Saara Midwood

My service is called Hillwood Counselling and Psychotherapy.

I offer sessions in person, over the phone, or over Zoom and they last for up to one hour.

My working days are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, between 9.00 am and 6.00pm.

My therapy room is on the ground floor, located in a business centre in Widnes, Cheshire, not far from the Widnes/Runcorn Bridges, with good links to M56, M62, M6 and there is roadside parking outside the building.

I am an integrative counselling psychotherapist, with over 30 years' experience in NHS mental health services and over 20 years in private practice. 

COACHING

October 2025 - I AM CURRENTLY ALSO A COACH-in-TRAINING

I'm studying for The Association for Coaching Accredited Certificate (ACCT) with INSIGHTIVE ~ EDUCATION. 

In addition to being a snr accred member of the Â鶹ԭ´´, I'm a member of the Association for Coaching (AC) and adhere to their ethical framework and policies, alongside those of the Â鶹ԭ´´. 

Whilst I am training, coaching sessions are at a reduced fee.

My coaching day is a Monday, between 9am - 6pm.

You can read about coaching on this Â鶹ԭ´´ website - have a look at "What is Coaching - different types of therapy".

If you're looking for personal coaching, (which is BEHAVIOURAL), and would like to discuss this further with me, please do get in touch.

                                                            ***

It can feel so daunting and confusing sometimes to know just what it is that is troubling us - I hope to offer a space for you and me to explore together what is happening to you and how that might be affecting the way you feel and what you're doing.

Alongside this might come some ideas about how it could be different and how to create and develop your own skills for managing differently.

People have come along with a number of difficulties such as anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, low self-esteem ... issues which underlie such symptoms are very many and very varied.  

My therapy is informed by person-centred, psychodynamic, analytic and cognitive and behavioural approaches - all dependent, really, upon you and what you are bringing to therapy.

My clients are typically aged over 16 years.

Additional qualifications include:

       Person- Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression
       (PCE-CfD)

       Cert in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy interventions

       Diploma in Group Work Practice (Manchester) IGA in~
       association with Group Analysis North

       EMDR - Standard training

Depending on what you bring for therapy, I offer counselling, cognitive and behavioural therapy, trauma-focussed therapy.  

I often support what we talk about in session with online information, if that feels appropriate. 

I offer an initial, no-obligation telephone assessment session of up to 30 minutes and there is no charge for this.   This session enables us to reflect together on what it is you would like from therapy, and for you to decide whether you would like to begin your therapy journey with me.

If we are both happy to proceed with the therapy, we will arrange to begin and I will also give or send you our service documentation, including attendance policy and costs. 

Therapy sessions typically last for 50 minutes. 

As well as being an integrative counselling psychotherapist, I offer counselling / clinical supervision.  

I've been supervising consistently since 2011, after having attained my PGCert in Counselling Supervision from the University of Chester.

We can meet face-to-face in my dedicated therapy / supervision room, or online (Zoom)

I am now retired from the NHS, having worked in mental health for over 30 years and for over 20 years in private practice.  My therapy clients are adults but I'm happy to think with you about children and young people as well - my supervisees to date have worked in schools, universities, sexual assault services, hospices ...

Whilst my therapy practice is predominantly counselling psychotherapy, my work as a high intensity therapist in the NHS means that I have experience of other modalities, such as cognitive and behavioural.

Both within the NHS and in private practice, I have provided clinical / counselling supervision for various presentations, including trauma, difficulties experienced through neurodiversity, relationships, grief ...

My clinical hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, generally between the hours of 9.00 am and 6.00 pm but I have some flexibility - please don't hesitate to ask.