Sarah Horner

I currently have some mid-week availability in my online practice.  Please contact me to discuss further. 

I am a qualified and experienced couples therapist. Although based in London, I prefer to work online, allowing me to see clients from anywhere in the UK.

I have a Master's degree in Psychology from Cambridge University. I then worked in public relations for nearly two decades across various sectors and institutions, before completing my postgraduate psychotherapy training at Tavistock Relationships, a world-leading centre for research, training and practice in couples therapy.  

I now hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Couples and Individual Psychotherapy.

In addition to my private practice, I work part-time for Tavistock Relationships in London as a therapist and assessor. 

I work with a wide range of couples from different cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. Each couple is unique, but as an overview, I am accustomed to working with difficulties with communication; repetitive arguments; affairs or difficulties with trust and commitment; and problems navigating various life stages such as the arrival of a first baby, bereavement, children leaving home, or retirement.

I work psychodynamically.  This means we will think together in-depth about the roots of your difficulties; where feelings and experiences are coming from; and we may explore how the past is affecting the present.  Sometimes we are not consciously aware of the part we are playing in a relationship and it is easy to get stuck in a dynamic of mutual blame and resentment; in therapy however, we will endeavour to look at your relationship as a co-creation.  This can be very helpful.

Compared to some other forms of therapy, psychodynamic work is not about the therapist giving practical advice or 'homework' and it isn't a 'quick fix'.  It is more about you, the couple, developing a relationship of trust with your therapist.  This can take time to establish but in the resulting safe and non-judgmental environment, couples can uncover and better understand the underlying roots of feelings and behaviour together.

The idea of starting therapy can be daunting and it is important to ensure you both feel comfortable with your therapist. I offer an initial, exploratory first session.

Following a first contact by phone or by email, we can agree a time to meet for an initial 75 minute consultation online, at a cost of £150. 

This gives you the thinking space to describe what is causing you difficulties currently, and to give some consideration about how you got there, so that we can start to see a way of working. Occasionally, a second consultation may be required.

If we agree there is a way for us to work together, we can then arrange regular weekly sessions.