Sara Mathews

I have limited availability as I am fairly busy but please get in touch if you are interested in working with me. My work is all online Monday - Thursday and included evenings up to 8.30pm.

A word about rates my fee is £95 for 90 minutes and £70 for 60 minutes ( the little box provided doesn't let you say this so I am adding it here!)

I trained as a PC practitioner and nowadays often use TA, Creative ways of working and increasingly Psychodynamic theory - especially Attachment in my supervisory work. These last two years have led to a growing interest in Internal Family Systems which is now showing up in my supervisory work. I will always try to meet you where you are so that together we can find ways to work helpfully for you. I have a lot of experience with Grief, Loss and Change; Trauma and Relationship difficulties and started my counselling career working with problem gambling and substance abuse.

If you would like to listen to me talk a bit about my supervision work then this podcast I recorded with Dr. Michelle Seabrook will give a flavour of my way of working you can find the link in the Media section of my website.

Like Shohet and Shohet I'm a bit in love with Supervision ( it's a wonderful book if you haven't read it) I have worked extensively with both trainee counsellors and experienced practitioners. Jenny Biancardi who trained me always said you need to feel able to take the stuff that makes you most anxious to your supervisor and that needs to feel OK. I strongly believe this principle is at the heart of good supervision alongside a passionate belief in collaborative working.

At the moment I work with a wonderfully broad range of supervisees. A mixture of private practitioners: those working with children and young people; survivors of sexual violence; clients who have been bereaved by suicide; parents and carers whose children have died; practitioners running a clinical list and also managing and leading services; practitioners working with survivors of child sexual abuse and clients dealing with anxiety, low mood and life transitions. I really enjoy the variety and learn a huge amount from these practitioners whose work I respect and admire. Some sessions are all business, when someone comes with a very clear idea of the clients they want to talk about, other sessions are more exploratory. 

You will see that I have only ticked one box for type of therapy offered and that is "Integrative" Honestly I am exhaustd by the acronyms and uncomfortable ticking lots of boxes. The supervisees I already have work in a whole variety of ways and their trainings differ. Between us we find a way to understand each other and create a common language where our work can thrive.

To me the supervisory relationship is critical. I want someone who can support me, challenge me, mentor me and understand that I might bring a whole variety of things to discuss including client work, life events and my own development. 

So it is my endeavour to offer these things to to other people if they feel right for them and to listen carefully to what you need and want. Our work as therapists is hugely demanding and we need the right support. 

Our first conversation is usually a free trial chat on Zoom to see how we fit. Often people follow up with further questions that I am pleased to respond to. Our relationship matters from first point of contact for however long it lasts. 

I am currently accepting new referrals on to a waiting list. I work Monday to Thursday and often offer evening sessions. 

If you are interested in working online with me then please do get in touch. We can arrange a free of charge introductory conversation to see how we fit and if I can be helpful to you. I can also advise you on likely wating times depending on your availability.

My name is Sara Mathews. I am a very experienced Counsellor/Therapist. I run a Private Practise from my office In Durham. I work on Zoom so I can see clients and supervisees from all over the country which I really enjoy. I've been practising for 17 years all told. If you're a reader you might enjoy my book "Living with Grief" that will give you a flavour of me and my way of working. You can find it on Amazon published by Routledge and the British Psychological Association.

I've been a therapist since 2009 and crucially have completed over 15,000 hours of client work. I don't just work with Loss, Change and Bereavement

I work with Family issues; Relationship difficulties and break down; Recovery from childhood trauma and abuse and a range of other things too. To me it's more about who you are, who I am and if it feels like a good fit between us. My belief is therapy is about:

• identifying what's wrong

• asking what's brough you to therapy at this particular time

• thinking about what you would like to be different

• working together in relationship to try and help you achieve those changes.

If you're not sure if your issues and my experience match up let's meet and talk about it.

I work online from my practise in Durham. I'm the person you want to work with when you feel hopeless and overwhelmed. I have learned that there are always things we can do to help ourselves cope better. It starts with building a relationship where you feel safe to talk. We can take things from there and together work out what the right approach for you might be. Some clients like lots of practical techniques, others need help in identifying and managing feelings. There is no " right" way to do therapy only the right way for you. I'm glad to say therapy doesn't always need to be intense and serious it can also be moving, exciting and even funny on occasion. A bit like life which can be all of those things and more!

Human beings are extraordinary and together we can work to help you find a way to live more comfortably with yourself. It can make a real difference. I got some nice feedback recently that might help you to decide if you want to get in touch with me...

"Sara puts you at ease straight away and has helped me understand and reflect on a lot of issues I’ve been experiencing. I would 100% recommend Sara, she’s helped me so much, it is genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever done"

The theoretical bit

My initial training was primarily person centred. I still prioritise building a strong therapeutic relationship between us. I believe that relationship serves as a vehicle for exploration, healing and change. Nowadays I work with more psychodynamic approaches and an interest in Transactional Analysis. I can talk more about all or any of this when we meet if you need to understand more before making your choice of therapist.

Whatever the reason for coming to counselling we can spend time getting to know each other and figuring out what might be different and better and for you. Counselling isn't a magic bullet but I know from personal as well as professional experience that it really can make a difference. It did for me and because I’ve been doing this work for a long time, I have seen the difference it can make to many others. This might be your time?

Your first contact with me:

We can meet - free of charge and online for a 30 minute get to know each other session before you decide if you want to go ahead. It's important that you feel comfortable with me. If you email, please remember to check your junk folder as well as your inbox for my reply.

Your first session:

Some things in life can't be changed. Things that have already happened to you. People you have lost. but what can change is you. We can talk through how you're feeling and what you want from your therapy. Sometimes it's a question of wanting to feel less overwhelmed and that's a good place to start. Most clients have fortnightly sessions which can be a more affordable option , and works better for me as I tend to be busy. We can talk that over when we meet.