Sarah Buchanan

I have some current availability. 

Times include weekday daytime/evening and Saturdays.

Welcome.

I am a BACP Accredited psychotherapist offering trauma informed therapy in Wimbledon, SW19.

I offer a thoughtful, respectful and collaborative space where we can work together at a pace that feels manageable and meaningful for you. My approach is grounded in the belief that healing does not happen through hierarchy or expertise alone, but through relationship: through being genuinely met, heard and understood within a therapeutic space that honours your autonomy, complexity and lived experience.

I am deeply committed to shared power in therapy and to ways of working that recognise you as the expert in your own life. Your instincts, perceptions and emotional knowledge are not secondary to professional understanding. They are an essential part of the therapeutic process. My training and experience sit alongside your insight, rather than above it.

In psychotherapy, this relational approach is sometimes described as intersubjectivity: the understanding that therapy is shaped collaboratively between two people, each bringing their own humanity into the room.

My role is not to direct or define your experience for you, but to support you in developing greater freedom, self understanding, agency and choice in your life and relationships. I work in a trauma informed and relational way, with sensitivity to the many ways people learn to survive, adapt and protect themselves.

People often come to therapy carrying experiences that have left them feeling disconnected from themselves, caught in painful relational patterns, emotionally overwhelmed, or unsure of how to move forward. Therapy can become a space to think together about these experiences with curiosity, compassion and honesty, rather than judgement.

If you are curious about what it might be like to work with me, you are very welcome to get in touch with any questions. I understand that beginning therapy can feel significant and sometimes daunting, and I aim to offer a space where you can arrive exactly as you are.

Thanks for taking an interest in my work.

My clinical approach combines contemporary psychodynamic therapy with an embodied, trauma-informed lens, integrating whole-body awareness, relational depth, and psychoeducation.

My orientation draws from multiple strands of theory and practice, including interpersonal neurobiology (with an emphasis on the polyvagal system and the neurobiology of attachment), survivor-led frameworks rooted in lived experience, and evidence-based principles drawn from yoga psychology—particularly ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (authenticity).

My work is informed by clinical models developed through ongoing research into somatic-based adjunctive treatments for complex trauma. My approach is grounded in attachment theory and the long-term somatic and emotional effects of relational trauma.

My client work is further informed by a background in trauma-informed yoga facilitation, the study of yoga psychology, group work, and substance misuse recovery. I have developed and delivered addiction and bereavement services within HM Prisons and have facilitated reflective and experiential groups for people in recovery.

I work with those navigating a wide range of experiences, including:

Developmental and relational trauma

Addiction

Dysregulated eating, shame, and body image distress

High-functioning anxiety and emotional exhaustion

Chronic self-blame and disrupted self-worth

Persistent physical tension and nervous system dysregulation

The psychological and somatic impact of pregnancy, maternal identity, and the transitions of motherhood

I remain deeply committed to my own therapeutic development and professional integrity. I engage in regular embodied integrative psychotherapy supervision, alongside continuing somatic and movement-based personal therapy, to support ethical, embodied practice. My learning is ongoing: I participate in CPD, attend lectures and workshops, and remain actively involved in both psychological and movement-based professional communities.

A gentle and grounded space to start untangling what’s happening in your body, mind and life. We’ll begin with an initial consultation to explore your needs, expectations, and whether my approach feels like a good fit for you. This process usually takes one or two sessions, allowing space to assess what therapeutic support may be most appropriate and to give you a sense of what it’s like to work with me.

I take care to assess any potential risks or limitations related to my approach. While I aim to adapt my way of working to meet your specific needs, there may be times when a different therapeutic model, or a different therapist, may be more appropriate. In such cases, I will discuss this openly and support you in finding a practitioner who may be better suited to your current needs. I hold this consideration as part of my ethical responsibility.

I am committed to ongoing professional development and safe, reflective practice. I regularly undertake clinical supervision, continued professional development (CPD), workshops, and other self-reflective and reflexive activities as part of my personal and professional growth.