• sarah@empowerpsychotherapy.co.uk
  • Suffolk
  • 07557 052729
Empower Psychotherapy

SARAH HIRSH DRAPER

About Sarah

sarahSarah has been working with clients as a counsellor and psychotherapist for over seven years including three years as an honorary psychotherapist within NHS Adult Psychotherapy teams in Hertfordshire and London.  She has offered support to a range of clients with varied needs.  She has also worked with Mind, the Counselling Foundation and Marie Curie.

Sarah has a professional background in radio and television production, search recruitment and business development both in the UK and overseas.  She particularly understands the culture involved in working within professional media settings and highly pressurised corporate environments, along with the challenges and demands of juggling a busy career and a family.

Sarah has a particular interest in working with mothers and stepmothers.  She authored and completed a lengthy research study in 2014 exploring transition to motherhood and the impact of raising children on wellbeing and selfhood which precipitated her development of a therapy support programme aimed at mums called Mum-Me.  Sarah is a mum and a step-mum herself.

A genuine belief that talking therapy can be transformative in providing support and enhancing wellbeing motivated Sarah to retrain as a psychotherapist 8 years ago.  She believes that her breadth of experience in her personal and professional life significantly contributes to her practice. 

Sarah’s Approach to Psychotherapy

I am an integrative psychotherapist, which means I have a training in and an understanding of a number of therapeutic approaches, refining my practice through many years of study and clinical experience.

However, whichever the therapeutic approach, research shows that it is the relationship between therapist and client, which is the most important element in facilitating wellbeing benefits and meaningful change.  My approach is relational and based upon support, respect and empathy.

I believe that over time patterns become established in the way we relate to others, in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.  In this sense I work with psychodynamic concepts acknowledging the way in which the past can influence the present.   However, although what has gone before can bring greater understanding, the focus and catalyst for this exploration is always the ‘here and now’ experience that the client wishes to bring.  We work together giving the time and space to try and understand your emotional life better, exploring the patterns and ‘coping strategies’ that may be repeated in our daily lives.   This brings greater understanding and self-awareness, which can facilitate growth, alleviate distress and lead to meaningful change for the future.  

Qualifications

Sarah has undergone a 5 year training at Regent’s University, a highly regarded counselling and psychotherapy training institution.  Graduating with an MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling, Sarah gained membership of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy).  She went on to complete a further more rigorous two year training to become a psychotherapist with an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and is now a fully accredited clinical psychotherapist with the UKCP (United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists).

Academic Qualifications and Professional Memberships

  • BA Hons: Drama – University of East Anglia.
  • MA: Psychotherapy and Counselling – Regents University, London.
  • Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapy – Regents University, London.
  • UKCP: Registered member Clinical Psychotherapist.
  • BACP: Registered Member.

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