I am a BACP-registered Trauma Therapist and Counsellor based in Taunton, Somerset.

My name is Samantha, and I want to welcome you to Ember Sky, my trauma therapy and counselling practice based in Taunton, Somerset.

Stories are my first love, I have been devouring stories for as long as I can remember. I find people endlessly fascinating and have deep interest in the tiny details of each and everyone's lives, hearing their unique story. Sitting with clients, listening to their stories and helping them rewrite the next chapter is what brings meaning to my practice. Ember Sky was born out of that. Igniting the image of gathering around a fire, in a space of connection and warmth, where our stories can be shared, heard and brought out of the darkness.

Embers are tiny bright lights in the blackness of night. In my practice I strive to create a safe place where your story will be heard, where warmth and comfort can be found, and where we can step out of the darkness and let the embers of hope light up the sky.

My counselling journey started when I became a Samaritan volunteer many years ago, listening to the stories of callers and providing a space for their voices to be heard was more powerful than I could have imagined. I was left with such awe at human resilience, at the ability to endure so much hardships and heartache and keep going, and feeling so devastated to hear the pain when people can't carry on anymore. But listening didn't feel enough, I wanted to be able to offer more, to help find a way to move forwards, a way to process what has happened and to recreate a more fitting story for who we are and who we want to become. This is what brought me to my counselling training.

After training as an integrative counsellor, I worked for Mind, a national mental health charity, supporting adults who were struggling with mental health challenges. Sitting beside them and hearing their stories, I was touched by how many had experienced childhood trauma and how the life-long emotional impacts of these events had shaped who they were today and had led to so many struggles in their lives, shaping how they perceive themselves and others.

Wanting to learn more about the impacts of childhood trauma on adult mental health, I decided to undertake a Master's in Counselling and Psychotherapy with this as my focus point. Researching, studying and learning more about the impacts of early years trauma and attachments helped to deepen my understanding, of not only the consequences of such events, but also of the power and ability to build a life around them, to change and lessen the impacts and to find hope and resilience in amongst such darkness.

As a trauma therapist, my work is focused on helping to establish feelings of safety and stabilisation, managing emotional dysregulation and overwhelm by learning coping strategies that helps us to tolerate the difficult emotions we are experiencing. Only after this has been embedded can we begin to process the traumatic events we have experienced, learning to rewrite the story in a better way, through this we can understand what happened, our part within it and thus enable us to exert our own power and control. Trauma takes everything from us, and part of healing involves learning how to rebuild a life, rediscover ourselves and reimagine a new path forwards. We can do this together, in slow, gentle and healing pace, where you have control over what happens next.

Through my work with Mind, I have had the privilege of not only supporting adults navigating mental health challenges, but also the friends and family members who stand beside them. Mental health difficulties can affect not only the individual but also those who care for them, often shaping their own emotional wellbeing in profound ways. I recognise the weight of these experiences and the importance of finding understanding, guidance, and support. Whether you are facing these challenges yourself or supporting a loved one, help is available. Together, we can explore ways to rebuild, cope, and strengthen resilience, ensuring that no one has to navigate this journey alone.

In our work, we will move at your pace, gently exploring the past while building safety, resilience, and self-compassion in the present. I aim to help you reclaim your voice, reconnect with your inner strength, and rediscover a sense of hope and possibility.

Over the years, I’ve supported many clients through a wide variety of challenges. My goal is to help you find healing, build resilience, and reconnect with the spark that brings meaning and vitality to your life.

Being an integrative counsellor means that I draw on a range of therapeutic approaches incorporating elements of many different modalities to create a personalised and flexible approach that meets your unique needs. This means we can work together in a way that feels right for you, whether you're navigating the effects of trauma, living with a mental health condition, or simply feeling that life isn’t where you want it to be.

Please reach out to me today to arrange a free introductory call, where we can determine if we're a good fit and explore how we can work together to build a path forward.