Melina Sarra-May

I currently have availability within week days Monday-Thursday and I aim to find a suitable time that is convenient for you and I - dependant on your location, country or time-zone.

Welcome to Melina Therapy, bespoke counselling therapy and wellness coaching, tailored to meet individual need. I am Melina, a BACP accredited integrative counsellor with thirty years’ experience as a therapist. I am English Italian, living in the UK and working with clients online remotely all over the world. I have supported clients with many mental health problems, including, anxiety, depression, loss, grief, low self-esteem to more sensitive, traumatic and complex issues.

My practice is trauma informed, as it is important that you feel safe with me. I specialise in working with trauma and PTSD, sexual abuse, violence and rape. My expertise is in addictions, childhood and growing-up issues, displacement, identity and relationships. In addition, I am a wellness coach taking a holistic approach to your psychological well-being. 

I offer individual counselling for anyone who is struggling with emotional and personal problems. One-to-one counselling offers you a confidential environment in which you can explore your emotional issues in a safe and open way.  

If you are suffering from historical trauma, PTSD or a recent traumatic event, you don't have to feel alone any more. I have a deep understanding of the sensitivity and complexity of the impact of trauma. I have crafted my own empathic and compassionate approach that is grounded in neuroscience, integrated therapies and healing techniques.

Also, relationship therapy offers you, individually, or together a safe space to be listened to, in the knowledge that I am impartial to each person. Couples or intimate partners can seek therapy for various reasons: communication, recurring conflict, sexual difficulties, infidelity, separation, to name a few. 

Wellness coaching focuses on your psychological and behavioural health. I can help you if you are feeling anxious, stressed and burnt-out, or slipped into unhealthy habits - or you may have a specific goal you want to achieve to find more purpose, energy and order in your life.

At any time in our lives, we may all face personal difficulties, whether loss, trauma, health or something from our past. I understand that therapy may seem daunting, however, we can all benefit from additional support and talking to someone who is professionally trained and impartial can really help. 

By definition I would describe counselling as the process of healing, to make or become sound again - a safe space, where you can explore your feelings, be listened to and heard without fear of judgment. You can just be you!

In therapy we often look at our past, the aim is not to blame, but to explore and with compassion we can understand, change our meaning, our narrative and our sense of ourselves and our story. So, we can let go, be at peace and find ways forward.

We can also focus on the present and explore ways that will support and enhance our day-to-day experiences, to feel happier and more content - whether about ourself, our relationships or the world around us. 

My practice is inclusive and welcoming to each client, as unique and wonderful as you are. As a therapist it is a privilege to get to know the person that you will become or was always meant to be.

Your counselling can be short to longer term, depending on your need, always tailor made, always gentle and always at a pace that feels right for you. It's your therapy, your journey. 

'I think I'm ready to come out of therapy now. When I think of the past now, I think of happy memories and when I think of the future, I think of happy events, like going on holiday. I feel like I've got a big suitcase of Melina tools to carry and take with me into the outside world. I will be forever grateful towards Melina and I hope she continues doing what she does and reaching other people.' - Client testimonial on ending therapy and healing from trauma.

I am dedicated to helping you discover positive change in how you feel about yourself, your relationships and your world around you. During our first session my focus is to assess the most effective therapy methods for you.

I can offer you a free 15-minute discovery call to gain an understanding of the support that you are looking for and so you can see if you feel comfortable with me. I believe that everyone deserves to live the life they want and my goal is to help you achieve that.

'I was at the stage where I was just going to give up and then I found Melina! Thank you for taking care of my feelings and helping me to see what I can do and having someone I can talk to.' - client testimonial first session.

I currently have availability within week days Monday-Thursdays. I aim to find a suitable time that is convenient for you and I - dependant on your location, country or time-zone.

A warm welcome, I am Melina and I am a BACP accredited integrative counsellor. I provide bespoke, tailor made supervision for counsellors and therapists engaging empathically with clients in mental health - and for any practitioners who could benefit from supervisory support. I have thirty years’ experience working with many issues, including anxiety, depression, loss and grief - to more sensitive, taboo and complex issues. I am English Italian living in the UK and I work remotely, online with therapists all over the world.

