SIMON BROOKSBANK
LOCATION: Hove Therapy Rooms, 69 Church Road, Hove BN3 2BB
AVAILABILITY: Monday and Wednesday evenings
PRICE: £70 per session
SPECIALISMS:
Intimacy & sexual intimacy
Anxiety
Neurodiversity
Grief Perfectionism Eating disorders
Training
Simon trained at the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE), completing a four-year Diploma in Integrative and Transpersonal Psychotherapy. He has experience working with a diverse range of clients and a broad range of difficulties, including anxiety, perfectionism, relationships and life transitions.
Experience
Simon's work is supported by regular professional supervision, in accordance with professional guidelines. He attends fortnightly supervision with a highly experienced supervisor, providing a dedicated space to reflect on his clinical work and maintain a safe, thoughtful and effective practice.
Simon is committed to ongoing personal and professional development and regularly undertakes additional training and continuing professional development (CPD) to broaden his knowledge and further develop his therapeutic practice.
Intimacy & sexual intimacy
As human beings, we have a deep need for connection—with friends, partners and those around us. Building and maintaining healthy relationships can be one of life’s greatest sources of happiness and fulfilment, but when they become strained or fall apart, can be one of the most painful life experiences we go through.
A significant part of Simon’s work involves helping his clients explore difficulties around intimacy, communication, connection and sexual intimacy. Talking openly about how we relate to one another, can help us understand ourselves and our relationships more deeply.
As an integrative and transpersonal therapist, the majority of Simon’s work is through talking therapy. However, some clients find it helpful to explore dreams, creative imagination or sand tray work as a way of gaining a deeper understanding of unconscious processes and patterns. Integrating play and creative imagination into therapy can also provide an opportunity to connect with the ‘inner child’, helping clients understand how earlier experiences may continue to shape their emotions, relationships and ways of relating to others as adults.
Anxiety
Anxiety can feel like being enveloped by a cloud. When anxiety takes hold, it can feel all-encompassing, as though there’s no way out and no relief in sight. It can make it difficult to see beyond the immediate feeling, leaving you feeling trapped by something you can’t quite escape.
But clouds pass. With time, space and understanding, it can become possible to see beyond them again and to regain perspective, clarity and a sense of calm.
Simon works alongside his clients to gently explore their anxiety and understand where it comes from, including patterns that may have developed earlier in life. Simon’s therapy offers a space to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and develop a different and healthier relationship with your feelings.
Neurodiversity
Awareness of neurodiversity has grown considerably in recent years, and for some people, receiving a diagnosis can bring a valuable sense of recognition and understanding. But therapy doesn’t have to be about diagnosis or fixing something that is “wrong”.
Neurodiversity affects everyone differently. You may find yourself becoming easily overwhelmed, struggling to concentrate, getting distracted, finding it difficult to listen or take things in, or feeling as though your attention is constantly being pulled in different directions. These experiences can affect relationships, work and how you feel about yourself.
Simon works with clients to explore these experiences without judgement and develop a better understanding of how their mind works. Together, you can explore what helps you manage overwhelm, attention and emotions, and find ways of navigating everyday life that work better for you.
The aim isn’t to change who you are, but to understand yourself better and find ways to work with your mind rather than against it.
Approach
Simon has a particular interest in intimacy, anxiety and neurodiversity. He offers a warm, open and non-judgemental space to explore experiences that can be difficult to talk about.
Most sessions involve talking therapy, although some clients find creative approaches helpful. Depending on what feels right, this might include images, drawings, dreams, visualisation, body awareness or sand trays. Simon works collaboratively with each client to develop an approach that feels meaningful and relevant to their needs, helping them gain new perspectives, deepen self-understanding and consider choices that feel right for them.
Regular attendance of sessions is important because it provides the consistency needed for therapy to be most effective.
Other information
Simon became a therapist because he loves working with people and helping them better understand themselves, what motivates them and what makes them tick. He values creating a safe, consistent and non-judgemental space where a strong therapeutic relationship can develop and meaningful change can take place to help his clients get to know themselves better and where healing and growth can take place.
Simon has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and facilitating groups, retreats and residential weekends.
Outside therapy, Simon enjoys hiking, sea swimming and spending time in nature, which provide balance and perspective.
