Sarah Holyoake

Sarah is a very friendly, warm and genuine counsellor. She recognizes that people are individuals and works interactively, using different approaches tailored to her client’s needs. Starting from a person-centred, humanistic core, she combines elements of CBT skills such as thought challenging, journaling and relaxation, psychodynamic skills to explore your past, and existentialism. She understands that mental well-being encompasses biological, psychological, physical and social factors, so she works holistically to help clients discover their purpose, and underlying emotions. She is passionate about spirituality and alternative therapies and will bring these into the room if her client is interested. She takes a gentle, non-directive approach, however if she feels her client will benefit from being challenged, she does so with kindness and empathy.

Sarah enjoys working with people from different cultures and nationalities, due to having travelled and lived abroad and has a natural appreciation and curiosity in cultural differences. She is very open-minded, with a particular interest in relationship and psychosexual issues, as well as gender identity.

She changed career from physics and law and has worked in mental health on NHS wards and in a university, working with patients and students with many different mental health issues, as well as neurodiversity (she herself has a diagnosis of ADHD). Sarah is studying a PGDip in Integrative Counselling and coaching and is a student member of BACP. Sarah is training within The Awareness Centre and NHS Lambeth Talking Therapies.