Sharon Milne Counselling
Space to Grow
Integrative Counselling with Internal Family Systems
I am a skilled, experienced Integrative Counsellor offering a holistic, neurodivergent affirming approach to therapy which comprises your physical, emotional, volitional, rational and spiritual wellbeing. I work from a non-diet, body acceptance perspective. I help you reflect on where you are, and where you would like to be, and provide you the tools and space to grow.
One of these tools is Internal Family Systems Therapy, an evidence-based psychotherapy that offers profound insights into your inner world. This gentle and compassionate method fosters hope and the potential for lasting change and healing.
My approach incorporates the five principles of trauma-informed care, which are safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and empowerment. Within the therapeutic relationship I work with individuals who suffer with depression, all forms of anxiety (health, separation, climate etc), stress, self-esteem, anger, relationship difficulties (including family estrangement), spiritual issues, bereavement, grief and loss (including miscarriage and abortion).
I look forward to meeting you.
About Me
I provide a calm, non-judgemental space to feel accepted just as you are.
I have a lot of experience of working with neurodivergent clients, especially those who have been diagnosed as adults.
I am also a trained ADHD coach.
Diploma of Higher Education in Counselling, Middlesex University.
Internal Family Systems Therapy Level 2, IFS Training (UK) Ltd
I have expanded my training within the IFS model to include:
-
Parts which focus on food and the body (Therapy Training, Boston).
-
A Compassionate Approach to Addictive Processes (IFS Institute with Cece Sykes and Dick Schwartz).
-
Transforming protective parts - from Inner Critic to Inner Advisor (Therapy Training, Boston).
-
Working with OCD & Anxious parts (Therapy Training, Boston).
Trained ADHD Coach (trained by Barrett Coaching)
Recent Continued Professional Development includes:
-
Supporting clients with Body Dysmorphia and Body Image Difficulties.
-
Working with Sex and Pornography Addiction.
-
Weight Stigma, Fat Phobia and Diet Culture in the Therapy Room.
-
Neurodivergent Wellbeing.
-
J9 Domestic Abuse Training.
I am a registered member of MNCS (Accred) with The National Counselling Society and The Association of Christian Counsellors.
It goes without saying
that I welcome people of all faiths and none.
Internal Family Systems Therapy
Have you ever said 'there is a part of me' ? If so, you have already noticed that our minds are naturally multiple! We as human beings are naturally made up of many 'parts'!
In IFS these are categorised into three types. A proactive protector called a Manager. These parts want to keep everything in control, and they will sometimes go to extreme lengths to get that. A reactive protector is called a Firefighter. They want the same thing, but they react to situations where pain is present and use behaviours which might not be so helpful in the long run like shopping, overworking, dieting/restricting, eating/binging through to more extreme behaviour. Then we have our Exiles, the parts of us who hold painful memories and carry burdens such a beliefs, wounds and painful memories. They carry our feelings of shame, worthlessness and loneliness etc. We can also have parts who are polarised - eg. one part of me wants to go out and enjoy myself, but another part is very tired and wants to stay home. IFS is an evidence based modality and found to be effective in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and addiction.
Within our internal system we also have a Self, this isn't a part, it's at our core and contains all our parts. It also remains undamaged despite what we have been through. Self is always present, but a bit like the sun, on a cloudy day (the clouds being our parts) we cannot always see the sun, even though we know it is there. By working with me using this model, we can get to know your parts and work with them, rather than trying to get rid of them. All parts are welcome!
Integrative Counselling
No two people are the same
Integrative Counselling is a combined approach to psychotherapy which brings together different elements of specific therapies such as Person Centred Therapy, Gestalt, CBT, Psychodynamic, Transactional Analysis and Transpersonal. As no two people are the same, the integrative approach is tailored specifically to you. I also incorporate Attachment Theory and Mindfulness into my work.
Preliminary Session
What's it all about?
Counselling can seem daunting, especially if this is new to you.
In our initial session I will happily answer any questions you have and you can experience how I work. After that we can then determine whether working together will be beneficial to you.
As the Therapeutic Relationship is an important part of therapy, I offer a reduced fee of £45 for the initial consultation. This is payable upon booking - you will receive an invoice and once that has been paid, I will forward a GoogleMeet invitation, a GDPR Statement and a Client Information Record which needs to be completed prior to our session.
Please note, once I have offered ou a date and time, I can only hold this for 24 hours. If I do not receive payment within 24 hours, the slot is released to the next person waiting
Benefits of Therapy
Counselling and Psychotherapy is an investment in your greatest asset - you. The relationship with yourself is the longest one you will have, and just like any form of exercise benefits your physical health, having counselling is just as important for your mental health.
Some examples of the benefits of therapy that can take place are:
-
an increased level of self-awareness
-
learning how to set and manage boundaries
-
effective communication in relationships
-
healthier coping mechanisms
-
an increased sense of emotional wellbeing
How will it help me?
Life throws many surprises at us, and while we cannot predict the outcome of any situation, we can learn how to respond to certain situations in an emotionally healthy way.
Our childhood and past hurts can also play a part in how we handle life today, which can lead to us feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
In our relationships we can face demands and obstacles. Counselling is a good place to explore those challenges and acquire new ways of communicating and growing together.
Important Information
I offer online therapy via GoogleMeet.
I do offer face to face therapy in Loughton, Essex. Please enquire for more details.
£60 for 50 minutes (a counselling hour)
As part of my commitment to making counselling accessible to all, I have four low cost counselling slots for those who genuinely cannot afford to pay the above fees. Please feel free to speak to me about this when we meet.
Payment is by bank transfer.
Fees are payable 24 hours prior to your session. If you need to cancel I require 48 hours notice otherwise a full fee is payable.
sharonmilnecounselling@gmail.com
07858 561334
Healing means accepting all parts of ourselves, not just the parts we like, but all of us.
