About Sarah Hamilton, Psychotherapist & Counsellor
Personal Background And Experience
It took me a while to find my vocation. After graduating from art college, my working life included stints as a pavement artist, schoolteacher, yoga teacher and website developer, followed by a 17-year career in international marketing and management. I spent much of this time living and working abroad, in a variety of countries and continents. A fascination with inter-cultural communication and psychology eventually led me to retrain as a therapist.
Since 2011 I have worked as a psychotherapist and counsellor in the private and charitable sectors, and in the NHS. I co-founded and managed a network of counsellors across London and Reading, and established a successful private practice in Harley Street (London). In 2017 I moved to the Welsh borders and set up a clinic in Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire.
My work as a psychotherapist is informed not only by my professional training, but also by over 30 years of meditation and mindfulness practice, and a deep personal interest in Buddhist psychology. These approaches emphasise the importance of not exiling, or turning away from, what is difficult in our experience. They call on us to meet our deepest pain with curiosity, compassion and care. And they offer a framework not just for incremental change, but for transformation and real vitality.
“Sarah is an exceptional therapist – kind, intuitive and insightful. She helped me on a journey discovering myself, and our sessions have helped me better understand the root of my frustrations and also to better cope with everyday issues and be happier.”
Feedback from a client
Find out more about how I work, and what a session with me might be like:
Any Questions? Send Me A Message.
Professional Qualifications And Training
I am a fully accredited Psychotherapist and Counsellor, and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and also the UK Council for Psychotherapy. I am regularly supervised, comprehensively insured, and have an enhanced DBS-check for working with vulnerable adults.
At the heart of my professional qualifications is a masters-level Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy. This rigorous 4-year training encompassed a broad range of therapeutic approaches, which enables me to work flexibly according to each person’s needs.
I have undertaken extensive further training in trauma-treatment and mind-body interconnectivity, including in-person training with some of the world’s leading trauma experts. I’ve completed an in-depth diploma on the issues faced by adults who went to boarding school, and have conducted academic research into how courage influences therapeutic change. And I am a qualified practitioner in the “Rewind technique”, a highly effective (and fast) treatment for PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks and nightmares.
People I Work With
Over the years I have worked with people from all walks of life, and with ages ranging from teenagers to the very elderly. I especially enjoy working with older adults. I have particular experience in working with people with Aspergers or who are on the autistic spectrum, and also in the problems faced by adults who went to boarding school.
Issues I Can Help With
I specialise in resolving issues related to Trauma, including PTSD, Complex Trauma, Developmental Trauma, and Dissociation. I also have extensive experience in working with other issues – including:
Abuse ▪ Addiction ▪ Ageing ▪ Anger ▪ Anxiety ▪ Bereavement ▪ Boarding School Issues ▪ Death and Dying ▪ Depression ▪ Domestic Abuse, Coercion & Control ▪ Climate and Ecological Anxiety ▪ EUPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) ▪ Intercultural Issues ▪ Low Self-Worth ▪ Meaning and Meaninglessness ▪ OCD ▪ Overwhelm and Burnout ▪ Relationship and Family Problems ▪ Separation and Divorce ▪ Stress ▪ Suicidal Thoughts ▪ Terminal Illness