Counsellor in Wokingham near Bracknell and Reading
Welcome
Hello, I’m Sarah. Welcome to my website specialising in Adult Individuals and Couples counselling in Wokingham near Bracknell and Reading
Are you suffering from stress, anxiety or experiencing disturbed sleep? Maybe you're feeling down or depressed and have lost interest in the things that you used to enjoy? Is a relationship going wrong and you want to get it back on track to a happier place or need to break free from it? Do you lack confidence and wish that you had better self-esteem? Have you experienced trauma or abuse and it is affecting how you live your life now? Have you suffered a bereavement or life event and have been left with feelings of no control over your life?
Coronavirus support
It may well be that more than one of those questions apply to you. Add the Covid pandemic to the mix and those existing problems could have been exacerbated or new ones created; The enforced isolation from family, friends, normal routines and activities increased stress and anxiety and could have had an impact on your relationships. Life is now meant to be getting back to normal, but what is the new normal? If you are exhausted from looking for answers, feel ‘stuck’ and just want someone who will listen, understand your situation without judgement and help you to navigate through this difficult time to a better place, then I can help.
I aim to build a therapeutic relationship with you that is unique to you and offers what you need. I offer a safe and supportive space where we can explore coping strategies for the situation you find yourself in and a path towards a future that is either free from the anxiety and stress that you are facing now or at least a place where it is more manageable.
As an experienced BACP Accredited Integrative Counsellor, I use a range of counselling therapies to work alongside you as you journey towards increased self-awareness, greater compassion for yourself and ultimately feelings of control over your life. I use my counselling approaches for individuals and couples interchangeably (couples work tends to be more proactive and solution focused) so that the therapy meets your needs and goals and moves at a pace that is comfortable to you.
My belief is that we are the sum of our experiences and so I find it helpful to look at what has gone on in your past and what is going wrong now (as well as what is going right!). Relationships with parents and childhood experiences influence our future relationships and by understanding the subtle or maybe stark influences from the past, I hope that you will be empowered to find those elusive answers and perhaps new thinking and behaviours that are more helpful.
Experience
The therapy can be short term or open ended and, with regular reviews, you can ensure that you are getting the most from our sessions. I have worked both short (12 weeks) and longer term (a year or more) with many Individuals and Couples facing difficulties including:
In addition to my private practice, I am a counsellor at a BACP Accredited Counselling service in Camberley where I see both Individuals and Couples.
I previously led a bereavement support service in Wokingham where I was a supervisor and ran bereavement training courses. I have over 20 years of supporting clients through their unique experience of grief and loss. I also understand that we experience grief responses (despair, identity-loss, loss of purpose and direction) for various life events; relationship break-ups, divorce, career changes, retirement, empty nests, illness and disability etc and so I often use my bereavement expertise in my broader work as a counsellor.
I have many years experience of working with children on the Autistic Spectrum (in a teaching setting). This experience has enabled me to understand and empathise with different mindsets and perceptions of the world; I understand the social, emotional and practical challenges faced when living with ASD and I ensure that my counselling sessions are accessible whilst being mindful of sensory sensitivity.
I am an Accredited member with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and as such, I adhere to their Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling. As an Accredited Registered therapist, my practice, qualifications and therapeutic approach have undergone scrutiny through the BACP Accreditation and Registration process and they acknowledge that I meet their higher standard as a competent, ethical and independent practitioner.
Different ways of delivering counselling and costs
I am a qualified face-to-face, online (secure video conferencing) and telephone counsellor. The remote therapy (using Zoom and telephone) is only available to people in the U.K. due to different national laws. I have resumed face-to-face counselling in addition to offering Zoom and telephone counselling and I can be flexible between approaches to meet any changing needs.
For Individuals counselling, I charge £50 per 50 minute session. For Couples counselling, I charge £60 per 50 minute session or £100 per 90 minute session (this needs to be agreed in advance). I offer an initial session at a reduced fee, so that you can be sure that I am the right counsellor for you. I accept payment on the day by cash or bank transfer.
Wokingham Counsellor
My therapy practice in Wokingham, Berkshire, is within easy reach of Ascot, Bracknell, Camberley, Crowthorne, Earley, Reading, Sandhurst and Woodley. There are bus routes from both Bracknell, Wokingham and Reading train stations. There is ample parking on the driveway.
Testimonials
I started counselling with Sarah in December 2020 after recognising feelings of low mood, and particularly anxiety was creeping back in for me. I attributed this to being heightened by the Covid pandemic. I have had a history of feelings of depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder.
One of the biggest things I explored was my experiences of nurture as a child. This is not something I had gained from previous counselling. Sarah used a range of techniques to help me explore these deep-rooted thoughts and feelings that I had, through talking about them, theories, and more visual exercises which she demonstrated and worked through with me. Sarah supported me to look at my own thoughts and feelings, judgements and how my past and current experiences influenced this.
I found Sarah to be transparent, knowledgeable, personable, empathic, warm and encouraging throughout my counselling with her. I really feel that my experience with Sarah has helped me to find a much longer term of managing my feelings of depression and anxiety whilst having realistic expectations that life has its ups and downs.
Coming to the end of my counselling was discussed at intervals with Sarah and I very much felt I did this at my pace. This led me to feel that I had achieved what I wanted to by the time the counselling came to an end. I am incredibly grateful for the counselling support that I had from Sarah. I really feel that I have tackled issues that I perhaps had thought I couldn’t previously. I have learnt to nurture and be kind to myself. Thank you, Sarah! (P)
I recently had a series of counselling with Sarah, and from our very first appointment I was put at ease immediately. Sarah had a way of making me open up without putting any pressure on me. She had a great way of making me feel at ease and opening up to my worries. At times she made me laugh and other times made me cry but it was a great relief to pour out all my feelings to someone who I feel really cared. My family are very understanding towards my problem but opening up to a stranger is something completely different. It’s nice to know you are not alone.. Thank you Sarah I really appreciate the help you gave me. (T)
Saved our marriage. (J)
Being able to talk comfortably and confidently has helped me to open up. All the tools and advice have been put in place. This has helped me to understand better and deal with certain situations. I would not have been able to understand certain aspects of my life or what happened without it. I feel so much stronger and have a better understanding of my life. I will always be grateful to Sarah for what she has done for me. (G)
Thank you so much for helping me understand so much about my emotions, myself and how to manage myself in conversations. I have learned things no one has ever explained to me before. Thank you. (E)
What are the next steps?
You’ve taken the first step by recognising you need support and looking at a counselling website. It’s important that you take time to find the right counsellor for you, so have a look at my other web pages, particularly the Individuals and Couples pages where I give greater detail of how our work can bring benefits. If I seem like ‘a right fit’, then contact me by email or telephone with no obligation. You don't have to be alone in this.
I look forward to hearing from you!
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