Sara Koster-Marcon
Systemic Family & Couples Psychotherapist
Relationship specialist
MSc, PG Dip CYP IAPT, PG Dip, BSc .
Having worked in various settings within the NHS and in private practice in the last 12 years, I have had the honour to meet with clients from many different backgrounds and in different formats, as individuals, as couples, as families and in the wider community, within schools and other agencies, through face to face meetings and delivering presentations about emotional and mental health.
Systemic therapy enables family members, individuals and couples to express and explore difficulties in a safe space, sharing beliefs and views and appreciating each other’s needs, building on strengths and making useful changes in their lives.
Families, couples and individuals in relationships (with family of origin, work, and friends) are very unique and each person thinks, feels, talks and behaves in different ways. Each person has different strengths and worries and relationship difficulties or life changes like for instance moving home, a new job, a birth, a loss, etc. can bring stress and some individuals may find it difficult to manage these.
Family and Systemic Therapy with couples and individuals can help identify unhelpful patterns of relating and coping and together finds the resources in the individuals and in the couple/family to change them into preferred ones and preferred ways of being and relating.
I also provide Interpersonal psychotherapy, an evidence based approach, which supports clients with depression to fully understand the nature and development of the symptoms they feel affected by and become confident in understanding how to manage them in a healthy way with the support of close relationships.
The unique encounters I have experienced with clients coping with mental health difficulties, with the support of evidence based techniques, enables me to provide the best therapeutic tools according to the clients’ needs.
Sara is a specialist in the treatment of people affected by:
Relationship difficulties
Parenting difficulties
Depression
Anxiety
Low self-esteem
Stress and worry
Sara has a lot of experience in the treatment of the following problems:
Addictions
ADHD
Adjustment disorder
Anger
ASD / Autism / Aspergers
Attachment problems
Bi-Polar Disorder
Body Image Problems
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME
Codependency
Couples
Eating Disorders
Family Issues
Fears of abandonment
Gender Issues
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Health Anxiety
Hoarding
Insomnia
Infidelity, affairs & betrayals
Infertility
LGBTQI+ Issues
Miscarriage
Narcissistic personality disorder
Parenting Issues
Pain management
Personality Disorders
Post Natal anxiety /depression
Pregnancy & Birth
Physical problems linked to MH
Seasonal affective disorder
Separation & Divorce
Sexual dysfunction
Skin/Hair picking (tricotillomania / dermatillomania)
Sleep problems
Social Anxiety
Work-related stress
I also meet with parents concerned about their children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties.
I believe in providing a safe and warm space for clients who reach out to further explore their lives and stories. My approach aims at building people’s strengths and relational resources in a collaborative way.
Languages - I offer therapy sessions in English and Italian.
Testimonials about therapy with Sara
“My husband and I were struggling with our marriage and lack of communication after 15 years together. Reaching out to Sara was the best decision in order to get us back on track. She really challenged us to think about so many aspects and influences that were affecting us as individuals and also as a couple. She is a warm, friendly and open therapist who I have no hesitation in recommending.” Anonymous Couple
“Sara has a wonderful manner with her clients. I felt very comfortable speaking to her and opening up to her (which is one of the main reasons I sought out therapy in the first place.) Sara challenged me in my ways of thinking and ensured I was thinking analytically about my behaviours and actions, in a supporting and safe way. I felt an enormous sense of achievement after our sessions and felt like Sara celebrated this.” Jodie
“Sara was an extremely approachable and knowledgable therapist. She put us both at ease and was able to use her skills and experience to guide and structure our sessions.” Anonymous
“Sara has helped me find my real self. She guided me session by session with clear goals about what I wanted to get out of our meetings. She is very warm and made me feel comfortable when talking about difficult stuff. I now feel more confident and see life from a happier place.” EM
“After our sessions I thought everyone should have family therapy! Our son started to have behavioural difficulties at school. We couldn’t see a way out. She helped us see the problem from a wider perspective and not make him the problem. We can now all see what we do to contribute to that. We found better ways of communicating our emotions and be there for one another. Sara also helped us set up meetings with the school to make sure we are all on the same page in supporting him.” AW
“My wife and I were struggling in our marriage for a long time. The sessions with Sara helped us finding solutions to our issues. We now feel equipped to talk to each other and enjoy our marriage again. I was initially reluctant. Her transparency and patience helped me see the benefits of therapy.” DM
Professional qualifications
MSc Systemic Family & Couples Psychotherapy- King’s College London & Institute of Psychiatry
PG Dip CYP IAPT, Children and Young People, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies: PG Dip Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression- King’s College London, University College London & Anna Freud Centre
BSc Psychology- Universita’ degli Studi di Padova
Cert Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)- King’s College London, University College London & Anna Freud Centre
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Accreditation (DBT)- The Association for Psychological Therapies
Family- Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy Training (FB-IPT)- Anna Freud Centre
AMBIT Lead: Team Leader for Adolescent Mentalization Based Integrative Treatment- Anna Freud Centre
Professional Membership with UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
