Welcome to Sabine Kempson Psychotherapeutic Counselling
A confidential space to explore the thoughts, feelings and challenges in your life
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Sabine Kempson Psychotherapeutic Counselling. I am a counsellor providing both short- and long-term therapy to adult individuals and couples in Cowbridge and the Vale of Glamorgan.
Counselling and therapy for Couples and Individuals in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan.
We all encounter challenges in life that can leave us feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed at times. Discussing these difficulties in a caring, private, and calm environment with someone outside of our regular social circles can be beneficial.
About Me
I am a fully qualified humanistic existential therapist, working with individual adults, couples, and adolescents age 16 and up. I believe each individual is unique with specific needs, so no single method works for everyone. Therefore, I draw on and utilise a variety of approaches and counselling theories, integrating and adapting them to meet your needs and where you are in the counselling process.
I am a genuine, warm, honest, and empathic person, and I fully appreciate the courage it takes in being vulnerable with someone. With every client I meet, I aim to understand their external and internal world - what shapes you into who you are. My approach is relational, focusing on connecting with you and developing our relationship.
I focus on creating a warm, empathic and nurturing relationship in which you feel heard, supported and accepted; helping you develop and see positive change in your life. I believe the counselling relationship can also assist you in understanding your relationships and patterns of interacting with other people in your life, both in the past and present. It can enable you to enhance how you relate with others and even yourself.
We can work together to explore your difficulties, with the aim of uncovering new choices, options and possibilities.
You may have a particular issue you wish to address, or you might simply need the space and time to make sense of things. Together, we can explore your challenges, so you can gain clarity and move forward.
As a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I fully adhere to the principles, commitments, and requirements of their Ethical Framework.
I’m fully insured and receive regular supervision as well as ongoing training toward Continuous Professional Development.
I can provide a warm, understanding space where you can explore matters important to you without judgment or advice, but with empathy and acceptance of your experiences. Having the opportunity to be heard and to view things from a new perspective can help make more positive life choices and allow us to implement changes we would like to see.
Counselling can assist in managing mental health issues like depression or anxiety. It can help work through major life events such as bereavement, relationship breakdowns, or work stress. Counselling can also help in overcoming difficult emotions like low self-esteem or anger, as well as emotionally and psychologically traumatic events.
Since the therapeutic relationship is at the core of the counselling process, it is important that you feel you have chosen the right counsellor for you. During counselling sessions, difficult or painful emotions may surface, and it is therefore vital you feel comfortable and safe with the person you choose.
There is never any expectation to talk about anything unless you feel ready to.
Couples Counselling
In my work with couples, I can offer you a safe space to explore your unique experiences and expectations each partner brings to the relationship. I can help you to explore the needs of your partnership and find ways to fulfill these, ensuring that the relationship remains at the heart of our sessions. I assist couples to communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts, and build trust and intimacy. You may want to work on improving problem-solving skills, setting goals, and creating a shared vision for the future. My commitment is to offer a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for both of you to address your concerns, and develop a stronger, healthier relationship.
What I Can Help With
People come to me for help a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Abuse, Anger , Anxiety, Ageing, Bereavement, Depression, Health related issues, Life changes, Loss, Mental health problems, Personal development, Post-traumatic stress, Redundancy and Retirement, Relationships, Self-esteem, Self-harm, Sexual abuse, Stress, Trauma, Work and study related issues.
This list is not exhaustive, so please contact me to discuss with me as I may still be able to help.
Working With Me
Taking the decision to come to therapy can feel daunting and you might have questions around this process and what to expect. For this purpose, I offer a free, initial 15-minute consultation over the phone where you can ask any questions you might have, we can explore what brings you to therapy and how we may work together, should you wish to continue working with me.
Prior to our first session, I will email you my counselling contract and client intake form, which we will discuss in our first session. We will also explore your expectations and goals for change you may have.
I work with adult individuals and couples, and young people aged 16 and up.
I offer online, telephone and face-to-face counselling.
