Sumita Bhola

I currently have availability for new clients, with appointments available during the day and into the evening throughout the week.

I try to be flexible with appointment times and understand that life does not always fit neatly into the same slot every week. If you have a particular day or time that works best for you, we can look at how we can work around your schedule. I would rather find a time that genuinely fits into your life than try to shoehorn therapy into a slot that creates additional pressure.

For many of my clients, we decide at the end of each session when the next session will work best. This can be particularly helpful when work, family life or other commitments change from week to week.

If you prefer the consistency of having the same day, time and frequency each week, we can absolutely arrange this too.

My aim is to make accessing therapy as straightforward and manageable as possible, whilst finding an arrangement that works for both of us.

My aim is simple: to help people who need some support in life.

I am a person-centred, relational counsellor and believe that the relationship we build together is an important part of therapy. I offer a warm, genuine and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about whatever is bringing you to counselling, without having to worry about being judged or getting it “right”.

I believe you are the expert in your own experience. I will not tell you what to do or give you a list of things you should be doing. Instead, I will work alongside you, listening carefully and helping you make sense of what is happening for you. Sometimes you may need space simply to be heard; at other times we may explore things more deeply or gently consider what might help.

I have particular experience supporting people through grief and loss, including pregnancy and baby loss at any stage and bereavement following suicide. I also work with couples following pregnancy and baby loss.

I am a British Indian, born and raised in the UK, and I understand some of the complexities that can come with growing up between cultures. For some people, questions around identity, belonging, family expectations, shame, feeling “not good enough” or imposter syndrome can be difficult to talk about. My own background means I understand that these experiences can be complicated, whilst recognising that everyone’s experience is different.

You do not need to have everything worked out before you come to counselling. We can start wherever you are.

I offer individual counselling online and in person through walk-and-talk therapy.

I have particular experience in specialised grief and loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss and pregnancy loss at any stage. I also have experience supporting people following suicide bereavement. Grief can be complicated and very individual, and I offer a space where your experience can be heard without judgement or expectation about how you “should” be coping.

I also offer couples counselling specifically for couples who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss. I understand that two people can grieve very differently, and this can sometimes leave couples feeling disconnected when they most need each other.

Alongside my specialist grief work, I support clients with issues including anxiety, stress, self-esteem, trauma, life changes, identity, cultural expectations and belonging.

As a British Indian, born and raised in the UK, I increasingly find that clients from similar backgrounds are drawn to working with me because of my cultural understanding and personal experience of navigating different worlds. I offer a space where you can explore these experiences without having to explain or justify your culture or family dynamics.

My fees are £70 for an individual online session, £80 for a walk-and-talk session and £90 for couples counselling following pregnancy or baby loss. 

Sessions are one hour.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation before you decide whether you would like to work with me.

This is an opportunity to tell me a little about what has brought you to counselling and what you are hoping for. I can explain more about how I work, answer any questions you may have and talk through the different options available, including online and walk-and-talk counselling.

The consultation is not a therapy session and there is no expectation that you will commit to ongoing counselling. Finding someone you feel comfortable with is important, so this gives us both an opportunity to see whether I might be the right counsellor for you.

If you decide to work with me, your first counselling session is not treated differently from the sessions that follow. We simply start where you are and talk about what feels important to you. You are not committing to a fixed number of sessions. We can regularly review how things are going and what you need.

If you have never tried walk-and-talk therapy before, you are also welcome to try a session and see how it feels. Many people find that being outdoors and walking side-by-side makes talking feel more natural and comfortable than sitting in a traditional therapy room.