Sarah Bainbridge
As an integrative counsellor I will listen carefully, without judgement, to help you find your way through the immediate difficulties you face and to help you understand yourself more fully. I can provide support through tough times as you make sense of your experiences and find new ways of moving forward. Many people come for counselling when life has become overwhelming or in response to a crisis, or they may simply be looking for time to reflect and explore how to live a more satisfying life.
My approach is calm and collaborative and offers a grounded space for you to look at the impact of life’s challenges whilst encouraging curiosity and self kindness. By offering acceptance and perhaps a new perspective, I aim to help you shift from feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Developing a trusting therapeutic relationship is at the heart of my way of working and I strive to meet you where you are with care and respect.
At a pace you feel comfortable with we can look at how to recover a sense of wholeness and contentment. This may include what’s happening for you in the here and now, addressing the root causes of painful feelings, beliefs about yourself and others, and how past experiences and relationships have shaped who you are, and are affecting your life now. Working through painful feelings and letting go of patterns of behaviour that no longer serve can create room for seeing things differently, giving you greater choice about how you respond to life.
For me, counselling is not about “fixing” a problem but about creating a held environment in which people can reconnect with their inner strengths, deepen self-awareness, move toward a more fulfilled life, and discover what feels authentic and meaningful for them.
All of us are unique, and as an integrative counsellor I draw on a range of psychological models to reflect this. This means the work is flexible and responsive, shaped around your needs and experiences. My approach combines Person-Centred, Gestalt, and Psychodynamic counselling, alongside an awareness of the nervous system and the connection between mind and body. It may incorporate Sandplay and creativity if you would like. At times it can be helpful to move away from talking and creative methods can allow less conscious processes to be expressed. Sometimes difficult or confusing feelings and thoughts become clearer as they are expressed outside of our minds and we may come to different understandings or gain valuable insights.
I offer a free 15-minute introductory phone call. It’s an opportunity to talk a little about what’s bringing you to counselling, to ask me any questions and consider how it might feel to work together, after which you can take your time to decide if you would like to arrange a session.
If you would like to find out more please email or give me a call.
Contact details are:
Telephone: 07434 128801