Shannon Chester Psychotherapy

Health and Body in Mind

Shannon's Statement

Hello, I am a clinically trained psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapist with over 15 years experience working in mental health services with both adults and adolescents. Most recently I have worked in NHS services with both individuals and groups. I strive to offer a personalised and relational approach to psychotherapy, enabling you to work at your own pace, within a safe and secure therapeutic environment. Initially I aim to take the time to understand you, and to hear you. Together we will think about your problems and what may be causing them, and consider what inner work may help you to feel better. Psychotherapy can often have a a focus on our relationship, using this as a guide to explore your internal and external worlds and gain more self insight and awareness. I am passionate about helping people to connect with themselves and the world around them in order to move out of feelings of shame, fear and anger. Unprocessed feelings often leads to feeling unhappy, stuck, and unable to move forwards in life. Psychotherapy can help us to understand our true nature, needs and desires. It can support us to know how events in life- particularly early years and traumatic events have impacted the way we feel, and how we relate to ourselves and to others. When we have not has an experience of receiving what we needed to process feelings healthily, we can resort to shutting off, avoiding and repressing what is painful. The feelings that have been unaddressed and unresolved can cause us distress and difficulties that lead us to unhealthy strategies of coping. Understanding what unconscious feelings and motivations underpin symptoms and behaviours can bring about symptom relief and help to create space to grow and to move forward and change. My core values in my practice of psychotherapy is to practice with transparency with my clients; in how I work, and my intentions within this work. I work from a place of deep respect for anyone who finds their way into therapy to think about themselves. I am clinically and vigorously trained as a psychotherapist and therefore I strive to deliver my services with a quality of excellence and high professionalism. I adhere to a strong code of ethics and conduct both within my registration body, and personally - I am told that these values come through by those I work with.

Experience

Being aware of my passion for working with people from a school age I went to university to study psychology, after being awarded a psychology degree, I felt a pull towards therapy and so went straight on to begin a clinical masters in psychotherapy. Alongside clinical training, I worked full-time in child and adolescent services (CAMHS). This provided a wealth of experience in supporting young people in crisis, along with their families. This work enabled me to combine clinical theory with hands on experience in the field whilst working with people. I believe that this gave me a solid foundation as a clinician. I became very knowledgeable and skilled in thinking about attachment patterns, the development of self through relationships, and understanding the impact of adverse experiences in childhood on mental health. I became well trained in the management and understanding of deliberate self-harm and suicidal tendencies, and in thinking about the meaning of these behaviours with clients. After 6.5 years of training I was awarded my clinical masters in psychotherapy. At this point in my life I was a keen yoga class attendee and had been thinking about the benefits of my yoga practice, which had been a great tool for self-reflection, self-awareness, and for nervous system regulation. I felt curious about the connection between mind and body, and in particularly, the way that the body can express, or become a canvas for unconscious, unprocessed feelings and trauma. I then went on to train as a yoga instructor, qualifying in 2017 and becoming recognised with the yoga association. Through my own experience, I have found that yoga can be a complementary addition to psychotherapy. Allowing movement and expression from the body to be more conscious can enhance the process and has many health benefits. Yoga is a wonderful tool for growing connection to the self, and awareness of what the mind and body needs. It also helps with nervous system regulation and becoming aware of our bodies signals to particular triggers and stressful events. For those who prefer to work with the body, rather than talking therapy, 1-1 yoga can be very beneficial and enlightening.

1-1 Individual Psychotherapy

Psychoanalytic-psychodynamic psychotherapy is talking therapy which involves the client or patient, and the psychotherapist. These are weekly 50 minute sessions that occur usually on the same day and time each week which helps to provide structure and containment. Psychotherapy is client led, meaning that the client brings what is on their mind each week to be explored, understood and processed. This can be a shorter intervention of 12-18 sessions however this process often evolves into a longer-term treatment of a minimum of 6 months onwards to allow space and time for deep inner work. MBT I became an advanced practitioner in Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT) whilst working in the NHS, I am happy to be able to now offer this treatment within the private sector. MBT can be delivered as a group therapy or within individual sessions, and is a combination of psycho-education and therapy. It aims to address specifically, difficulties in relationships, impulsivity, problems with self-harm and suicidal behaviours within the context of relationships. Therapy is very effective at providing a sense of holding and containment for those working through difficult feelings and painful issues in life. It can enable deep connection and inner change which is often felt long after the therapy has ended.

Group work

In recent years I have been in the NHS facilitating groups for people with complex emotional difficulties, trauma and personality disorders. Working in groups to connect, relate and learn about ourselves can feel enlivening, rich and immensely thought provoking. I am happy to be able to offer group work within the private sector as this way of working can be difficult to access. The benefits of group work include gaining connections with people with similar difficulties and experiences, and growing and developing therapeutic relationships with all group members which allows for various perspectives, and the coming together of several minds to be with the painful and difficult parts of life. It is through others that we can understand who we are and start to see ourselves more wholly- group work offer this in a powerful and often moving way.

Services and Fee's

Upon first contact with me, I will offer you a brief 10-15 minute introductory telephone call to think about an assessment and whether working with me feels appropriate. Assessment appointments are offered initially, these are 90 minute talking appointments set at a rate of £90. The assessment for psychotherapy includes thinking about early experiences and making sense of how the past may affect us in the present, thinking about significant events in life that may have impacted the way we feel and manage, and exploring patterns that may be reoccurring. I will aim to share with you my thoughts on how we could work together, or if it is not the right fit for us to work together, I will strive to make other recommendations as to what will be helpful within the appointment. Sessional Fee's Psychotherapy is offered on a weekly basis mostly, some people may opt for twice weekly should this feel needed. The appointments are structured as 50 minute sessions that are the same day and time each week. The fee for each appointment currently sits at £70, although there are concessional rates which can be discussed upon enquiry. Group Fee's Group therapy relies upon each member of the group adhering to an agreed contract that they will attend weekly for an agreed amount of time, usually a group therapy will last a minimum of one year to 18 months. Due to the nature of groups there may be a waiting time whilst a group is collated and formed, the fee for attending a group is lower than an individual sessional fee for each individual which is one of the benefits of this way of working. Please request details of groups that may be suitable for you upon enquiry. Yoga Fee's For individual yoga sessions there will be set fees that will be agreed depending on frequency and location. Please enquire via email. Current locations for these services are Whitstable, Hythe, Ashford and Zoom

Create yours for free at hi.link