A warm welcome to Southdowns Psychotherapy

Be the person you want to be

Welcome to Southdowns Psychotherapy and Counselling

Welcome to Southdowns Psychotherapy and Counselling, a private practice led by qualified Psychotherapeutic Counsellor Alana Burton (Dip. TA Practice).

I meet and talk to people, like you, who may be looking for help with how they feel. I support people looking to change something about the way they feel, think or behave. Often what needs changing may not be immediately apparent or even be something you can put your finger on right away. The intricacies of what needs addressing may not be clear but the anxiety, depression or sadness may be very clear.

I work with clients to piece together what is going on for them, helping them to process feelings and find a path going forward to a happier and more balanced place. Our work together will support you to figure out what’s going on for you. You won’t need to do this alone.

Working from locations in Washington and at Bluecoat Sports in Horsham (Christ’s Hospital), I work with anyone looking to improve the quality of their life and relationships. No matter your reasons for wanting to have therapy at a particular time in your life, in my experience we are all seeking to be more emotionally fulfilled and counselling can support us in achieving our goals.

Alana Burton
Do I need therapy?

A misconception of therapy is that we need to be experiencing some sort of difficulty, going through a rough patch or experiencing a traumatic episode to seek help.

It may well be that at times in our lives the support of others is particularly useful but these days there is also an increasing appreciation of therapy as a way of improving mental well-being. Therapy can help us achieve our potential, lead more engaging, enriched lives and to have more emotionally satisfying relationships both with ourselves and with others. It may be a time of crisis that brings us to therapy but many people find they get so much more than they anticipated!

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What to expect

I am a warm and approachable therapist and I believe that the relationship between therapist and client is the most important aspect of successful work.

I offer a selection of daytime and evening appointments Monday – Friday depending on location and when you first get in touch I will ask which location is most suitable for you. Your therapy can be brief and short term or longer term work.

From then we will have an opportunity to explore what is going on for you at this point in your life. If appropriate, I offer a free 1 hour consultation to have the chance to talk further. During this time you can also ask me any questions and decide whether I am the right person for you and the journey together begins from there!

 

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What happens in therapy?

Sessions are 50 minutes long and once we have agreed to work together, we will meet at the same time and place each week.

Starting therapy can be quite a daunting process and during our initial sessions we will have the chance to unpack the issues you want to bring in more depth and to work together to establish a working therapeutic relationship together.

I recommend that at the start of therapy you let me know the range of difficulties you may be facing and also about any misgivings or preconceptions you may have. This will give us the chance to work together to ensure they are addressed at the appropriate time and pace for you.

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Your Therapy

Convenient Locations

West Sussex locations include Washington and Horsham

Memberships and Insurance

I am fully insured and a member of professional bodies including BACP, UKCP, UKATA, ITAA, UKCP

Daytime and Evening Appointments

I offer a range of potential therapy hours covering day time slots as well as evening times to suit your needs.

From the blog

World Mental Health Day – 10th October 2018

Today is World Mental Health Day and the focus for 2018 is young people and mental health in a changing world. Mental health, also known as emotional well-being, isn’t just something those with poor mental health, it is something we should all prioritise as part of our overall general health. It just as important as […]

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counselling at Bluecoats sports Horsham
Psychotherapy at Bluecoats Sports Club Horsham

Southdowns Psychotherapy is also now at Bluecoats Sports Club in Horsham I am pleased to announce a second location for Southdowns Psychotherapy. In addition to a base in Washington, I will offer psychotherapy and counselling services from the therapy room at Bluecoats Sports Club in Horsham. The therapy room is a private room beyond the […]

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lavender-fields
The 5-4-3-2-1 Simple Tool To Reduce Anxiety and Stress

5…4…3…2…1  –  5 Simple Steps When anxiety takes over and threatens our peace of mind, we can feel overwhelmed and it can be difficult to stay in the moment. The following “5-4-3-2-1” tool is a simple yet effective method for regaining control of your mind and aims to ground you again in the moment when […]

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What are Counselling and Psychotherapy?

Both counselling and psychotherapy come under an umbrella term of ‘talking therapies’. In many contexts they are used interchangeably and both refer to a fundamental process that involves talking through difficulties and issues and facilitating psychological change. Counselling constitutes a part of the wider psychotherapeutic process but you may also find that counsellors can work in a psychotherapeutic way. The principle difference lies in the length of relationship – counselling is broadly a more shorter term process and psychotherapy is offered on a longer term basis.

Counselling is a talking therapy involving a collaborative relationship between counsellor and client working towards the improved mental well-being of the client. A counsellor will be trained in counselling skills and theory in a safe and supportive environment. Counselling may be shorter term work and focuses on supporting an individual to better use resources they may already have.

Psychotherapy is similar to counselling in that it is also a talking therapy but it is usually done longer term and often goes into more depth than counselling. A focus in psychotherapy is a broader self-awareness of emotional issues and will seek to identify maladaptive patterns of thinking, feeling or behaviour that may be getting in the way of you leading a more satisfying life. Psychotherapy offers someone the chance to develop new personal resources.

Mindfulness is all about improved awareness. It teaches us to be more compassionate with ourselves through observation without criticism. There are proven benefits of Mindfulness to our mental health as well as overall general health as a simple yet very effective practice.