Welcome to Sarah Leppard Counselling
A confidential space to explore the thoughts, feelings and challenges in your life
COUNSELLING AND THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Sarah Leppard Counselling.
My name is Sarah Leppard and I am a qualified therapeutic counsellor providing both short and long-term therapy to individual adults, children & young people, in Poole and surrounding areas. I also offer counselling online, using Google Meet and other platforms.
We all experience times of difficulty in our lives, when events or relationships feel overwhelming, or we can feel a loss of direction or purpose. Talking to a trained professional helps us make sense of those challenging times and offers a way through them, moving towards a better understanding of ourselves and our feelings.
I work with people from all walks of life and backgrounds, coming to me with a diverse range of problems. As a qualified and experienced counsellor I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and abide by their code of ethics. I am also an accredited member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS22-03285) and CYPT registered accredited member (Children and young people). I completed the Post Qualifying Children and Young Peoples diploma in 2022 and regularly update my Level 3 Safeguarding qualification. I am privileged to work for 2 local charities, one as a clinical supervisor the other who supports adult unpaid carers. I work face to face with adults & children & young people face to face and asynchronously with adults whichever suits my clients needs. Prior to my counselling training I worked in schools for 14 years with children, young people and families.
I am also a clinical supervisor and work with counsellor's across the country and in schools supporting school staff with their case loads.
Making the decision to see a counsellor is a big step to take - but it can be a positive one. Please read on to find out more about how I could help you.
HOW CAN COUNSELLING HELP?
Life brings many challenges, and it is understandable that at times we might look for support in facing them. As a counsellor my role is to provide space and guidance to help you on your journey of self-discovery; to enable you to examine your life and make new, meaningful choices within it.
I offer a chance to reflect on the difficulties or problems you are experiencing in a safe and confidential environment, with someone from outside your day-to-day life. Together we can explore your situation in a way that leads to fresh perspectives - and perhaps a new understanding of yourself. Counselling isn’t about giving you solutions or advice, but empowering you to make your own changes.
My approach to therapy is a person-centred one. This is a non-judgmental way of working, where the counsellor creates the right conditions to help someone increase their self-awareness; to move towards, and reach, their fullest potential.
People come to me for help a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress or anxiety
Panic attacks
Relationship problems
Grief, loss or bereavement
Problems with addiction
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Abuse
Depression
Problems with confidence or self-esteem
Anger management
Pregnancy related issue
Difficulties at work or in retirement
Problems with family or school life
Health related issues
SPEAK IN CONFIDENCE
Counselling takes place in a safe space, where you can meet with someone who will listen with sensitivity and empathy - and without judgement. In the therapy space thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely and in confidence.
A PROBLEM SHARED...
Trouble with a relationship; anxiety or panic attacks; mood swings or depression - many people face difficulties in their everyday lives that can be hard to get on top of. Counselling gives us a set of tools we can use to help gain a better understanding of what’s causing these problems - and how you can move towards managing or resolving them.
MAKE BETTER, HEALTHIER NEW CHOICES
Working together I can help you gain greater insight into the difficulties you are facing, help you understand why you act or react to them the way you do, and see how you can start to make better, heathier choices moving forward.
CONTACT ME
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07446 159690 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
MY LOCATION
I work from a private therapy room located in a quiet part of Lytchett Matravers BH16, and see clients from central Poole, Oakdale, Parkstone as well as the surrounding Bournemouth, Wimborne, Wareham and Blandford areas. I will provide location details when we arrange our counselling sessions.
FEES & AVAILABILITY
Counselling sessions for individuals last 50 minutes, usually taking place on a weekly basis, and cost £55 per session. I also provide a limited number of spaces for those on low-income or for students; contact me to enquire about availability. Initial assessment appointments last around 60 minutes.
Note that if you want to cancel an appointment I require 48 hours’ notice; otherwise you will still need to pay for any sessions missed. I accept payment in cash or by bank transfer.
YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT, BUT YOU’VE ALREADY TAKEN THE FIRST STEP...
It can be scary and confusing making the decision to contact a counsellor or therapist, but in my experience people will struggle with a mental health issue, a personal crisis or problems with a relationship for much longer than is healthy. Sometimes a friend has proved a source of comfort, but this help can only go so far. Realising that resolving a problem requires something more means you have actually already taken the first step towards improving your life.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Counselling is usually a good way to help with a current problem; something that can be discussed and - hopefully - resolved within a limited number of sessions. Over a certain number of weeks the understanding of the problem improves and away forward becomes clear. Therapy often describes work that goes a bit deeper, towards more substantial life issues and problems having a deeper effect on the client’s life. Therapy often requires a long-term approach, so the number of sessions can be open-ended.
Which option is most suitable depends on the client and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling works well as an ongoing, longer-term option - or therapy can manage to resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
How long a period of counselling lasts will vary from person to person and depend on the depth of the issues they are facing. For some people a couple of sessions helps to bring their problems into focus, and they feel ready to move forward; other problems may require more of an open-ended approach.
Before we begin any work we will agree on the number of sessions we’ll undertake, and at the end of that number review our progress. As long as we both agree further therapy will be of benefit to you, sessions can continue.
My aim is to offer a first appointment - known as an initial assessment - within 1-2 weeks. Then we would arrange a set number of counselling sessions to take place at the same time every week, that is convenient for you and where I have availabity. How quickly these sessions can begin will depend on the availabity of that free ‘slot’.
Everything that is said within the counselling room is private - this is one of the main ways counselling and therapy differ from talking to a friend or relative. Once you are comfortable with the format of weekly sessions and the safe space they provide, you will find the freedom to speak in confidence is of great value.
Note that there are some situations where you may be a risk to yourself or others, and there the law requires that I notify an authority; in these cases I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. Breaking confidentiality is very rare though, and only happens after the person concerned has been informed.
Usually I am asked this question by people who are nervous about entering into counselling, or when they are looking for support in coming to see a therapist. This anxiety is understandable, but a key aspect of therapy is that you should feel free to talk about any issues you feel are important to you. If you are bringing your child, you may come into the first session with them for a few minutes. Having someone else with you who can be connected those issues makes this opening-up more difficult, so for this reason I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.
©2022 Sarah Leppard
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