​Client testimonials
'Dear Sarah, Thank you so much for your help, support and guidance over the past few years. I always looked forward to and enjoyed our sessions and I found them so useful and enlightening. I am so excited for the adventures and challenges ahead of me and I feel like I have a big backpack of self-knowledge, compassion and mindful tools to take care of myself whatever arises. When I think back to the start of our sessions, I was so stuck! In old ways of thinking and old ingrained beliefs, as well as feeling a lack of control over my life. It really does feel quite opposite to that now. I've found your style of therapy so helpful and different to anything I've had before and I am so grateful for the work you do and the changes you are making in the world of mental health. It really is life changing! Thank you again!' Juliette, Brighton.  

'Dear Sarah, A huge thank you for the work that we have done together over the last three years. Your time, support and consistent patience in our sessions has really allowed me to work through new levels of my pain and reaching a deeper and more healthy understanding of my mental and emotional health. I have learned so much about myself and the brain and the world in our sessions and I am really appreciative of our time together. Thank you for helping me to grow into the person I am today.' Kat, Brighton. 

About Sarah

Welcome. My name is Sarah. I am a Counselling Psychologist and author. I am registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) as a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, and with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist (since May, 2015). I have worked with a variety of individuals within different services over the past thirteen years, including the National Health Service (NHS), an LGBT charity, and in private practice in Brighton (UK). I have also worked with the mental health charity MIND, to set up and deliver a new Guided Self-Help service at various community venues in greater London (2009-2010). I love my profession, and learning from others, and see great value in sharing psychological knowledge. 
 
As a Counselling Psychologist, I offer psychological therapy to people experiencing specific mental health difficulties, such as: 'generalized anxiety disorder', 'social phobia', 'panic disorder', 'trichotillomania', 'post-traumatic stress disorder', 'emotionally unstable personality disorder', 'obsessive compulsive disorder', self-harm and 'clinical depression'. I also work with life issues such as: living with chronic illness, insomnia, communication difficulties, poor self-worth, the experience of life with dyslexia and other learning differences or disabilities, perfectionism, procrastination, coping with challenging thoughts and feelings, relationship problems, abuse, psychological trauma, loss, bereavement, and issues associated with gender and sexual orientation identity (such as family estrangement, prejudice and discrimination). I endeavour to support my clients to understand their past pain, break free from limiting vicious cycles, and respond adaptively to difficult thoughts and challenging feelings so that they can live a full and meaningful life. Psychological therapy can be a very effective vehicle with which to enable self-awareness, relief, compassion, growth and positive change. I deeply enjoy working with individuals for the betterment of their mental health and well-being. 
 
Trained at City University London, I am proficient in Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), working with the unconscious, and the use of Mindfulness in psychological therapy. My training reflects the idea that different therapeutic approaches are likely to benefit different people at different times, and that therapy models can be fruitfully integrated to meet the individual’s needs and wishes. I am an integrative, pluralistic practitioner, meaning that I tailor my therapeutic approach to each individual client - in line with evidence-based best practice guidelines. I pride myself upon delivering psychological therapy within the context of a strong, deeply collaborative therapeutic relationship. Empathy, compassion, active listening and respect are the cornerstones of my practice. 

My special interests include:
  • Emotion regulation work (skills for managing difficult thoughts and challenging emotions more effectively)
  • Mindfulness
  • Value-based living
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); and transdiagnostic Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
  • Trauma-focused CBT for single incident PTSD
  • Treating insomnia with ACT-I
  • Treating needle phobia
  • Working with clients living with Long Term health Conditions (LTCs)
  • Working with clinical depression, self-worth issues, and anxiety disorders
  • The experiences of women living with endometriosis
  • The psychological impact of diagnosed or undiagnosed learning differences, such as dyslexia
  • Gender and sexual diversity issues, and research
  • Pluralism and integration in Counselling Psychology practice
  • The therapeutic relationship in psychological therapy 
​
I believe in the transformative power of compassion, CBT, ACT and Mindfulness. I consider the study and practice of these ideas to be incredibly beneficial for mental health and well-being, which is why I endeavor to use them and deeply recommend them to the general public. Consequently, I chose to write on the subject of Mindfulness in 'The Mindfulness Companion', and I drew upon CBT, ACT and Mindfulness to create 'The Can't Sleep Colouring Journal'. More recently, I created The Pocket Coaches, which are also rooted in these approaches. My intention is to share these effective, evidence-based ideas with a wider audience so that many more people can benefit from them. My hope is that these books will enable self-care and enhance the well-being of those who use them. 

With warm wishes,
Dr Sarah J. Arnold.

Books

Arnold, S.J (2018). The Pocket Coach Of Calm. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

Arnold, S.J (2018). The Pocket Coach Of Confidence. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

Arnold, S.J (2018). The Pocket Coach Of Kindness. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

Arnold, S.J (2018). The Pocket Coach Of Sleep. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

Arnold, S.J (2016). The Can't Sleep Colouring Journal. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

Arnold, S.J (2016). The Mindfulness Companion. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

Academic Papers & Research

​​Arnold, Sarah J. (2015). Interpersonal relationships and psychological well-being: insights from therapeutic practice, scholarship and research. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City University London).

Arnold, S. (2012). “Coming out” during adolescence: How do parental attitudes towards non-heterosexuality affect the mental health and well-being of their lesbian, gay, or bisexual offspring? Psychology of Sexualities Review 3(1), 18-33.
​

Public Speaking

​University and College Union (UCU) Research conference on sexual orientation and gender identity issues and LGBTQI lives: Friday 15 May 2015 at University of Manchester.
Presentation topic: The experience of sexuality-related family estrangement for LGB people.