Chichester · in person in Hove or online
Trauma therapy for Chichester
If an event from last month or from childhood still sets your body off before your mind catches up, trauma therapy is a way to work on that slowly, at a pace you set. From Chichester you can see me in a quiet room in Hove or by secure video. You never have to describe more than you choose, and we start with a free 15-minute call.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 999 or the Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night. More urgent help is on this page.
The practical facts for Chichester
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Chichester by car
- About 48 minutes with clear roads (30.0 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- Direct trains from Chichester to Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – West Team, 01273 265967
- Fees
- £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90, £120 for 120. The first 15-minute call is free.
- Registration
- BACP registered member, no. 109340 (check the register); UKCP student member in advanced psychotherapy training.
When the past lives on your daily route
In a small city, the places tied to a bad memory can be hard to avoid.
It might be a stretch of road you drive every day, a ward at St Richard's Hospital where something frightening happened to you or to someone you love, or a house in Kingsham or Graylingwell you still walk past. For others, the trauma belongs somewhere else entirely, perhaps a childhood home or a relationship no one here knows about, and Chichester was meant to be the fresh start. The body doesn't always go along with that plan. You may sleep lightly, jump at sudden noises, feel unreal in the crowds around the Market Cross, or go numb when someone raises their voice. Reactions like these come from a nervous system still on guard against something that has already ended, and they say nothing about your strength.
Ground under your feet first, memories later
The first part of trauma work is about safety in the present. Together we notice what your body does when something reminds you, and we find what brings you back: perhaps your feet on the floor or a slower breath. You practise that until it's yours to use anywhere. The memory itself comes later, if at all, and in amounts you choose, never all at once. Telling the full story isn't required. When the trauma is one specific incident, the Rewind Technique is one option, because it lets you keep the content to yourself. When it stretches back through childhood or a long relationship, we go more slowly and get to know the ways you learned to protect yourself, such as going quiet or scanning every room, without asking you to give them up before you're ready. If something feels too much in a session, we stop and steady things first. If you're under an NHS mental health team, they stay part of your care, looking after the medical side while our sessions focus on the counselling.
What trauma work from Chichester can make room for
Other people's worst days at work
Staff at St Richard's Hospital and in other public services can carry moments from work for years. Trauma therapy gives your own reaction a turn.
Something that happened while studying
An experience during your time at the University of Chichester or Chichester College can still shape how safe you feel. You decide how much is said.
A fresh start that didn't feel fresh
You moved to Chichester to put distance between you and something painful, and the alarm came with you. The work begins with what helps right now.
When a memory floods in at night
If you feel unsafe between sessions, text SUSSEX to 85258 for crisis support. In sessions we also build ways to settle yourself when nightmares wake you.
Public health figures for the area
These are local authority figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. "Similar to England" means the difference is not statistically significant. The figures describe a whole population over a period, not any one person.
Free and low-cost support for Chichester
If you've experienced sexual violence or abuse, your GP can tell you what specialist support exists around Chichester. NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies, through the West Team covering Chichester, accepts self-referrals for anxiety and low mood, even where those began with something frightening, and West Sussex Mind offers wider support. Private trauma therapy can sit beside either.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – West Team01273 265967Free NHS talking therapy for anxiety, low mood and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You can refer yourself, with no GP referral needed.
- If drinking or drug use is part of itWest Sussex Drug & Alcohol Wellbeing Network (DAWN)0330 128 1113Run by Change Grow Live. Free and confidential.
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
If someone at home is hurting, threatening or controlling you, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 2000 247.
If you have experienced rape or sexual abuse, at any time in your life, the Rape Crisis 24/7 Support Line is free on 0808 500 2222 for anyone aged 16 or over in England and Wales.
If you need urgent help now
If you need help right now, please don't wait for a session.
In this area you can also text SUSSEX to 85258.
What people in Chichester ask before starting
Will I need to describe what happened when I start trauma therapy from Chichester?
No. On the free call, one sentence will do: that something from the past is still affecting you. Early sessions are about how you're managing today and about building ways to steady yourself. You can do the whole piece of work without giving a full account, and if you decide to share parts of it, that happens at a pace you control, with room to stop.
Can I get free help for trauma in or around Chichester?
For Chichester, the self-referral line is the West Team of the county's NHS service, NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies, on 01273 265967. It works with anxiety and low mood, which can include difficulties that began after something traumatic, so ask what they can offer for your situation. West Sussex Mind runs wider support in the county, and Chichester Counselling Services, a local charity, offers general counselling. Your GP can tell you about specialist services.
Should I have trauma therapy in the Hove room or by video from Chichester?
The right setting is wherever your body can relax enough to do the work. The room in Hove is quiet and well away from your everyday surroundings, and some trains from Chichester run straight to Hove. Video can suit you if travelling is hard, provided nobody at home can overhear you or check your devices. You can change your mind later.
I work at St Richard's Hospital and keep replaying an incident. Is that something trauma therapy is for?
It can be. Reliving a moment, sleeping badly or dreading certain shifts after something distressing at work are understandable reactions, and you don't need a label to talk about them. Sessions with me are separate from your workplace and any staff support it offers, and within the usual limits of confidentiality, nobody at the hospital would know unless you told them.
How much do sessions cost, and is the first call free?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, the same in person in Hove or by video. The first 15-minute call is free, with no obligation to book. There is no NHS referral needed to see me privately.
A first call where you share only what you want
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.