S.W.P

Counselling and Psychotherapy

About:

Welcome!

I’m Shonagh, a trainee Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Psychotherapist.

I hold a Diploma in Humanistic Psychotherapy from the renowned Metanoia Institute in London, and am continuing to complete my Masters in the same.

I have accumulated clinical experience from various placements since starting my training in 2021, and have had the extraordinary privilege of working with a diverse range of clients.

I consider myself to be dedicated, empathetic and personable, with my clients’ best interests always at the very heart of my practice.

I currently only offer online sessions via Zoom, and will be opening up in-person sessions at my practice on the outskirts of Colchester from May 2025. I have some availability for new clients.

I am qualified to work with a variety of presenting themes, including but not limited to:

  • Depression and anxiety

  • Armed forces, frontline services and other occupational-related issues including moral injury and career changes

  • PTSD and C-PTSD

  • Neurodiversity

  • Identity issues including sexuality, spirituality and gender

  • Life transitions

  • Self-esteem, imposter syndrome and insecurity

  • Domestic violence, sexual abuse and coercive control

  • Abuse and neglect

  • Grief and loss

  • Privilege, diversity and otherness

  • Addiction issues and obsessive behaviour

  • Stress management, overwhelm and burnout

  • Relationship and familial issues including childhood-based trauma

  • Conflict and repair

  • Phobias and fears

  • Attachment and belonging

  • Shame, guilt and regret

  • Anger management

  • Health issues, chronic conditions and terminal illness

  • Personality disorders

  • Climate anxiety

  • Self-harm and suicide

  • Social isolation and loneliness

  • Academic anxiety and boarding school experiences

  • Women’s/men’s issues

  • Existential concerns

  • General dissatisfaction with life

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”

— Brené Brown

Services:

I appreciate taking the time to seek out a therapist can be a big step, and the idea of sharing your vulnerabilities with a stranger may be a barrier to seeking the support that could benefit you. It’s okay to feel unsure about the process.

In today’s fast-paced way of life, it is often hard to remember to pause and evaluate what is going on for you. Talking about the issues you are facing candidly with somebody professionally equipped to support you can be an effective way of reducing tension and can help you to find a path through life’s difficulties, mitigating the notion that you have to navigate everything on your own. A therapist will not advise you on what to do, but will instead aid you to draw upon your own resources.

I provide one-to-one talking therapy in a non-judgemental and confidential space with individuals over the age of 18. I do not currently work with couples or groups. I offer short, mid and long-term work, tailored to your presentation and needs.

I am an integrative practitioner, meaning that I incorporate different therapeutic models into my work, and I am trained in three Humanistic psychotherapy modalities: Transactional Analysis, Gestalt and Person-Centred. I work relationally with clients, seeing the relationship between client and therapist as an essential medium for change. I further believe that each unique client is the expert on themselves, that humans are to be understood as a whole (combining mind/body/soul/context/community) and people have essential worth and the capacity to overcome in the right conditions.

I adhere to the ethical standards of the BACP and UKCP, as well as Metanoia’s code of ethics.

  • Founded by Berne, Transactional Analysis examines relational patterns, namely communication and transactions with ourselves and others.

    This frequently means working with the presenting past - things that occurred or messages we received in childhood which may still throw up difficulties, consciously or subconsciously.

  • Founded by Perls, Gestalt therapy promotes spontaneity and raising awareness in the here-and-now. It also takes in to account historic events. For example, exploring how one has creatively adjusted to form behavioural patterns, and evaluating how we make contact with another or self in different contexts.

    A further focus is placed on the way that the body signifies reactions and processes experiences.

  • Founded by Rogers, the Person-Centred approach emphasises empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence, holding that the client’s self-actualising tendency means that they are instinctively driven towards their potential.

    In this way, the client arrives at their own answers and the therapist works with what the client brings in to the room.

  • My current rate is £50 per 50 minute session.

    I offer discounted sessions to members of the armed forces, NHS and emergency services.

