Luisa Saunders

I am based in Kent and offer counselling via online (Zoom or Teams) and face to face options in my private practice based at Longfield Polyclinic (part of Harley Healthcare Group PLC). My sessions are 50 minutes long.

My availability is flexible but I primarily work face to face or online on Mondays and Tuesdays. I currently usually offer therapy during school term time only. There is perhaps the option to attend online therapy during the school holidays, but this will need to be agreed mutually and in advance.

I would be happy for you to contact me via phone, email, through my website or via my LinkedIn or Facebook pages.

I aim to get back to you within 48 hours unless I am on a period of annual leave. I do not offer an emergency crisis service.

Would you like to address issues affecting you and do you seek a place for understanding how you can support your own development and change? Would you like this for your child? I welcome anyone that needs counselling and work with children (age 6+), Young People and adults.

I am both a qualified teacher (PGCE) and a qualified therapist (PGDip). I have 20+ years experience working with children, young people and adults in education as either a teacher and/or psychotherapeutic counsellor. Safeguarding and inclusion are key threads in my work. I have experience of the NHS having worked as a Patient Safety Partner and as a counsellor offering short term therapy in 6 or 12 week blocks.  I have significant experience in the Further Education sector and currently work with Young People and Adults on both short-term and longer-term integrative therapy. I have significant experience working within the charity MIND where I have worked as a Children and Young Person's therapist and now support the Safeguarding and Clinical Triage processes for Children and Young People seeking therapy through MIND.  I regularly undertake Continuing Professional Development Training recording this to present at any potential audit from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Given substantial experience in internal and external quality assurance within education I recognise the importance of seeking feedback and testimonials on my practice at the end of the therapy so that the Client voice continually shapes the services that I offer.

If your area of need (including language) would be better signposted onto another more suitable service outside of what I can offer a discussion about this would form part of the initial assessment and triaging process.   

I offer face to face and online integrative, individual therapy. I provide a safe, confidential, non-judgemental space to explore issues, respecting the privacy of those issues that you do not wish to bring into therapy. I combine a range of modalities linked to my experience both in education and psychotherapy. I draw on a range of techniques suited to your individual needs to support therapy having been trained in, and gained experience of, integrative eclectic approaches. Primarily this includes:

Creative therapies (crafts, activities, games).  Cognitive (acceptance and challenge of thoughts, emotions, behaviours). Mindful awareness of somatic physical impact (visualisation/breathing activities).  Person Centred (encouraging your connection to your own insights and strengths).   Psychodynamic (seeking possible connections with known and unknown events often stemming in childhood that impact core beliefs and values). Mindful awareness of societal, cultural, intergenerational, religious (and more) impacts on your core beliefs, values and identities.  Existentialism (Accepting free will, choice, consequences, accountability and responsibilities).  Solution focused therapy (acceptance and commitment to helpful coping strategies and goals. Positive re-framing and encouraging positive affirmations).

I offer mostly short intervention therapy in blocks of 6 or 12 weeks. Upon request we can consider how beneficial longer-term therapy would be for you after the first few sessions. Alternatively, should therapy not be economically viable now, I can offer single session therapy in some cases.  I do not offer couples, group or family therapy.

When a referral or request for therapy is made an initial assessment will be sent via email to seek the information required to triage the request. The initial assessment would need to be submitted before a session can be scheduled. Should the initial assessment outline that perhaps your needs would be more suited to another service this will be communicated before attending any sessions.

The first session will re-address the initial assessment that you will have completed prior to the session to go over any questions or queries that you may have. We will discuss your expectations and what I can offer and note your goals for therapy. Once again, at this phase, should you or I believe that perhaps your area of need is better suited elsewhere, we can discuss this and I can support signposting. Should we both agree that therapy with me sounds a viable option then we will also discuss a mutually agreed contract for therapy at the first session.

Following initial assessment and contracting a space is offered for you to talk through the reasons that bring you to the therapy room. Honesty and openness at this stage (if you are able to) is conducive to better outcomes particularly on short-term therapy. This space is also time for us to get to know each other and, ultimately, for you to decide if you would like to work with me.

The assessment may be completed again at an interim phase of any longer-term therapy to reflect on your progress and outcomes. All therapy (apart from Single Session Therapy) will include an ending assessment.

Quals:

Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling

Master of Research in Education and Social Science

Post Graduate Certificate in Education

BA Hons Modern Foreign Languages and Education

Level 4 Award in External Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

Level 4 Diploma in Child Psychology