Hello! I’m Sarah
Therapist, coach, Circle and workshop facilitator and I am also a mother, wife, grandmother and dog mum to two delicious dachsunds. I’ve come to understand through my life that it isn’t our job to be ‘nice’ as so many of us were taught as girls. Rather it is our job to be authentically ourselves; to bring our gifts and challenges to the world in ways that feel real and creative. Not to pretend that things are fine when they’re not.
It’s so important, especially for those of us who have absorbed some frankly abhorrent messages how about we should be, look, and behave. I was taught, as you may have been, that I ‘ought’ to be ‘nice’, ‘kind’, put others before myself, not be angry, or even sad actually.
Basically I was trained not to define myself by my own feelings, but to listen to the messages from outside of myself, internalise them and make my choices and decisions that way.
Creating a life I love
This was incredibly debilitating when it came to creating the satisfying and purposeful life I wanted.
I experienced a lot of anger and other challenging responses, which I now recognise as a gift that lets me know that something was not ok and that I needed to take action on my own behalf.
It was hard to know what to do but I guessed therapy might help and I was right. By talking to a woman who was not involved in my life I was able to uncover beliefs that limited me, understand what I really value and take steps to create my best life. It took a while but here I am.
Building my first career as a garden designer I recognised the pure joy that nature, plants and gardens bring us and was so gratified to find that the wellbeing connection is now scientifically proven!
Through my own therapy, I’ve learned skills that allow me to protect my time and space, say ‘no’ to others in order to say ‘yes’ to myself, and understand that I’m allowed to put myself in the picture too. I learned to manage my anger and other challenging emotions too, in a way that doesn’t hurt others for the most part, yet allows me to respect my own needs.
When life experience becomes passion…
My personal journey of discovery led me to train as a psychotherapist in 2006, and Circle facilitator and coach more recently. I also ran workshops for women wanting to find a more comfortable relationship with food for many years.
I’m a highly sensitive person (HSP), and empathic listener, passionate about the importance of women and our right to live our lives our own way; whether or not this conforms with society’s expectations.
I am somatically trained and trauma informed.
Qualified and experienced
I’m an accredited Coach with EMCC* and an experienced, registered therapist with the BACP**.
I am in continual personal and professional development. I comply with the ethics of the BACP.
*The European Mentoring and Coaching Council
**British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists)
Two careers one journey…
First as a garden designer, now as a psychotherapist - I love the fact that everything I've learned in life is relevant and brings me to a new place.
I’m still completely passionate about plants and my garden, and use the metaphors of nature and the seasons in my work.
I’ve dealt with post-natal depression, anger, breakdown as well as the loss of my mother in my younger years, and the burning down of my beautiful cottage in February 2022.
These days, after an adulthood of personal growth work, I’m celebrating the wisdom, clarity and learning that comes with entering my Elder years.
Mum to two fully adult offspring who are flown and grown as well as proud dog mum to two delightful dachshunds, Milly and Lola, I live in Oxfordshire with my lovely husband.
I work in a beautiful studio next to the stream at the bottom of our garden with ducks who love to be fed and the odd pheasant which knows to peck on my window with his beak when he’s hungry too…
How can I help?
I work with women of all ages, stages and cultures, creating space and a safe relationship in which you can explore what makes you tick, work out what you want and take steps to make the changes you want. Click the buttons below to read more about working with me.
“Sarah helped me think more deeply about my initial reasons for coaching - what I want - we explored different areas of my life and she helped me make connections between how I approach those situations, where I was seeing them rather in isolation before.
By reminding me of links and observing my response and challenging my language I feel I have more clarity. Her challenge was very welcome and helped me realise where I ‘compromise’ and why.
The grounding work helped me focus on the feeling I want.”
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