Internal Family Systems and Gestalt therapy
Hi, I'm Sophie. I'm an integrative therapist specialising in Internal Family Systems and gestalt therapy, working with clients online.
Welcome
Do you feel like there’s a tug of war happening inside your head?
Are you feeling stuck in painful memories or repetitive behaviours?
Do you want to increase your sense of aliveness and connection to yourself?
Together we can meet parts of you that are struggling,
create space for them to be heard and heal,
and help you move forward with greater well-being and self-knowledge.
About me
Hi, I’m Sophie.
I'd like to support you to build a compassionate relationship with parts of yourself that you may have been struggling with – parts that might get triggered and cause behaviours or feelings that make your life difficult, parts that you feel uncomfortable with or worry are shameful, or perhaps parts of you that criticise you.
I'm a registered member of BACP with a diploma in gestalt counselling. I’m trained to Level 1 in Internal Family Systems and have training in NVC and Inner Relationship Focusing.
I’m queer and use they/them pronouns. I have ADHD and I'm particularly experienced in LGBTQ issues, and working with autistic clients and clients with ADHD.
Interested in working together?
Share what you're looking for from therapy, let me know you'd like an initial session, or ask me any questions you have.
I'll almost always respond by email within 24 hours. If you don't hear back, my response is likely in your spam folder, or (unlikely but possible) something went wrong and I didn't get an email alert. Please nudge me if you don't hear back, and please leave a number if you want me to send you a message letting you know once I've replied.
FAQs
How do we get started?
I start with a full 50 minute session (charged at £25, half my usual fee). At the end of our first session we can book further sessions or if you prefer you can take some time after the session to reflect on whether to move forward.
You can contact me via the form above or by emailing me at kwintertherapy@outlook.
How will we meet for sessions?
I offer online sessions and work with clients internationally.
I use the Psychology Today platform for holding online sessions, which is GDPR and HIPAA compliant.
What do you charge for a session?
I charge £50 for a 50 minute session and offer a reduced fee of £25 for the first session. I also offer 90 minute sessions for £80.
How about cancellations and rescheduling?
I ask for 72 hours notice if you want to cancel a session completely rather than reschedule.
Regardless of the notice you give me I’ll do my best to offer you alternative slots so you still get the session you paid for, or we can extend our next session to 90 minutes.
I try to be flexible when it comes to changing session times, and I’m happy to work with clients with unpredictable or varied schedules.
How often will we meet?
I generally see clients weekly for 50 minute sessions, although if you prefer we may be able to meet:
- less frequently, e.g. once a fortnight or month.
- 2+ times a week.
- for 90 minutes rather than 50 minutes.
Feel free to ask me if one of these options or something similar would suit you.
When might more or less frequent sessions be a good fit?
Some ideas on when I think less frequent sessions often work well:
- we’ve already worked together for a few months.
- you’d like to use our time in a fairly specific way, for example working on a particular issue, or primarily doing parts work.
- you’re in a pretty good place within yourself, and want therapy to maintain this.
- you need more processing time between sessions.
More time (e.g. twice weekly sessions or 90 minutes sessions) can also be useful to maintain momentum if we’re making a lot of progress, or for additional support if you’re going through a particularly difficult time.
You might also find 90 minutes allows you to get deeper into an issue and offers the time you need for things to really shift.
I’m happy for us to experiment to figure out what works best for you.
What training do you have?
Completed training:
- Diploma in gestalt counselling from the Albany Centre
- Level 1 in Internal Family Systems
- Multiple trainings in NVC (non-violent communication)
- Intermediate/Advanced training in Inner Relationship Focusing
Trainings I’m currently completing:
- Level 2 in Internal Family Systems (Intimacy from the Inside Out)
- Pain Reprocessing Therapy Certification training
- Adult Attachment Program Level One
- Working with Disordered Eating through a Parts Work Model
My core training has covered a range of modalities. I trained for several years on psychodynamic, humanistic and integrative trainings before completing my training on a gestalt course.
Before and during my training I attended about 7 years of my own therapy, including integrative, existential, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, gestalt and person-centred therapy.
How are you registered as a therapist?
I’m a registered member of BACP, membership number 406253.
What about ongoing training?
I’m in supervision with an experienced therapist, attend a peer supervision group and I’m in my own therapy.
I read widely, and attend additional trainings and talks. You can see some of the things I’m currently reading and listening to below.
How do you think about therapy?
I think of therapy as a space for you to feel heard, make sense of your past experiences and current dilemmas, and build self-compassion, self-knowledge, and skills which will help you live in greater alignment with your needs and desires.
What can we talk about in sessions?
Therapy sessions are your space to share and explore whatever topics are meaningful for you. We could spend time exploring and processing the impact of traumas you’ve experienced; ethical dilemmas you’re facing; your experiences around food, work, exercise, health, sex or money; what it means to you to feel successful, safe, loved or seen; your experience of particular emotions; your interactions with the most important people in your life; and worries, questions or hopes you may have about your future. And of course we can talk anytime about how our sessions are going and how our work together can be as supportive as possible for you.
What modalities do you use?
I’m excited about integrating many different approaches into the way I practice. Some of the approaches I’m particularly familiar with are Internal Family Systems, Inner Relationship Focusing, Gestalt therapy, and non-violent communication.
What can therapy with me offer you?
If you're interested in working together, here's some information about how I work and how I think about therapy.
Particularly if you're fairly new to therapy, my hope is that having some shared language and context will empower you to discuss with me what works, what doesn't, and whether I'm a good fit for you.
Resources
Currently reading...
As well as attending individual and group supervision, a lot of my ongoing professional development involves reading and listening to others’ work. Here are a few of the books I’m currently reading/podcasts I’m listening to. These are mostly aimed at practitioners rather than clients (but you might still find them useful!).
- Trauma and Dissociation Informed Internal Family Systems, Joanne Twombly
- Untangling, Ann Weiser Cornell and Barbara McGavin
- Unlocking the Emotional Brain, Bruce Ecker
- Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors, Janina Fisher