East Grinstead · in person in Hove or online
Trauma therapy for East Grinstead
If something frightening happened to you, whether a fire, a crash, an injury or harm that went on for years, and you're in East Grinstead still living with the aftershock, trauma counselling with me can happen in person in Hove or over a secure video link. You set the pace, and you never have to describe it in detail to begin.
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 East Grinstead
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From East Grinstead by car
- About 44 minutes with clear roads (28.4 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From East Grinstead, change at East Croydon for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – North Team, 01403 620434
- 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 skin heals and the memory stays
East Grinstead is home to Queen Victoria Hospital, an NHS specialist centre for burns and reconstruction, so for some people here the town is tied to the worst day of their lives, or of a child's.
The body can heal well while the mind keeps returning to what happened. A parent who sat beside a hospital bed may carry it too, and still be unable to settle months later. Trauma isn't only about hospitals, though. It can be a collision on the road to Crawley, a frightening relationship that has ended, something from childhood that returned when your own children reached that age, or a sudden death you witnessed. Afterwards you might startle easily, avoid certain roads or rooms, sleep in fragments or feel cut off from the people you love. These are the reactions of a nervous system that learned danger, and they aren't a weakness.
Trauma work that goes no faster than you do
We start with safety in the present, not with the memory. The early sessions build ways of settling your body when the alarm rises, noticing its first signs, and knowing who and what helps between appointments. You don't have to tell me what happened in detail, then or later. When you're ready, we can approach the experience in small pieces and stop whenever you want, and the Rewind Technique can work with a memory without you recounting it aloud. If you're still being treated at Queen Victoria Hospital, your physical care stays with that team, and our sessions can fit around appointments and operations, which may stir things up again. If the harm happened inside a relationship that is still going on, your safety comes first and we'll talk about that plainly. If hurting yourself has become a way of coping, you can say so without a lecture, and we'll plan for safety together. Anything medically urgent goes to your GP, NHS 111 or 999.
What can linger after the event
After a fire or a burn
Treatment at Queen Victoria Hospital may be finished while the moment itself keeps replaying. We work with what your body still does when something reminds it.
At a child's bedside
Parents who watched a son or daughter go through emergency care can carry their own shock long after the child is home. You can come for yourself.
Behind the wheel again
A crash on the road to Crawley or Gatwick can leave you tense at junctions or avoiding the car altogether. We work on that reaction step by step.
When it wakes you at night
If memories surge after dark and you need someone now, text SUSSEX to 85258 for crisis support, or ring Samaritans on 116 123.
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 East Grinstead
I'm not aware of a dedicated trauma service within East Grinstead. If you've been anxious or low since a frightening experience, you can contact NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies yourself, and its North Team covers the town. Mind in Brighton and Hove runs West Sussex services, and If a relative's long treatment has made you their carer, you can turn to Carers Support West Sussex as well.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – North Team01403 620434Free 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.
- Local organisationArise Counselling Service
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
Private counselling with me can run alongside any of these; you do not have to choose one or the other.
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 East Grinstead ask before starting
Is there help in East Grinstead for the emotional side of burns or an accident?
Your physical treatment stays with Queen Victoria Hospital or your GP, and it's worth asking them what psychological support they can offer. If fear or low mood has stayed with you since, NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies will hear from you directly on 01403 620434, with no GP letter needed. Trauma counselling with me can run alongside either, by video or in Hove.
Something happened years ago and I've never told anyone in East Grinstead. Can I still start?
Yes. Telling me on the free call that there's something old you've never spoken about is enough to begin. Early sessions are about helping you feel steadier, and you decide whether, when and how much to share. Nothing is passed to your family, GP or anyone else without your agreement, apart from rare situations involving serious risk, which I'll explain before we begin.
Is it better to see you in Hove or on video from East Grinstead for trauma work?
It depends where you feel safest. A room away from home can let the session stay there when you leave, and the drive is about 44 minutes. Home can feel safer, and video spares you travelling straight after difficult work. You can try both and keep whichever leaves you steadier.
How soon can I start, and can sessions fit around operations at Queen Victoria Hospital?
The free 15-minute call will tell you which weekly times I have open. If surgery or a long course of treatment is ahead, we can plan around it, pausing while you recover and picking up by video once you're home. On timing, your medical team's advice always comes first.
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.
Tell me only what you're ready to say
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.