Ms Sara Beresford Terry
Mima Counselling & Equine Assisted Therapy
In Person + Online Therapy
Philosophy & Vision
Sara provides Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy. This may include art, play, movement, drumming, and connecting with horses. This creative approach help clients more easily express and explore what is troubling them and to explore and develop new skills and ideas. Sara is keen to work with and enrich, your strengths, values and priorities, whether helping you with life transition challenges, or more significant mental health struggles or trauma recovery.
I have an interest in working with neuro and gender diverse individuals and those looking for more joy, self-compassion and connection.
Background
Sara has over three decades of experience working therapeutically with children, families and adults within government, not-for-profit services and private practice, in both UK and Australia. Sara has also taught Social work and counselling at University and currently provides clinical supervision to other social workers and counsellors.
Services
Sara offers Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy and offers services to:
Individual children, teens and adults
Family groups
Group programs
ONLINE THERAPY & SUPERVISION AVAILABLE
Quality Provision
Sara is very keen to receive feedback on the services provided.
Constructive feedback helps in refining and improving the services offered and more closely tailoring them to meet your needs.
Sara is committed to on-going professional development and clinical supervision.
Sara works within the code of ethics of the professional organisations she is registered with: Australian Assoc of Social Workers, and Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia.
Areas of Special Interest
Accreditations
- BA Applied Social Studies - 1982 - Hertford Uni (UK)
- Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW) - 1982 - Hertford Uni (UK)
- Masters in Counselling - 2001 - Uni Western Sydney
- Certificate in Equine Assisted Pyschotherapy - 2021 - Equine Pyschotherapy Institute of Australia EPI
Modalities
ACT - Animal Assisted Therapy - Art Therapy - Creative Arts Therapy - DBT - Developmental - Ecological Psychotherapy - Equine Assisted Therapy - Gestalt - Interpersonal - Mindfulness - Music Therapy - Narrative Therapy - Play Therapy - Solution Oriented - Somatic Psychotherapy - Strengths-Based - Systems Theory - Trauma-Informed
Therapy Approach
My work is always Trauma-Informed. I draw on the evidence based approaches listed below:
Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy
Equine Assisted Pyschotherapy
Attachment and Mindfulness informed approaches
Narrative Therapy
Acceptance & Committment Therapy
Somatic Therapy
Gestalt Therapy
Professional Associations
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
Practice Locations
Darkes Forest NSW 2508
Parking is outside the gate to the rural property at Darkes Forest. You will be met at the gate by your therapist.
Appointments
Therapy appointments are on Wednesdays and Thursdays only
Clinical Supervision on Mondays. Please email if you are interested, and wish to find out if I have any vacancies for new clients.
Fees & Insurance
Counselling sessions $205
Medicare rebates with a GP MH Care Plan
I am not able to offer bulk Billing
Private Health Rebates from:
Medibank Private (Life Choice & Life Choice Extras)
Australian Unity Health (Essesntials & Family Comprehensive
Payment Options
Payment by Credit Card or direct debit at time of service.
Contact Sara
Please contact me by email
A conversation with Sara Beresford Terry
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I trained in Social Work in the UK (1982) and was passionate about my work with children and families in various government and non-government agencies. I continued this work when I first migrated to Australia, but began to feel I wanted to do more focused 'therapeutic' work at a deeper level, than my social work roles sometimes allowed.
I studied a Masters in Counselling and have since enjoyed the opportunity to develop deeper therapeutic relationships, with children, teens, adults and sometimes whole families. I truly enjoy the privilege my professional life offers me to walk alongside others on their journey through difficult times and witness their resilience, growth and healing. -
My social work roots still run true and I am committed to the ideas around 'social justice'. Social work also taught me to always try to understand people's situation within their social and cultural context. I like to explore our 'meaning-making' and 'unpack' ideas and beliefs, to take a look at where they may have come from and who they might serve.
Being an optimistic person, I am drawn to strengths and resiliency based work.
As I have been interested in meditation for a long time, I am particularly excited about recent advances in neuroscience and how this has deepened our knowledge about attachment and trauma and the beneficial impact of mindfulness practices. -
My areas of interest are quite broad, but most sit within a general interest in Attachment, Resilience, Life Transitions, Mindfulness and Trauma and using creative approaches in therapy.
I am interested in a mothers pre and post natal mental health, and in the well-being of the attachment relationship between infant / young child and their primary carers. I am interested in relationships within families and the challenges they face as a family goes through changes.
I have studied Trauma in it's various forms and worked in the area of child sexual assault counselling for over a decade.
I have experience in supporting families adapting to raising a child with disabilities, or families impacted by chronic illness.
I am interested in people's experience of anxiety and loss, particularly at times of transition and hard times following changes such as separation/divorce. -
Having worked in this profession for a long time, I have 'collected' many methods which I believe work well, along the way and of course I am always picking up new ones.
It is well known that it is the quality of the therapeutic relationship, which makes the difference in counselling, rather than the particular method used. So my focus is on building and maintaining that relationship, to hopefully provide my clients with a safe, contained, respectful place to explore and work on whatever it is they bring to counselling.
Having said that, I do like to use creative approaches in my work, including sand-tray, art, photo language cards, and other creative media to assist with deepening our conversations. -
Clients often begin to feel benefits from counselling in the first few sessions. During this time we focus on building the relationship and understanding the difficulties which brought them, along with beginning to address symptoms learn new skills (like Mindfulness) and address the areas of discomfort.
Symptom management is really only the beginning and as the work and relationship develops we can go a little deeper into discovering and building up resilience and if the client chooses, into exploring/ unpacking what has been supporting the problem. -
Yes- that is easy to answer. Being a counsellor requires me to do a great deal of self reflection and make sure my 'stuff' is not interfering with my work with clients. I have heard many sad and horrible stories of hurt, and maybe have lost my naivety about what can happen to and between people. But far more strong is the influence of the many stories of strength I have had the honour to witness, about human compassion, forgiveness, determination, love, recovery and enormous courage, which inspire me and motivate me to be the best counsellor I can be.
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I can't really imagine doing anything else. I love the variety of my work, the human connection, the pleasure gained from seeing someone change, grow and re-connect with their own strengths. It is a very special job and I never forget how privileged I am do be able to do it.
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Of course I do! Doesn't everyone?
I like to think I have more ability these days to ride-out difficult events, to dig deep into my bag of 'Resilience' and know 'things will get better'. I find Mindfulness practice very helpful in keeping me balanced and on the track I want to be on. I have regular clinical supervision to get expert guidance on how I am traveling with my work and I always make sure 'self-care' stays high on my agenda.
For me self-care includes time with loved ones, friends, pets and nature, and includes a good dose of delicious food and laughter. -
Oh my goodness, not sure I can write about this in just a few lines.
I will keep it simple - we need more kindness. -
It is easier to talk about the sort of art which moves me. I am drawn to work which communicates to me the richness of human experience, life and nature's bountiful beauty, and the enormity of individual and community resilience. And of course I love a good laugh!