How we work
A more considered way to find a therapist
Finding the right therapist can feel difficult, especially if you are not sure what kind of support you need. At South Downs Therapy Collective, you can choose a therapist, make a general enquiry, or complete a short questionnaire so we can help suggest someone who may be a thoughtful fit.
Our Therapists
Sam Driscoll
Person-Centred Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Mia Hughes-Smith
Clinical Supervisor, Couples and Group Dynamic Psychotherapist
Tom Masterton
Person-Centred Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Beccy Knights
Clinical Supervisor, Adult & Young Person Psychotherapist, and EMDR practitioner
What Makes Us Different
A more considered approach to therapy
Rather than simply listing practitioners, we take responsibility for how therapy is held — for both people seeking therapy and the therapists within the Collective.
Our focus is on therapeutic fit, not just availability, alongside a structure that allows for continuity of care if things need to change. At the same time, therapists are supported in developing their skills and refining their professional focus within a shared environment.
This approach helps reduce the pressure to “get it right first time”, allowing space for the work to unfold more naturally, with a consistent level of support throughout, and a clear commitment to offering a thoughtful and well-held service.
Therapy Services
We offer confidential counselling and psychotherapy shaped around the person you are and the difficulties you are facing, providing space for honest reflection and meaningful change.
Individual Therapy
One-to-one therapy offering space to explore what you are experiencing, understand yourself more deeply, and work through difficulties at your own pace.
Relationships & Attachment
Support with relationship patterns, family dynamics, intimacy, conflict, loneliness, boundaries, and understanding how past relationships may shape the present.
Identity & belonging
A space to explore who you are, how you relate to others, and where you feel accepted, unseen, different, or under pressure to fit in.
You do not need to know exactly which category fits before getting in touch. If you are unsure, we can help you think through what kind of support may be right for you.
Couples Counselling
A space for couples or partners to explore communication, conflict, trust, intimacy, disconnection, and the patterns that can leave people feeling stuck.
Neurodivergence & masking
Therapy that respects difference and makes room for exploring masking, self-understanding, identity, belonging, sensitivity, and the pressure to adapt.
Anger & Emotions
Support for understanding strong emotions, conflict, shutdown, irritability, reactivity, and patterns that can feel difficult to manage.
Depression & Low Mood
Therapy for low mood, loss of motivation, self-criticism, shame, confidence difficulties, and feeling disconnected from yourself or others.
Life transitions & personal growth
Support through change, uncertainty, grief, work stress, parenthood, separation, ageing, or periods where life no longer feels as it once did.
Addiction & Recovery
Support for exploring your relationship with alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, sex, spending, or other patterns that may feel difficult to manage or change.
Trauma & Past Experiences
A steady, sensitive space to explore the impact of painful, frightening, or overwhelming experiences, without being rushed or pushed before you feel ready.
Anxiety, Stress & Overwhelm
Support for anxiety, panic, stress, burnout, overthinking, and feeling unable to switch off or cope with everyday demands.
Low-cost Therapy
Affordable therapy with trainee or early career therapists, offering a supportive space for people who may not otherwise be able to access regular sessions.
What You Can Expect
Beginning therapy can feel like a significant step, so it may help to know what you can expect from South Downs Therapy Collective.
We offer therapy in a calm, confidential, and carefully held setting, where warmth, respect, and thoughtful attention are central to the way we work. Therapy can involve bringing parts of life that feel vulnerable, painful, or difficult to share, and we aim to meet that with care and without judgement.
Each person comes to therapy with their own history, needs, and way of relating. There is no single right way to be in therapy, and each therapeutic relationship develops in its own way.
While each therapist within the collective brings their own style, experience, and areas of focus, we share a commitment to relational, person-centred work that respects your autonomy, your pace, and your experience.
If one therapist does not feel like the right fit, we will assist you in finding someone more suitable, either within the collective or elsewhere.
