Hello, my name is Samantha, I am a qualified Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and I have my own private practice called CHERISH the Pearl Psychotherapeutic Counselling.
My background prior to becoming a counsellor was as a primary school teacher for 25 years, which has meant I have a wealth of experience in child development and behaviours as well as understanding work stress and how this impacts us.
I am passionate about parenting therapeutically and have worked extensively with parents whose children have ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) where they have suffered early life trauma, either through a traumatic birth and/or suffered abuse and neglect, which has resulted in the children being in foster care or adopted. Through a specialized charity (NATP), I have also delivered training in parenting therapeutically, understanding compassion fatigue and blocked care, and managing adolescent behaviour. The other areas I work with are attachment disorder, compassion fatigue, loss, grief and bereavement, self-care, self-esteem, anxiety and stress. I believe that Havening helps so many of the areas I work with as well as many others.
I have experience in counselling for the NHS as well as for a social enterprise that helps people in the community with working who have struggled with loss, grief, stress, anxiety, domestic abuse, relationships both work and personal, attachment, guilt and illness.
I am fully insured and a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.