The Space Between Sessions

There’s an oak in the far corner of my woodland. It’s not the tallest, not the most striking, but it grows exactly at the pace it can hold, no more, no less. It reminds me that the space between is where growth really happens.

Therapy works like that, too. The hour we spend together is only part of the story. The real work stretches into the spaces before and after, where preparation, reflection, and care quietly shape what happens when we meet.

The Work You Don’t See

Before I see you, I’m already thinking about you, reading back through my notes, holding the thread from where we left off. After you leave, I take time to write down what shifted, what stayed tender, and what might need a different approach next time.

Sometimes I’ll research something specific for you. Sometimes I’ll bring what’s happening in our work to supervision, a space where experienced therapists reflect together so we can stay clear, grounded, and present for the people we see.

This is why the “hour” is never just an hour. And why I keep a limit of no more than 20 clients a week.

Why That Limit Matters

Both the NCPS and the BACP are clear in their ethical guidelines: we must work within our competence, protect our well-being, and put client care first. That means not stacking my week so high that by Friday, I’m running on fumes. It means showing up to each session rested enough to listen, steady enough to hold whatever comes, and alert enough to notice the details that matter.

Experience You Can Trust

I’m a Senior Accredited Psychotherapist with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), the highest professional category in the UK’s SCOPeD framework (Column C).

To earn that, I’ve logged:

• 5,000+ hours of clinical work

• 200+ hours of my personal therapy (and counting—I still go now)

• Over a decade of advanced training, trauma-informed practice, and ongoing supervision

Senior Accreditation isn’t just a title. It’s a recognition of depth, experience, and the ability to hold complexity without rushing you.

And yes, I still sit in the client’s chair myself. Not because I’m “broken,” but because I believe in doing my own work. Being a client keeps me grounded, humble, and connected to the courage it takes to walk through that door.

Why Waiting Can Be a Good Sign

I know it’s hard to hear “there’s a waiting list” when you’re ready to start. But a wait can be a quiet kind of reassurance:

It means I’m not overloading myself. It means I’m protecting the quality of the work. It means that when it’s your turn, I’ll have made space for you—not just squeezed you into an already packed diary.

While You Wait

If you’re on my list, I sometimes have earlier spaces if another client moves on or changes their time. And while you wait, you can explore my Trail Tools, blog posts, and other resources—small ways to feel supported until we begin.

Therapy isn’t just what happens in the room. It’s the care, thought, and preparation that happens in the space between. That’s where the work takes root. And that’s why, when it’s your turn in the chair, you’ll have all of me—no more, no less.

The oak doesn’t rush its growth, and neither should we. Because the space between sessions—the time we don’t see—is often where the work takes root.

Wishing you steadiness and space, Sarah x