My practice is trauma informed, as it is important that you feel safe with me and safe within the therapeutic alliance. I specialise in working with trauma and the impact of sexual abuse, harassment, violence and rape. I have crafted my own empathic and compassionate approach that is grounded in neuroscience, integrated therapies and healing techniques. My expertise is in addictions, childhood and growing-up issues, displacement, identity and relationships. 

I believe that supervision is there to support and enhance good practice and to protect clients from risk and poor practice. I would describe my supervision as a safe space where you can explore cases, be reflective, raise concerns and celebrate the joy of client work. In addition, I am a wellness coach taking a holistic approach to your supervision and well-being. I have experience in work-related stress, burn out and empathy fatigue.

I believe that warmth, openness and authenticity are key to building trust and empathy within the supervisory relationship, while the consistency of supervision is essential to affirming the bond and depth of the work. 

I have worked with children, young people, adults, couples and intimate partners and families. I have an optimum combination of evidence based therapies, coaching and holistic techniques to support you on your way and value you within your practice.

My practice is inclusive and accepting. I am naturally drawn to working with marginalised and often hard-to-reach clients, who have been targeted or stigmatised due to race, gender, identity, sexuality, origin, culture, trauma or circumstance. 

Please browse my previous career experience:

Private Practice - Melina Therapy - to date working in private practice, providing counselling, wellness coaching and clinical supervision.

Trauma Informed Yoga Training - TRY Yoga Yoga, Breathwork and meditation safe, non-triggering, mind to body connections, re-setting the nervous system.

Counselling Manager - Nottingham Rape Crisis at Nottingham Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Trauma informed, quick response, short term counselling for victims of sexual abuse and sexual violence.

Co-ordinator - The Children’s Society Stars Project. Therapeutic play therapy for children impacted by parental drug and alcohol misuse. Research into the impact of the 'resilient child'.

Management and Personal Development Trainer - Queens Medical Hospital Nottingham NHS. Developing training for staff and volunteers across the trust. Stress Management, Supporting Staff, Conflict Resolution, Communication skills.

Project Worker - Compass Drug Alcohol Services. Working with young people and adults with chaotic, problematic substance misuse. Working with women, pregnant women with addictions and collaborative outreach work with sex workers.

Crack Cocaine Specialist. Providing therapeutic support and pioneering research into the development of Crack Cocaine service provision.

Project Manager - The Safe Project. Street-based outreach support for disadvantaged young people and families.

Volunteer - Support After Adoption. Social Services. Providing support and raising awareness with adoptees and families.

I am dedicated to providing supportive and collaborative clinical supervision. My focus is to assess the most effective methods for you and to meet your individual and practice needs. I can offer you a free 15-minute discovery call to gain an understanding of the supervisory support that you are looking for and so you can see if you feel comfortable with me and we are a good fit.

Supervisee's Testimonials

"I would recommend Melina if you want an approach that is genuine, warm, caring, reflective and informed. I am able to be fully transparent about my emotions and thought processes about my clients. I have felt safe to be able to explain fully how the therapy I have undertaken has impacted on my own well-being. I have learned to be extremely confident in my abilities and my ethical approach."

"I feel that I am becoming a better therapist for my clients working in a specialised area, Gaining a kinder and more compassionate relationship to myself and a better understanding of trauma. A huge impact and thank you Melina, you have been fantastic and I appreciate your supervision and support so much."

"I find Melina extremely warm and encouraging of my development. Able to give enough of herself without taking away from her supervisee's. She is naturally able to guide me towards reflection rather than merely advising me to do it."

"As a newly qualified therapist, I have found Melina's wealth of experience and knowledge to be an invaluable resource. Her warmth, supportive and acceptant approach to the supervisory relationship provides an ideal model to aspire to in my own therapeutic alliances. I know that I can say anything to her and she would not be fazed, which encourages me to be very open, to the benefit of myself and my clients. "