About

Hi, I'm Sarah Oakley

I didn’t come to counselling only through textbooks and training.

I came to it through lived experience.

Several years ago, my life changed abruptly when my husband became severely unwell with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). Around the same time, my young son was also seriously ill between the ages of six and ten. I found myself stepping into a caring role I had never imagined, navigating uncertainty, responsibility, exhaustion and grief - whilst trying to remain steady.

From the outside, I coped.
Inside, my world had turned upside down. 

That period of my life reshaped how I understand strength, identity and emotional endurance. It taught me what it feels like when your life changes beyond your control, and how being capable doesn’t protect you from feeling overwhelmed.

I realised that my struggle was one shared by many of us: sudden change, loss of control, strain within relationships, societal pressure, and the need to keep going when deep down you actually feel pretty broken.

Those years profoundly shaped my clinical perspective and deepened my respect for the complexity of psychological resilience under sustained pressure.

The therapeutic process

I offer compassionate, talk-based therapy informed by evidence-based psychology. While every person’s story is unique, some of the areas I commonly support include:

  • Anxiety and stress
  • Grief and loss
  • Relationship and family difficulties
  • Identity shifts and life transitions
  • Emotional overwhelm and low mood
  • Unhelpful coping patterns

Our work together is grounded in curiosity, respect and careful attention to your individual pace. Some people arrive in acute distress; others come because something quieter no longer feels sustainable.

Where helpful, I may gently introduce mindfulness, meditation or reflective practices to support steadiness and emotional regulation in daily life.

For those who wish to explore it, I am also open to working with themes of faith or spirituality, always guided by your own values and beliefs.

How can I help?

Training and supervision

My work is grounded in formal training in integrative counselling, psychotherapy, psychological coaching and stress management, and is continually refined through professional supervision and ongoing development.

Alongside my clinical training, I bring longstanding experience in meditation and embodied practice, including advanced training in Yoga Nidra. This informs my understanding of nervous system regulation, resilience and the psychological impact of sustained stress.

I am accustomed to working with individuals navigating complex lives, significant responsibility and periods of profound transition. Therapy offers a space where you are not defined by role, reputation or expectation.

Get in touch