Sarah Bennett , NCPS

Sarah Bennett is a UK-based counsellor who brings more than a decade of practical experience to her private practice in Nantwich. Her counselling journey began in Sydney in 2009 when she trained as a telephone counsellor for Lifeline, a national charity, and on returning to England she completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and a University Certificate in Counselling at South Cheshire College, both validated by Manchester Metropolitan University.

She is an accredited member of the National Counselling Society and holds the credential NCPS. Sarah commits to ongoing professional development and regularly attends workshops and training to refine her clinical skills. Early placements included work at Reaseheath College, supporting young people, and she has experience as a school counsellor at Brine Leas High School, assisting students with coursework stress, bullying, peer difficulties, and family matters. She has also worked and volunteered with The Dove Service, a bereavement charity in Stoke-on-Trent.

In private practice Sarah sees adults and young people for a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, self-esteem, addictions, trauma, and parenting challenges. Her work is underpinned by a person-centred approach while she also integrates Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques, mindfulness and relaxation practices, and hypnotherapy when appropriate. She completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Integrating Hypnotherapy with Psychotherapy at the Manchester Institute of Psychotherapy with Dr Jonathan Lloyd. Sarah offers face-to-face appointments alongside video and telephone sessions, and she frames therapeutic tools as suggestions to try rather than compulsory tasks between sessions.

Outside of work she values time with family and friends, and she is a mother of two grown children. Her 12 year old dog Leo is a familiar companion at home and may sometimes be present in the counselling room. Sarah believes in the client’s capacity to discover their own answers and to work toward greater calm and balance through therapy.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Sarah works from a person-centred perspective that prioritises the client’s own experience and goals. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on empathy, active listening, and creating a respectful environment where people can explore feelings and find their own solutions - it is especially helpful for issues like grief, relationship concerns, low self-esteem, and life transitions.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a practical, skills-based approach that helps people identify and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns. CBT can be effective for anxiety, depression, stress, and anger by teaching concrete strategies such as relaxation and breathing techniques.

When appropriate, Sarah may incorporate hypnotherapy techniques learned through postgraduate training that blend therapeutic conversation with guided relaxation to support change in areas like anxiety and habit patterns. Choice of method is collaborative - Sarah will work with each client to decide which approaches fit their needs, goals, and preferences rather than prescribing a single path.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to access consistent support from licensed professionals while balancing work, family, and daily commitments. These formats offer flexibility in scheduling, the ability to maintain continuity of care when in-person sessions are difficult, and ways to engage that suit different communication styles.