Sehar Khan

Sometimes a bereavement or loss can make you feel that you are not able to be yourself because of other people's expectations of you, maybe some time has passed and people expect you to be who you once were, or expect you to be 'okay'. Sometimes people feel a lot of pressure and focus on the things that they think they "should" or "shouldn't" be doing, such as putting everyone else's needs before their own, or not allowing themselves to acknowledge their own feelings. It's not uncommon to struggle with adjusting to life after loss, if we were working together, I would help you to understand where those expectations and pressures are coming from and how to let them go. 

I work with all kinds of bereavement and loss but I have a particular interest in working with suicide bereavement, and adults bereaved in childhood.  Suicide bereavement and childhood bereavement can be so different in many ways but they sometimes share a sense of isolation and the experience of not being talked about which has it's own impact on grief.

Sometimes life doesn't turn out the way we planned.  If this happens it can make us question so many things about ourselves, our lives and the people around us.  This is a normal reaction but it can feel overwhelming and out of control if we're not prepared or a situation occurs unexpectedly.  I would work with you to help you find a way of processing and acknowledging this important part of your life.  I would support you during this phase of adjustment in dealing with change to find a better relationship with yourself and those around you.  I would help you rebuild your confidence and trust in yourself and the world.  

You may have experienced a life changing event that still impacts you.  If you are experiencing flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, or anxiety we may use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) as part of therapy.

I am also qualified to offer Group Crisis Intervention following a critical incident.  Please do get in touch for further information.

How do you recognise what is important to you when it comes to culture?  Maybe your parents grew up in a different country to you and you have maintained many cultural traditions, maybe some of the cultural norms that you're used to you don't agree with and want to change.  Maybe you want to be able to blend cultures and are not sure what this looks like.  If you are finding that there are issues around culture that you're struggling with that affect your mood, your relationships or your sense of identity it may help to explore this,

Infertility is a unique kind of loss that isn't always recognised.  Often people struggling with infertility are offered suggestions of how they can create a family ("you can always adopt") or are told stories of people who struggled to conceive who then went on to have a baby naturally with no problems.  Although well meaning, these examples can make people struggling with infertility to feel even more isolated.  There are lots of steps on the path through infertility. Whether you are right at the start of your journey when you have just discovered there are issues, part way along where you may be starting treatment or further along where your options may be limited I can support you.  There is a lot of grief to process during infertility, and sometimes the grief process on this path can be complicated.  

I also work with Secondary Infertility, which has a different set of issues to Primary Infertility.  You may also find that if you are able to have a baby you are still affected by what you've been through.

Whether you're new to practicing or a seasoned therapist, it's important to know what you need from supervision and how it can help you with your clinical practice.  How we would work together would depend on your needs, there may be some sessions where you want some more practical support around setting up or growing your practice and other sessions where you have some cases that you need more reflection with.  I may offer you suggestions on books or research, or I may ask you what has impacted you about a particular case.  We may discuss what interventions or strategies you used in session, and explore the therapy process and your relationship with the client.  I like to work collaboratively with my supervisees to encourage and support them in their growth whilst maintaining ethical guidelines.  I offer one to one and group supervision from an integrative perspective.

I started my training as an Integrative Therapist in 1999 at Regents University.  I completed my Post-graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling and then after a short break continued to do the Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling. As an Integrative Therapist I use different theoretical approaches to support my clients depending on their needs and the nature of the presenting issue. My experience has included working in a number of settings including Community Counselling Settings(Communicare Counselling Service), Charitable Settings (The City & East London Bereavement Service, Mind, Cruse Bereavement Care) , Employee Assistance Providers (BUPA, Care First, Health Assured) and IAPT in addition to my Private Practice. I also worked in Australia at Support After Suicide in Melbourne where I worked with clients individually and in groups.   

BA (Hons) Psychosocial Studies (University of East London)

Post-Graduate Diploma Psychotherapy & Counselling (Regents University)

Advanced Diploma Psychotherapy & Counselling (Regents University)

Certificate in Supervision (Westmeria College)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) Part 1, 2, 3 & 4

ICISF Certificate in Group Crisis Intervention

Traumatic Loss: New Understandings, New Directions

Techniques of Grief Therapy

Introduction to Family Therapy

Introduction to Couples Therapy

Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Working with Trauma

Attachment and Trauma Bonding

Working with Survivors of Complex Trauma

Introduction to Schema Therapy

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) as required by UKCP annually