Chris Sergeant

My name is Chris Sergeant and I am an independent qualified counsellor / psychotherapist in private practice.

I help adult individuals and couples resolve and recover from issues that have been causing conflict or distress in Plymouth, South Devon and online.

I am registered and accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), and hold a Diploma in Integrative Counselling from LIFE-FORCE, Colchester.

I am additionally qualified to offer tailored hypnotherapy where such an approach is considered appropriate.

(Trained in London with Karen Bartle and Paul Peace, Academy of Advanced Changework)

Prior to becoming a full time counsellor I was a Principal Clinical Biochemist, working in the NHS for over 25 years.

After more than ten years experience counselling in Ilford, I relocated to Plymouth in 2021 and now offer face to face sessions from a set of rooms in Peverell.

I also offer online sessions via Zoom or WhatsApp as well as on BetterHelp / ReGain.

Integrative approach

I offer a humanistic person centred core approach integrated with other modalities that may include:

• Behavioural (e.g. CBT) – raising awareness of how small changes in thoughts may produce powerful changes in your well being.
• Psychodynamic – exploring unconscious elements that may have possibly evolved from childhood experience.
• Gestalt – appropriately challenging and promoting self-development in the “here and now”.
• Relaxation / mindful meditation techniques / hypnotherapy – refreshing and strengthening your inner resources and reinforcing desired change.

Couples counselling

Has creating the relationship you want been side-tracked by external influences, and / or by individually held worries?

Being able to find a calm neutral space, within which both of you may begin to feel listening to the other is possible, can help greatly.

Although the focus of the work will be on the relationship, coming here as a couple does not mean your individual needs will be forgotten.

Taking time here will offer the opportunity for you both to develop listening skills such that each partner’s individual needs may be heard and understood by the other.

A positive decision

In the past some people viewed relationship counselling as the “last resort”. Such a view is changing as more and more people come to realise investing time in renewing, refreshing and revealing the healthy qualities in a relationship now can ensure unhealthy aspects do not mount up to create a bigger and more difficult (avoidable!) problem later.

Acceptable outcome

Being able to openly talk with each other in a safe and supportive environment offers an opportunity to adjust behaviour to that which is acceptable to you both. To establish new ways of relating, letting go of older ways that may no longer work.

A human touch….

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and apps can be great tools for helping improve your mental health but sometimes you can benefit more from having real person to person interaction.

In your sessions I will take the time to develop a deeper real understanding of who, and how, you are. To really be alongside with you as you resolve whatever difficulties you have been experiencing.

To truly empathise with your feelings as well as hearing your thoughts. To help you reach your desired outcome(s) and empower your independent self to be how you really want to be.

Sometimes things are better for not being artificial.