Alan Sparkes

I am a qualified UKCP registered Psychotherapist. I aim to help people heal and integrate. I’m a parent, a skateboarder, a basketball player and I’ve done a lot of therapy.

I don't do psychic amputation. I believe you can't cut off a part of yourself you don’t like or that causes you pain - and that you will run into more problems if you try. I do believe you can reach into your heart and soul through therapy and establish a healing relationship that will give you the resources you need to live well and fully. 
 

I have a BSc Hons degree in Psychology as a mature student and started psychotherapy training at 28yrs of age at The Metanoia Institute in West London. Here I did 4yrs of Transactional Analysis (TA) psychotherapy and worked at Hackney Bereavement Service and ran a private practice in North London. I’ve taught psychology undergraduates at Middlesex University and also taught & facilitated groups at the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy. I have qualified as master practitioner in NLP and my recent training includes qualifying with a Diploma in Contemporary Psychotherapy that integrates systemic NLP as an outcome oriented approach. I am a member of BACP(British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and also work as a volunteer counsellor at the Terrence Higgins Trust in Brighton. I have a special interest in physical health and wellness, people diagnosed as bi-polar, early development trauma, and suicidal feelings. All the fun stuff.

I start with a phone call to get an understanding of what has brought you to this point. We would then agree to meet face to face where we would have the first session. This is important for me to understand your needs and goals and I also stress that this is an opportunity for you to assess me for the job of being your therapist. Through this you can get a sense of what ongoing therapy might be like working with me.

My approach is multi-faceted using a combination of my years of training to deliver an integrative and outcome oriented approach intended to facilitate recovery, growth and change. I aim to be accurately adaptable to your unique experience and patterns of functioning tailoring my approach to the uniqueness of each person. I focus not just on your personal history, but especially on your immediate needs and your short and long term well-being, for now and in the manageable future. 

Like all UKCP registered psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors I can work with a wide range of issues.