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I currently have availability in the evenings for either face-to-face or online sessions. 

I work across Haywards Heath and Lindfield. I use different rooms depending on the day so can suit your accessibility needs such as ability to drive. 

Have you been feeling anxious, depressed or overwhelmed but not known how to start feeling better? I'm Rachel and I'm a therapist based in Haywards Heath and Lindfield. I will work with you to help you understand what's underneath your current pain and discomfort. By understanding what's driving these feelings, you can then start to see recurring patterns or make changes to your life.

I work with a range of issues including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, neurodivergence, family and relationship problems. I also specialize in 2 areas:

-Working with people who have cancer and other long term illnesses

-Grief and bereavement

I pride myself on being warm, approachable and non-judgmental. I work affirmatively with issues around gender and identity. I think it's really important that we create a therapeutic relationship between us. There's no pressure to come to our first session ready to tell me all your most vulnerable information. Instead, we work at a pace which feels right for you to reach a feeling of safety and trust so that you're able to open up. 

Our time together is yours to use as you wish. There’s no agenda for our sessions and no right or wrong thing to say. I see therapy as a puzzle - you have all the pieces but sometimes need someone else to help you understand how they fit. By allowing yourself to share these, connections come to the surface and we can explore what they mean.

For example, have you ever wondered why something 'keeps' happening? Why you feel anxious about the same things, or why you end up in the same type of relationship? I believe those patterns tell us something about our history. We will work with both the present and the past to understand these connections.

When I work with clients experiencing cancer, we might talk about the anxiety of the diagnosis and impacts to your day-to-day roles and sense of identity. Similarly, when I work with grief, we can talk about the loss of the person but also what that loss means and who you are now.

I am a psychodynamic therapist. That means that I approach each client to understand their unique history and how that affects their current experience. Ultimately though, I pride myself on being warm and approachable. My first goal with every client is to offer a space which is safe and relaxed. We can then start to put the pieces of the puzzle together while ensuring you feel in control. No two sessions or clients are the same. We will work together to tailor your therapy experience to your needs and goals. 

Therapy sessions will be 50 minutes at the same time each week. I work face-to-face in Haywards Heath and Lindfield. I also provide online sessions to clients nationwide.

Our time together will be open ended, usually without a fixed end date in mind. I am however experienced with short term therapeutic work as well. If there is something specific you would like to work on, or only feel able to commit time and finances to a set block of sessions, please let me know. This can be particularly helpful if you're managing health conditions and need to navigate treatment timeframes. 

I appreciate that life is about juggling multiple priorities. If you are someone who does shift work or doesn’t have the flexibility to meet at the same allocated time each week, please contact me and we can look at a plan to schedule your sessions.

To start, we can have a free 30-minute call to talk about what you're looking for and what I can offer. This is a chance for you to get to know me and for me to make sure I would be the best therapist for you. 

Our first session is just the start of our work. Let me reassure you that there's no demand for you to tell me everything. Instead, our first meeting is the beginning of developing our trust. The first thing we will do is talk through my agreement and make sure you're comfortable with the practical details of our work along with the confidentiality and safeguarding information. This is a chance for you as well to ask any questions of me and to make sure you feel comfortable. 

In our first meeting, I'm interested in understanding your background so we will talk about why you've come to see me and who is involved in your life. This gives me a chance to start building a mental map of who's who in your life. I can answer any questions you have about how I work as well.