    • Online - payments are to be made in full in advance of a session via bank transfer

    • In-person - payments are to be made in full in advance of a session via bank transfer, or you can pay via SumUp or cash on the day

    • Online - available to anybody residing within the UK

    • In-person - on the outskirts of Colchester, Essex

    Accessibility:

    My practice is located on the ground floor and there is a level path from the pavement to the door. The parking space designated for clients is somewhat narrow, but there is plenty of parking available outside of the property.

  • Appointments are typically arranged on a weekly basis at the same time and on the same day each week. Therapy is initially conducted weekly to maximise momentum in the work. However, once we have seen one another for a sufficient period of time and met some of your goals, we may decide to meet bi-weekly.

    It is understood that sometimes short breaks will be necessary.

    I offer some evening slots. At present, I do not work on Mondays or weekends.

  • I offer a free 15 minute Zoom call to give an initial assessment as to whether I may be a good fit for you, and to get a brief overview of your reasons for accessing therapy. This time also serves for you to ask me any questions.

    It is understood that you may have set up a few meetings with different therapists, which is perfectly reasonable. I respectfully ask that, following this initial consultation, you simply let me know either way whether you wish to continue with me. If so, we will arrange our first paid session for a mutually agreed time/date, and I will provide you with a copy of our therapeutic agreement to consider beforehand.

  • The first session with a new therapist can be nerve-wracking, even if you have had therapy before. It is therefore not essential to jump in at the deep end. Instead, it is an opportunity to get to know one another and to examine whether we could work well together.

    I go through your background information with you and ascertain what your goals may be. I request that you complete an initial evaluation form and we will also attend to contracting, so that we can both be sure of expectations and boundaries. We can additionally discuss any queries you might have regarding the therapeutic agreement you will have been sent.

  • Sometimes life happens! Of course there may be occasions when you are not able to attend.

    48 hours minimum of your intention to cancel is required. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice will be charged at the full session rate.

    If it is possible to rearrange your session for an alternative time or day, we can discuss this option, but this cannot be guaranteed.

  • Therapy is usually open-ended, but committing to long-term work can seem daunting, particularly at the outset. With this in mind, we will generally agree to work for 6-8 sessions to begin with, after which time we can review which aspects of the work are proving helpful, and how you would like to progress.

    Some clients continue with the same practitioner for many years, whilst some know they only wish to commit to a number of sessions. In such cases, I contract with the client for shorter-term work to focus on more concise, realistic objectives.

  • Contact by email, text or telephone in between sessions will be limited to practical arrangements only.

    If you find yourself in immediate crisis, you can contact the Samaritans by calling 116 123. They are a free confidential listening service run by volunteers 24/7 and are available to anyone in distress.

    Alternatively, you can call NHS 111 and select the mental health option.

    For the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, please call 0808 2000 247 for free at any time of day.

    Dial 999 or go to your local accident and emergency department in an emergency. For example, if somebody’s life is at risk, they have seriously injured themselves, taken an overdose or you don’t feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe.

  • Counsellors and psychotherapists are interchangeably called therapists. Further specialist training is required to become a psychotherapist.

    Generally speaking, counselling focuses on specific issues and is shorter-term, whereas psychotherapy often treats deeper and more complex patterns and is longer-term.

    Research suggests that longer-term therapy is more effective than shorter-term therapy (Howard, Kopta, Krause, and Orlinsky , 1986).

  • This will be unique to you, but is certainly an important decision to make. Much research has supported the idea that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most important factor in effectual therapy (e.g. Barkham et al, 2018; Orlinksy, Ronnestad and Willutzki, 2004).

    That said, it’s okay if you don’t get it right first time. Many people try different therapists before landing on one they think will be most beneficial to them.

    Some considerations might be:

    • How long the practitioner has trained/practiced for and at what facility. Not all therapy qualifications are equal, and a lack of adequate training in fragile work can be harmful

    • What credentials the practitioner holds, including which organisations they are accredited by and which ethical codes they abide by

    • What modalities the practitioner is trained in, whether this aligns with your view of the world, and whether they have experience working with particular issues relevant to you

    • The practitioners’ individual style of working

    • Characteristics of the practitioner, such as: gender, age, languages spoken or cultural background

    • The practicalities of therapy offered, such as: location, cost and frequency

    • How safe and understood would you feel with this practitioner?

