PSYCHOTHERAPY IN HASTINGS, EAST SUSSEX, AND ONLINE
FRANCES READ - COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY
I am a fully qualified and BACP-registered therapist based in Hastings, East Sussex. I offer one-to-one short or long-term counselling and psychotherapy to adults via online video counselling.
Therapy may be able to help if you are:
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Trying to make sense of who you are
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In need of a supportive space to explore your feelings
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Having difficulties forming or maintaining relationships
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Experiencing painful memories which you want to understand
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Wanting to make changes but finding yourself getting stuck
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Concerned that habits are becoming a problem
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Feeling anxious about internal or external pressures
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Finding things difficult and struggling to keep going
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Going through major life events
I will work with you to bring things that might have been forgotten about into consciousness, think about how things that happened in your past may be affecting your life today, look for repeating patterns that may be stopping you reaching your goals, and understand your emotions and what they might be telling you.
I work with clients from all backgrounds, across the gender spectrum, and with any sexual orientation and identity.
Carl Jung
”I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.”
WHAT IS COUNSELLING/PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Therapy provides a safe, non-judgemental space to think, feel and understand your emotions, what they might be telling you, where they come from, and why they are still so powerful.
Different people imagine their minds in different ways. You might picture a maze, a house full of rooms and boxes, or an ocean. By exploring these places you can discover things about yourself and your life that you might have forgotten or locked away. This can help shed some light on what you might be feeling in the present day. Therapy is a place where we can work together to explore these hidden places and safely map out and make sense of your experiences.
Psychodynamic therapy aims to bring unconscious thoughts and feelings into the conscious mind. Every person is made up of myriad experiences. Sometimes things that happened earlier in your life can have an ongoing effect that may not be immediately clear to you. This type of therapy is about looking at root causes and how the resulting symptoms are affecting you in your day-to-day life.
Therapy can, through helping you gain a greater understanding of yourself, give you the power of choice and ability to change. It can also be challenging and frustrating at times, and the thoughts and feelings it brings up can be very painful. As your therapist, I will be there with you to contain and explore any emotion you might experience.
WHAT TO EXPECT
In a session we will work with whatever you bring. This could be something that’s happened during the week, a dream you’ve had, a memory that has been playing on your mind, a situation that’s upsetting you, or even just a time to sit in silence. While you will lead the session, we will collaborate on untangling the material and working out what it means.
Each session is 50 minutes long and will take place at the same time and space every week.
The first session
During the first session we will build a picture of who you are and what you want to achieve through therapy. We will also talk about some practicalities, like confidentiality and risk, agreeing the time of the session, and cancellation policies, and you will have the chance to ask questions about the therapeutic process. Choosing a therapist who is right for you is really important, and the first session gives us both a chance to see if we would be able to work effectively together.
ABOUT ME
Volunteering with Samaritans as a telephone and outreach volunteer for four years changed my perspective on life. I went back to study and graduated from Birkbeck, University of London, with a Masters in psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling. I started seeing patients with the NHS following two years as a volunteer counsellor at ELOP - the East London Out Project. In 2018 I started seeing people for private therapy.
I have worked with people with different issues including but not limited to relationship difficulties, identity concerns, depression, anxiety, loss, anger, stress, stuckness, addictions, chronic illness, attachment issues and more. I believe there is a whole spectrum of gender and consensual sexual expressions and I take an affirmative stance in my work.
I am interested in fairy tales, myths and legends. Archetypes and symbols are all around us. If a person can find their own vocabulary to talk about their feelings the power of talking therapy can be transformative.
As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) I am committed to their Ethical Framework and carry out regular CPD training.
FAQS
WHAT TYPE OF THERAPY DO YOU OFFER?
I offer one-to-one short and long-term psychodynamic and integrative psychotherapy to adults via a secure online video service.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Fees are set at £55 for a 50-minute session on weekdays and £65 at weekends.
Some lower-cost daytime sessions are available for students and those on low income/benefits.
HOW LONG IS EACH SESSION, AND HOW REGULAR ARE THEY?
Each session lasts for 50 minutes. We would see each other at the same time, once a week.
WHEN WOULD THE SESSIONS TAKE PLACE?
Sessions take place on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday daytimes and evenings, and Saturday afternoons.
HOW MANY SESSIONS WOULD I HAVE?
The therapy I offer is usually open-ended, meaning that there is no set end date and we will discuss endings together as the work progresses. I can also offer shorter-term contracts of 8 to 12 weeks, usually if you are dealing with a single issue and are in need of support or a space to think.
HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU/BOOK A SESSION?
Please get in touch using the contact form below and I will get back to you.
