Sidonia Stiles , BACP

Sidonia Stiles, who also goes by Sonia, is a UK-based counsellor practicing from a private practice in Eastbourne. She is a person-centred therapist and a relationship psychodynamic practitioner who focuses on relationship difficulties, bereavement, anxiety, stress and depression. Sidonia has a long history of working with the LGBT community in both relationship and individual counselling contexts and supports clients facing intimacy-related issues, family conflicts, parenting challenges and trauma-related concerns.

Before qualifying as a counsellor she spent ten years as a group worker for a local council supporting residential young people and working with families through complex relational dynamics. She brings that background to her clinical work, using genograms to map family systems and patterns and drawing on Gestalt ideas to help people make sense of grief and loss in ways that respect each person’s unique experience.

Sidonia is a registered counsellor with the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - and holds an HND Diploma (2006) in Person-Centred Counselling and a Level 5 Diploma in Relationship Therapy (2019) awarded by CPCAB. She runs evening and weekend sessions from her Eastbourne practice and, since the COVID-19 pandemic, offers online sessions as an alternative to in-person meetings. She also maintains a website for Downs Counseling Services for more information.

Approach-focused care for online therapy

Sidonia incorporates client-centred and attachment-based work alongside Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support people seeking online help. Client-centred therapy emphasizes a non-judgemental, empathetic relationship where the therapist follows the client’s lead to strengthen self-understanding and self-worth; it is often helpful for issues like low self-esteem, life transitions and relational difficulties.

Attachment-based therapy explores how early relationship patterns shape current responses to intimacy, trust and conflict, and it can be useful for couples work, attachment concerns and complex family dynamics. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) combines acceptance strategies with practical commitment to values-based action, offering tools for coping with anxiety, stress and ongoing emotional pain.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and Sidonia works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their goals, needs and preferences. Licensed professionals tailor sessions so clients can try different techniques and decide what helps most.

Online therapy with Sidonia is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, providing flexibility for people who need appointments outside traditional office hours or who live at a distance. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives while maintaining continuity of care.