Samaritans - Call: 116 123
Samaritans provide 24-hour online and phone support to people in distress.
Mind Call: 0300 123 3393 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
Mind is a charity that provides advice and support for people experiencing a mental health problem in England and Wales.
Childline - Call: 0800 11 11
Support for people under 19 in the UK.
Young Minds - Call: 0808 802 5544 (parents’ helpline)
Child and adolescent mental health charity.
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) - Call: 0800 58 58 58 (nationwide), 0808 802 58 58 (London)
Charity dedicated to preventing male suicide.
Papyrus Hopeline UK - Call: 0800 068 41 41
Confidential support for young people struggling with suicidal thoughts.
BEAT - Call: 0808 8010433
BEAT provides support, information and resources for those affected by eating disorders.
My location
I offer counselling sessions from my quiet and comfortable practice in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan.
I offer face to face sessions in Cowbridge, and reach clients across the UK with online and telephone counselling.
Fees & availability
Each individual counselling session lasts 50 minutes at £50 per session.
Couples counselling is one hour at £60 per session.
I accept payment by cash and bank transfer.
I may be able to offer a reduced rate to counselling students looking to complete their qualification hours. Please get in touch with me to discuss this.
Though therapy sessions typically take place at the same time every week, this can be flexible.
The duration of your counselling is entirely up to you, and you can attend for as long as you feel is necessary. Some people only need a few sessions to address a specific issue or for support during a time of crisis, whilst others want to achieve more profound changes and attend longer term.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel an appointment, please give 24 hours notice to avoid being charged in full for the session.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07596210534 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
Some frequently asked questions
Many therapists tend to view Counselling as ‘short-term’ work; when someone has a problem that can be looked at and discussed in a clearly-resolvable way. This work often requires undertaking sessions for a certain number of weeks, to explore, discover and clarify a way forward. Therapy is a word used more to describe ‘long-term’ work; discussion that tends towards substantial issues and things that might be life-changing on a deeper level.
Whether counselling or therapy work best as a short- or long-term option depends on the client though, and the difficulties they are facing. In some cases counselling can prove helpful as a continuing, longer-term option, or therapy can help resolve an issue in just a few sessions.
This depends on what your needs are. Some people find that after only a very few sessions they have some clarity and focus and are ready to end the therapy. Other people value the ongoing support and relationship with me and will continue to come for weeks, months, or even years. There is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to therapy.
My aim is to offer a first appointment or assessment within 1-2 weeks. However, waiting times will vary depending on my and your availability.
Confidentiality is one of the main ways in which therapy differs from many other forms of helping - for example, talking to friends or family can rarely offer the same degree of confidentiality as talking to a counsellor. Because of this confidentiality, you will find that - as you get used to coming for therapy - you are freer to talk about whatever you wish to.
No therapist can offer 100% confidentiality: there are some situations where the law requires disclosure of risk (e.g. certain child protection issues) and in common with most other therapists, there are some situations where I may not be able to keep total confidentiality. In particular, if someone tells me that they are thinking of harming themselves in a way that I believe puts them at serious risk, or if someone tells me that they are doing something that could put others at risk, I may not be able to keep such information confidential. However, breaking confidentiality is rare, and only happens after talking to the person concerned.
When you come for counselling it's important that you feel free to talk about whatever is important to you. Sometimes, you may not be clear what those issues are. Having a friend or family member with you is not usually helpful because they may have their own agenda for you. Even if this is just that they want to be supportive, or want you to 'get better', this agenda can prevent us opening issues up. When you come for therapy, you may need to explore thoughts or behaviours about which you feel ashamed or embarrassed and you may censor yourself so as not to hurt someone, or you may find that what they want you to talk about is not really what you need to discuss.
Sometimes, family/friends can even be part of an underlying issue which needs to be aired and discussed. Usually, people who ask this question are nervous about coming for a session alone, or they are anxious for the person who is thinking about arranging sessions. This anxiety is quite normal, and you will not be forced to talk about anything you feel uncomfortable about - but you do need to be able to talk about whatever is important. For this reason, I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family