Sevenoaks · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Trauma therapy for Sevenoaks
If something that happened to you, last month or decades ago, still catches you off guard in Sevenoaks, at night or in how close you let people come, trauma counselling with me takes place by secure video. You decide what we talk about and when, and nothing is drawn out of you.
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 Sevenoaks
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Sevenoaks by car
- About 63 minutes with clear roads (49.4 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Sevenoaks, change at London Bridge for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS Talking Therapies Kent and Medway, 0333 091 0414
- 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.
Still on guard in a quiet town
Sevenoaks can look calm, with the deer park at Knole and the unhurried pace of the High Street, yet calm surroundings make little difference to a body that is still on guard.
What happened might have been in London, at work or on the way home, and never mentioned to anyone since. It might have been closer: a car accident, a frightening stay in hospital, a sudden death, or growing up in a house where you never knew what mood you'd walk into. Afterwards, ordinary things can set off the alarm, such as a siren or a slammed door. You might sleep badly, startle easily, feel numb with people you love, or keep yourself so occupied that nothing gets the chance to come up. Your mind and body learned these responses at a time when you needed them, and they say nothing about how strong you are.
Building safety before going anywhere near the memory
Trauma work with me begins with how you are today, and what happened can wait. Early sessions are about steadiness: spotting the moment you start sliding back into the past, and learning what returns you to the present, such as the weight of the chair under you or something you can see out of the window. Because we meet by video, we also plan how each session ends and how you'll spend the first half hour after it, so you don't go straight from a hard memory into cooking dinner or answering emails. When you feel ready, and only then, we approach what happened in small, manageable pieces. You never have to describe it in detail, and the Rewind Technique, for instance, can be used without you saying the memory aloud. Over time we get familiar with the reactions that freeze you, numb you or keep you on watch, without treating any of them as your fault. If you're already under NHS care for what happened, our work can run beside it. If the danger is someone you live with, the domestic abuse helpline lower down comes before anything else.
How old fear can show itself in a Sevenoaks week
Something that happened in London
An incident at work or on the way home that you've kept to yourself, and that returns on the train or in the quiet of the evening.
After a frightening hospital visit
A sudden injury or illness that took you to the Urgent Treatment Centre at Sevenoaks Hospital can leave fear behind long after your body has healed.
When a memory hits after hours
If it becomes too much in the evening, Kent and Medway Safe Havens offer somewhere to go, so check times first, and Release the Pressure answers on 0800 107 0160.
A local voice at any hour
Sevenoaks Samaritans set up its hub in the town in 2019, and the Samaritans line is free on 116 123 whenever you need someone to hear you.
Public health figures for the area
These are local authority figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The figures describe a whole population over a period, not any one person.
Free and low-cost support for Sevenoaks
The free routes I can name for Sevenoaks are general ones, not trauma-specific. If what happened has left you anxious or low, free help comes from NHS Talking Therapies Kent and Medway, with no GP referral needed. West Kent Mind's Sevenoaks Wellbeing Centre offers support groups and befriending on weekdays, and you can also ask Live Well Kent and Medway. Private trauma counselling can sit alongside any of these.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS Talking Therapies Kent and Medway0333 091 0414Free 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 Kent community drug and alcohol service (Change, Grow, Live)0330 128 1113Run by Change Grow Live (CGL). Free and confidential.
- Local organisationSevenoaks SamaritansLocal Samaritans branch.
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.
Locally, the Release the Pressure Helpline - Kent is on 0800 107 0160. Local drop-in crisis support: Kent and Medway Safe Havens (Mental Health Matters) (check opening times before you go).
What people in Sevenoaks ask before starting
Do I have to tell you what happened before starting trauma counselling from Sevenoaks?
No. When we speak for the free 15 minutes, a single line such as 'something happened a few years ago' is plenty, and no details are asked for. Early sessions concentrate on feeling steadier in the present, and later we can approach a memory in ways that don't need you to put it into words. What you share stays your decision, and stopping or pausing is always allowed.
Where can I find free help after trauma in or near Sevenoaks?
There isn't a specialist trauma service I can point to in Sevenoaks itself. If anxiety or low mood came after a frightening event, NHS Talking Therapies Kent and Medway will hear from you directly, without a GP, on 0333 091 0414. West Kent Mind's Sevenoaks Wellbeing Centre on St Johns Road is open on weekdays, and if domestic abuse is involved, the helpline on this page is free at any hour.
I live in Sevenoaks. Will trauma work on video at home feel unsafe?
Home can feel safer than an unfamiliar room, and from Sevenoaks it spares you a 63-minute drive after a hard session. We plan each ending carefully, you can keep something comforting within reach, and we agree what you'll do afterwards. If someone at home could overhear, or home itself doesn't feel safe, tell me and we'll look at other options first.
What if old memories flare up while I'm waiting to start, late at night in Sevenoaks?
Please don't wait for a first session if things feel unmanageable. Rethink Mental Illness runs Release the Pressure, a Kent helpline you can ring on 0800 107 0160, and the Samaritans are free on 116 123. If you are in danger right now, ring 999. Booking the free call with me needs no referral, and I'll tell you honestly how soon we could begin.
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.
Start when you are ready, and not before
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.