'Love After Love

The time will come 
when, with elation 
you will greet yourself arriving 
at your own door, in your own mirror 
and each will smile at the other's welcome, 
and say, sit here. Eat. 
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart 
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you 
all your life, whom you ignored 
for another, who knows you by heart. 
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, 
the photographs, the desperate notes, 
peel your own image from the mirror. 
Sit. Feast on your life'.
​​◆ Derek Walcott.


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About Sarah

Welcome. My name is Sarah. I am a Counselling Psychologist, researcher and free-lance author, living in the bohemian city of Brighton (UK). I love my profession and learning from others, and see great value in sharing psychological knowledge.
 
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 six years, including the National Health Service, an LGBT charity, and now in private practice at Brighton Therapy Centre. Before this, I worked with the mental health charity Mind to set up and deliver a new Guided Self-Help service at various community venues.
 
I enjoy working with individuals for the betterment of their mental health and well-being. In my private practice, I offer individual, open-ended psychological therapy to people experiencing specific mental health difficulties, such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, trichotillomania, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, self-harm and 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/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 endeavor 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. 
 
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:
  • Mindfulness.
  • The experiences of women living with endometriosis.
  • Treating insomnia.
  • Working with clinical depression, trauma, self-worth issues, and anxiety disorders.
  • Value-based living.
  • The psychological impact of diagnosed/undiagnosed learning differences, such as dyslexia.
  • Gender and sexual diversity issues, and research.
  • Transdiagnostic approaches to treatment (including cognitive restructuring, compassion-focused work, enabling distress tolerance and emotion regulation, and assertiveness training).
  • 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'. My intention was 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 journals will enable self-care and enhance the well-being of those who use them. 

Books:

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​Academic Papers & Research:
Arnold, S.J (publication pending). The Can't Sleep Colouring Journal. Michael O'Mara Books Ltd.

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



​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.