Sue Allen - Psychotherapist, EMDR, Transactional Analysis

About me

Hi. I am a psychotherapist. Warm and compassionate, I am thoughtful, calm and reflective.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I started out in a Local Authority home in London
helping young people in care and went on to support families as a Children and Families as
a Social Worker. Later, I led groupwork with young offenders with drug and alcohol
problems, counselled University students with their mental health issues, and worked in a
women’s counselling service helping women with early trauma, relationships, domestic
violence and perinatal issues. I have over 15 yrs experience in private practice as a
therapist.

My approach

My main training is in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy and is one in which I
understand problems to be rooted in the past and our work will involve understanding the
links between your past and today’s problems. Often our earliest experiences (or trauma in
adult life) lead us to our conclusions about ourselves, others and what is possible or not
possible for us in our future: our ‘life map’. This map can lead to feeling blocked or stuck in
our current circumstances.
Along the way in practice, I have also training in CBT, family and systemic therapy and
EMDR (which is a NICE approved therapy for PTSD). EMDR can, in some circumstances,
be helpful as part of psychotherapy to help with traumatic memories. When I work with you, I
will use whatever approach from my training and experience which will be of the most use to
you. With my social work, psychotherapy and systemic trainings, I can adapt our approach to
what you need.

What to expect from the first session

It’s not unusual for people to feel uncertain, wary or anxious about a first session. It can feel
daunting to talk to a stranger about the issues which may have been troubling you for a
while, raising uncertainties about how you might put it into words or a fear of being judged.
You may also feel uncertain about how it will work and what to expect. But don’t forget that I
am here to help you express what the problem is and I will help you through the process.
Our work together
Our work together will be exploratory and collaborative. You will find a supportive, listening
space in which you can bring what’s troubling you and I’ll use my experience and knowledge
to ask questions and offer reflections. This will help you to think outside your usual ways of
thinking and feeling to gain deeper knowledge about yourself which will help you find a
different point of view on your problems.
Sometimes in the work, we might use creative materials to help you to find ways to put into
words some of the harder to express feelings. This might involve using story cards or other
art materials. We would only use these with your agreement and if it felt that it might be
useful. We might also use models such as the Drama Triangle, Life Positions or
Transactions which may really help you to get an understanding of yourself and your
problems. We will work together initially to develop a shared understanding of your problems
and agree a way forward.

For some, shorter-term work is needed. For others, longer-term exploratory and
collaborative work is helpful in which the therapy relationship is central to the work.  We may

piece together the parts of your life map which are feeding into your current problems so
these elements become more visible to you, and therefore more accessible for you to
change. Sometimes painful buried feelings can emerge in the work and the therapy
relationship can support you in this no matter which approach we use.
Understanding your own process can transform how you feel and think about yourself and
lead to connecting with your life in ways which are much more satisfying and rewarding.

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