Sidonia Stiles, BACP

Sidonia Stiles (Sonia for short) offers straightforward, practical support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, relationship problems and grief. She is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and brings 27 years of experience to her work. Sidonia speaks English and Portuguese and draws on her background supporting diverse communities when people face life changes.

Sidonia works in a person-centred way, putting the client's experience at the centre of sessions. She also uses relationship-focused and attachment ideas to look at how upbringing and family patterns affect current difficulties. That can include mapping family relationships with a genogram to make repeated patterns clearer.

She has experience helping with depression, addictions, intimacy-related difficulties, sleeping problems, career stress and compassion fatigue. Bereavement and loss are a particular focus, and Sidonia uses ideas from Gestalt theory to explore how people make sense of grief.

Before training as a counsellor she spent a decade as a group worker with residential young people, working with families and difficult relationship dynamics. Her qualifications include a Higher National Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling and a Level 5 Diploma in Relationship Therapy from CPCAB.

Sidonia runs a private practice in Eastbourne and has been offering online sessions since the Covid pandemic. Prospective clients can expect calm, plain-spoken conversation aimed at understanding patterns and finding manageable steps forward.

How Sidonia uses therapeutic approaches online

Sidonia draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Attachment-Based ideas in her online work. ACT focuses on noticing thoughts and values, helping people take small actions that match what matters to them despite difficult feelings. Attachment-based work looks at early relationship patterns and how those affect current connections and responses to stress.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and preferences, and together they will try methods that suit the individual's situation. Sessions can mix person-centred listening with practical exercises from ACT or reflection on family patterns from attachment work.

Practical benefits of online sessions include greater flexibility to fit therapy into busy days and the option to meet without needing to travel. When planning, confirm the session formats available with the therapist before booking so you know how appointments will be conducted. Online work can make regular check-ins and ongoing progress easier to schedule around work, caring responsibilities or other commitments.