I’m Sara Gallagher, a BACP-registered counsellor. I adhere to the BACP ethical framework. I have spent over 20 years working with people in a variety of settings, navigating some of life’s most challenging experiences. What I am inspired by is the resilience people have to carry such heavy burdens, even when they don’t see it themselves. This is what drew me to counselling and what fires my passion for helping people, giving people the space and time to be truly heard, to be themselves. And for me, being a counsellor has always been about the connection between counsellor and client. Forging a strong therapeutic relationship with clients, based on warmth, compassion and respect, is the foundation of everything I do. 

My background is quite varied, working in prisons in London, in community mental health settings in Winchester, and as an ISVA supporting victims of rape and sexual assault through the Criminal Justice System from fiirst disclosure to consulsion. After qualification, I worked at my local Rape Crisis Centre for a number of years before setting up in private practice. Consequently, through this work, I have sat with people in their darkest moments, with people struggling with trauma in all its forms. These experiences have shaped me as a counsellor, cementing in me the belief that we all have the power within ourselves to find our way out of the darkest of situations and, through curiosity, compassion and resilience, get to a place of self-awareness and self-acceptance. 

Alongside my professional experiences, my own lived experiences have shaped who I am as a counsellor. I understand what it feels like to carry difficult things, to face challenges, and to benefit from the support of a professional, someone who can offer the time, the space, the empathy and patience, to walk alongside you without trying to rush you through it. 

My aim is simple: to hold space for you to be exactly who you are, without judgement, to offer you warmth, compassion, curiosity and respect so you feel safe. Safe enough to fall apart if you need to and safe enough to find your way back to you.