    A good start could be to book introductory calls with a few therapists to get a feel of what is most important to you. It may then be sensible to narrow this down to a couple of therapists to meet for a first session, should your financial situation allow this.

    Sometimes you may be surprised by who you envisioned as your therapist, and who you end up with. At different times of life, you may require a different type of practitioner.

  • It is a common misconception that there must be something wrong with your mental health in order to get value from therapy. Equally, individuals may believe that they need to be experiencing something ‘serious’ enough to seek out support. However, anybody can benefit from having the space to be curious about themselves and the world around them. At times though, a crisis or significant event may well be the thing that brings you in.

    You may come for a specific reason or just want to take the time to explore yourself generally. Frequently, therapy begins with a few issues or goals, which then emerge in to other unexpected themes. Some of my clients simply enjoy having an hour a week solely for themselves to process the week and anything that has come up for them, and consider this as vital self-care.

  • Therapy is only one option available to bettering people’s health. It is not unusual to have therapy in addition to other treatments or alongside corresponding healthy routines.

    Therapy can at times be demanding, frustrating and sensitive, and it is recognised that you may find this process very difficult. Moreover, it is common to feel stuck or hopeless about progress and this is a normal part of the work. Indeed, sometimes you may feel worse before you feel better. We can discuss the reactions you’re having and try to figure out what is going on together.

    I regularly review with clients to ensure they have an opportunity to provide feedback on how therapy is going for them. Ultimately, the sessions are your space and need to work for you. A planned ending, where possible, is an important part of the therapeutic process.

  • Some refer to the professional bodies therapists are accredited by, and whose ethical codes they adhere to. Examples are:

    • UKCP - UK Council for Psychotherapy

    • BACP or MBACP - (Member) British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy

    • BABCP - British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

    • BPS - British Psychological Society

    Some pertain to therapeutic modalities. Examples are:

    • TA - Transactional Analysis (I offer this)

    • PCA - Person-Centred Approach (I offer this)

    • CBT - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

    • EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

    • DBT - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

    • MBT - Metallisation Based Therapy

    • ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

    • IFS - Internal Family Systems

  • Clients may:

    • Gain a deeper insight into the issues they’re facing and address the root causes of difficult emotions

    • Experience having their worries and life stories validated or given appropriate attention and consideration, possibly for the first time

    • Feel more empowered, overcome creative blocks and feel better prepared to make more informed decisions

    • Attach their own meaning to life and identify their personal values

    • Break generational cycles

    • Unload things they’ve never felt able to tell another person before

    • Move towards a move authentic sense of self

    • Process important feelings or events and heal from trauma

    • Make peace with the past and create hope for the future

    • Implement boundaries and healthy coping strategies

    • Reveal unconscious ways of being, biases and motivations

    • Distinguish between the things they can and cannot control

    • Cultivate confidence and strive towards self-validation rather than external validation

    • Accept the numerous and often dichotomous parts of themselves

    • Evaluate the agency and choice they have in circumstances rather than only sticking to historic or automatic patterns

    • Improve relationships with themselves and others

    • Integrate thinking and feeling, facilitating a greater understanding of the connection between their mind and body

    • Better understand clinical diagnoses and reflect upon the personal significance of these

    • Rewrite narratives and work through self-imposed labels and possible limiting beliefs

    • Build belonging and find positive connections

    • Consciously communicate and express their emotions more effectively

    • Increase their tolerance

    • Learn to constructively engage with and resolve conflict

    • Manage stress better, leading to an improvement in mental and physical health

  • Psychiatrists are medical doctors that diagnose illness, prescribe medication and manage treatment for serious mental health conditions, including referring patients on for therapeutic services. Psychiatrists understand these conditions from a physical and biological perspective, largely treating symptoms rather than root-causes (unlike psychotherapy).

    Psychologists are research-based, specialising in scientific testing and evaluation, and work in a variety of settings such as: schools, hospitals, care homes, prisons, and private practice. They work to study and understand people’s behaviour to address psychological distress.

