Types of issues

Our practice was originally founded by Mark Vahrmeyer and Sam Jahara who are both experienced UKCP registered psychotherapists.   We now comprise a practice consisting of a group of skilled associates who each bring a different approach to their client work and the experience to work with a broad range of issues and client groups.

Each client who works with us will bring their own unique story and challenges and so we always consider how best to support you through the particular issue that has brought you to therapy. There is no ‘typical client’, so we approach each client as an individual and allow your story and the speed of the work to unfold based on your needs. However, there are typical issues. Therefore, we combine our understanding of how loss and trauma manifests in people with getting to know you as a unique individual.

Research in the field of counselling and psychotherapy is increasingly showing that successful therapy is based on the quality of the therapeutic relationship between the client and their therapist. This relationship is one based on trust and human-to-human contact, emotional connection, insight, and appropriate boundaries.

It has been said that effective therapy should ‘feel safe, but not too safe’. What this means is that an effective and appropriate therapeutic relationship is one where you, the client, can learn to take risks, express yourself relationally in ways that perhaps have never felt safe before and work ‘at the edge’ – the edge of your comfort, without becoming overwhelmed.

Counselling and psychotherapy are complimentary processes that work to uncover loss that has led to feelings of ‘stuckness’ or ways of experiencing ourselves such that certain beliefs, emotions and behaviours can be felt to be who we really are – our personality.  The therapeutic relationship creates and provides an environment whereby you can, with the help of your clinician, start to remove some of the ‘character armour’ that has defined you and explore – ‘try-on’ – other ways of being in the world and in relationships. This is beyond insight – this is insight embodied, which leads to change.

Our expertise

As a guide, the following list covers some of the main areas that we have experience of working on with our clients. This may give you some insight into how you can start to think about the issue(s) that may be leading you to consider entering into a process of counselling or psychotherapy:

• Abuse
• Addiction
• Affairs
• Anger management
• Anxiety
• Bereavement counselling
• Cross cultural issues
• Depression
• Family issues
• LGBT+ issues
• Low self-esteem
• Relationship issues
• Sexual issues
• Stress

We have a broad and highly skilled team of associates available in our Hove and Lewes practices. They are clinicians who share our values and general approach to counselling, psychotherapy and psychology. Please visit our associates page to find out more about the services on offer.