Sarah Barfield, BSc (Hons), Dip, MBACP

I started off my career in the third sector with a voluntary role with Victim Support, before transitioning into a full -time case worker, this provided me with a solid foundation in skills such as note keeping, case management, respecting equality and diversity, empathy and congruence, professional boundaries and networking, signposting and referring.

Building off of these first steps, I branched out into the field of sexual violence by becoming an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) for seven years, firstly at Rape Crisis and then Free from Violence and Abuse (FREEVA) in Leicester. Whilst this work was often demanding and challenging, sometimes working with up to 75 clients at a time, it equipped me with a huge repertoire of skills in supporting complex trauma. I saw first-hand the considerable delays of the criminal justice system and the sheer amount of misinformation and stereotyping present in everyday culture that prevent men and women coming forward to be heard and understood. Although, I could not change these systems, I felt privileged to play even the smallest of parts in aiding the recovery of survivors.

It was whilst employed as an ISVA, that I completed my Diploma in Therapeutic Skills and my Recovery Toolkit group training. As part of this qualification, I worked with male survivors of sexual violence at First Step in Leicester which enabled me to understand some of the challenges and barriers associated with males owning and displaying their emotions and accessing support. I also gained my pre-trial therapy certificate so that I could work with survivors reporting to the police, without impacting any outcomes they may achieve in their investigatory process.

Post qualification, I held posts as firstly, a specialist sexual violence counsellor and secondly, a specialist domestic abuse counsellor at Freeva, solely delivering short term projects to address the increase in sexual and domestic crime throughout the pandemic. Working as part of short-term funded initiatives allowed me to gain confidence in working with some of the most sensitive areas of life in an extremely limited time frame.

Diversifying out, I then progressed onto setting up and delivering the therapeutic element of an Alternative Wellbeing Family Support Project in North West Leicestershire for a community benefit society, which allowed me to expand my skills into more generalised therapy to work with issues such as; parenting challenges, neurodiversity, anger, self-esteem and identity, work and relationships, chronic health conditions, child loss and OCD, depression and anxiety.

Today, I continue my professional development by engaging in regular supervision and relevant courses to further my knowledge. Most recently, having undertaken courses in grief and bereavement, child loss and miscarriage and neurodiversity. I have over 1000 counselling hours and am currently awaiting the results of BACP accreditation.

Whilst my approach is flexible, I practice in a Person-Centred manner offering you safe, empathic and trustworthy therapy that is led by you and what you choose to bring into session. We will work to your pace to find a way of gaining agency and control of your mental health and build some more understanding of self. I pride myself on being approachable yet professional, so please let me know how I may be able to offer therapy that meets your needs as an individual.