaining a Master's in Science  in Family & Systemic Psychotherapy.   I am a qualified Mindfulness teacher, having completed my mindfulness teacher training between 2017- 2018 at Sussex Mindfulness Centre, Hove, East Sussex.   I am also a registered* Social Worker and I have full indemnity insurance.

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I have over 25 years’ experience working in Local Authority and NHS settings.  I started out as a social worker in child protection before joining the NHS to work in a child, young people’s and young adults’ acute mental health assessment and crisis team, covering Brighton and Sussex, offering assessment and therapeutic interventions.   My most recent post up until June 2021 was working therapeutically in the NHS as a Family Eating Disorder Therapist, with young people with eating disorders and their families.  

I currently work in Independent Practice since July 2021.

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Areas in which I specialise include:

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• Adult, Child & Adolescent mental health issues

• Eating Disorders

• Neurodiversity /neuro-behavioural difficulties

• LGBTQ+ identities

• Trauma and attachment issues

• Bereavement & loss

• Managing conflict, stress and communication difficulties in families /couples

• Supporting family members through parental divorce & separation

• Facilitating and supporting the process of shared care when parents separate

• Experiences of discrimination, social isolation and marginalisation

• Delivery of 8 week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) courses to groups, couples, individuals.

• Consultation, support & training for staff teams working with Young People's mental health

 

 

About Family Therapy

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Family and Systemic Psychotherapy is a therapeutic approach which offers a range of psychological interventions for individuals, couples and families. These are designed to help people make changes in their thinking, patterns of behaviour, and understandings in order to relieve distress, improve the quality of their important relationships and make positive changes in their lives.

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Many people in the course of their lives have experiences that can cause worry and distress. Depending on people’s relational resources and experiences, small problems may amplify into serious ones; or relatively serious ones may be negotiated successfully. Close relationships sometimes fuel problems, and sometimes they become disrupted or break down under stress. Yet close relationships can also be key to helping people better manage or recover from difficulties.

 

Family Therapy is a collaborative therapy that integrates understandings from social and mental health care contexts in its thinking and approaches. It explores the relationship between people in the context of their family, relationships, culture and community, rather than the internal world of the individual. It seeks to explore patterns and belief systems held around a particular problem or dilemma, in search of solutions. It works with individuals, couples and families, helping them understand each other’s experiences and needs, building on their strengths and resources, and making changes to improve their lives. Mobilising a person’s close relationships also helps ensure benefits from therapy are sustained.

 

What to Expect

 

Usually a session lasts one hour. There is no limit to the number of sessions available, however it would be usual to have 3-6 sessions, at weekly or fortnightly intervals, and then review. Alternatively, a single session might be enough to make a difference.

 

My therapeutic style is collaborative, relational, empowering, and compassionate.   I am keen to create a secure base for people from which to begin therapy and to help people feel safe and comfortable to begin talking about talking.  I think different people and different problems require fluidity in approaches to therapy.    I try and get a sense of whether people are wanting more of a reflective conversation, or alternative things to try.  Either way, the work has a collaborative feel to ensure people coming to therapy feel they are influencing the way we are working.

 

I like to integrate a few minutes of mindfulness meditation at the beginning and end of the session.  This can help ground and enable people to be aware of how they are feeling.  I am happy to be asked questions about this and talk more about this approach should you choose to meet with me..

 

Sessions take place at an agreed venue which is most convenient to you, sometimes at your home if appropriate, or via a digital platform if necessary or desired. Due to the COVID pandemic, all sessions are currently being offered via zoom until further notice.

 

Cost:  My therapy fees are: £60 per hour for individuals; £80 per hour for couples & £90 for  families.          Specialist Assessment work can also be undertaken – Fees negotiable. 

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MBCT-   How MBCT differs from Cognitive Therapy : Cognitive therapy works through trying to change thoughts and feelings  and is mostly done in a focused one to one therapeutic relationship.  ‘MBCT discarded the therapy framework to work more fully within a ‘Mindfulness’ approach which emphasises holding thoughts and feelings in awareness rather than trying to change them’

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The course aims to help people build and further develop their own strategies for staying well, based on skills and practices taught.  

The 8 week course offers a set of practices that can support you in coping with the stresses of daily life. The course will teach you how to meditate and assist you to cultivate a daily practice.

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More information and costs can be given if requested .

Location: I offer online therapy

Contact: Mobile 07515 380580 email:  sarah.mindfulrelating@gmail.com