    There are several overlaps in the roles, and psychotherapists use many techniques deriving from psychology and psychiatry. A psychotherapist may also be a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional who has done additional training in psychotherapy.

  • Life can be complex and demanding, and it isn’t unusual to experience a sense of disconnection or lack of fulfilment. It is reported that 1 in 4 people will suffer with their mental health each year.

    There is a large body of evidence to show that psychotherapy works to combat this. Research has demonstrated not only that psychotherapy is effective in addressing most mental health issues, but is also at least as effective as medication in doing so (Hollan et al, 2006; Cuipers et al, 2013). Further, the effects of psychotherapy have been found to be longer-lasting than those of medication (Hollan et al, 2016) and less likely to result in relapse after the treatment ends (Nordal, 2010).

    Consideration for our intentional progression through life does matter, and therapy is an investment in to your emotional wellbeing. Many clients deem it to be no different than subscribing to a gym membership.

 FAQs:

 

Please fill out the below form and I will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible within working hours. Alternatively, please email: therapy@shonaghwrightphillips.co.uk.

Contact:

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I change.”

- Carl Rogers

“Your body is a map of your life. It stores your memories, your joys, your sorrows, your traumas. And it also holds the key to your healing.”

- Bessel van der Kolk

“Trauma is not the bad things that happen to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.”

- Gabor Mate

  • On 25th May 2018, new rules on data protection were enforced under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This regulation seeks to bring more transparency to people about how any data/information that is held on them is used and kept.

    To be compliant with these regulations, I am setting out below how I use and look after your data and ask you to give your consent to this by signing a therapeutic agreement with me should we begin to work together. I confirm that I am a registered data controller with the Information Commission Service (ICO).

    Whilst we are working together, I will keep a note of your contact details, including details for an emergency contact. These details are password protected if held electronically, locked in a secure cupboard if handwritten, and are held separately to any written records I keep from our sessions together. These details will be stored securely whilst we are working together so that I can rearrange and remember my appointments with you and contact you should I need to. When we finish working together or it becomes apparent you do not require my services, I will erase your contact details and any emails you have sent from my records, including initial enquiries sent via this website, unless you request otherwise.

    I keep brief written notes on our sessions. Any notes I do keep are to help me remember what you have said and to support me to work effectively with you, including regularly assessing suitability to receive therapeutic services from myself. These details are kept anonymously and will be destroyed 7 years after we have finished working together. I am not able to meet ethical, legal or insurance requirements without keeping contact details or client notes.

    Any recordings are additionally stored securely and deleted as soon as they are no longer needed.

    You may put a request in writing to see your data and will be responded to within 28 days. Please ensure that you provide accurate and current details, alerting me to any change in the same. Equally, you may request for your data to be destroyed at any time. Such requests will be considered in accordance with GDPR and your particular situation. In some circumstances, I may have legitimate reasons to override your request as I have a legal basis for taking your personal information.

    Your data will never be shared with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.

    Please note that any fees paid via online banking will contain your name in my business bank account, and if audited by HMRC, I would be required to provide these bank statements. In such instances, no other personal information will be provided to them about you.

    If you are not agreeable to me collecting your relevant personal data for the above-mentioned reasons, I am unable to provide you with therapeutic services.

    The data that I keep on you is confidential. The exceptions and limitations to confidentiality are as follows:

    (a)      I may discuss our work in my own supervision. This is to ensure that I am working in the best way possible with you. My supervisor is also bound by the laws and principles of confidentiality and identifying details about you are not disclosed

    (b)     If I believe that you are at risk to yourself and/or others, then I may need to provide information to any relevant agencies to seek support and protection for you and/or others

    (c)      If a court orders disclosure of information or in specific issues relating to The Children Act or The Prevention of Terrorism Act, I may be obliged to break confidentiality

    (d)     In a case of emergency, I may need to contact your next of kin and this may necessitate disclosing who I am and our professional relationship

    (e)      I am obligated to contact relevant authorities without delay should you disclose anything of a previously unreported criminal nature

    If possible, I will always endeavour to inform you if I feel there is a situation where I feel I may need to break confidentiality.

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