Sarah Watson
Meet the therapist

In 2007 I graduated from Northumbria University with a degree in Advice, Guidance, Counselling and Disability Studies and began working as a Youth Advisor soon after.  Supporting individuals with complex needs led me to pursue a Masters in Social Work at Durham University from which I graduated in 2012.

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I gained employment with Barnardo’s Disability, Access and Inclusion Support Service where I supported children and young people with complex learning and physical disabilities and mental health concerns. I also facilitated the training of staff and professionals on communication with disabled children, autism awareness, safeguarding, Team Teach and moving and handling. I was responsible for the line management of the staff who delivered support to families and was responsible for Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections of the service.

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It was during this term of employment that I returned to Sunderland University to complete a post graduate degree in Practice Education.  I have been a Practice Educator since 2012 and have significant experience of supporting student social workers through their university placements and supervising newly qualified social workers through their ASYE qualification (Assessed and Supported Year in Employment) ensuring their practice meets the standards and professional capabilities of the university and Social Work England.

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I then began employment with Barnardo’s Orchard Mosaic Service where I worked alongside several Local Authorities undertaking statutory assessments to assist them in making effective decisions about the long-term care of children. This included Child Permanence Reports, Special Guardianship Orders, sibling and parenting assessments.

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I also have experience of assessing and providing reports on male perpetrators of domestic abuse for the Barnardo’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Programme. This required completion of Barnardo’s Dissonance based Suitability Assessment’s, also including court ordered CAFCASS Suitability Assessments and reports.

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The service also undertook more specialist assessments that required me to undertake further training this included PAM’s assessments of parents with learning difficulties. I then trained with the staff from the Sexual Behaviour Unit to undertake Capacity to Protect assessments; psychoeducational assessments to ascertain the ability of a parent or carer to protect a child from sexual abuse.

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In 2016, I was offered the opportunity to complete a post graduate diploma at Northumbria University in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBT) as part of the government’s initiative to improve access to psychological therapies (IAPT) once qualified I began to offer CBT to children and young people who were experiencing depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of bereavement and sexual abuse.  I also line managed a therapy service for the Angelou Centre in Newcastle, managing a team of trainee therapists and also offering therapy myself to children who had been impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

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In 2018, I completed a post graduate diploma in CBT Clinical Supervision and now offer clinical supervision to both trained and qualified cognitive behavioural psychotherapists in line with guidance from the BABCP who oversee the supervised practice and delivery of CBT.

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In 2019, I began working for the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) offering therapeutic intervention to children, young people and their families who were navigating diagnosis or were at different stages of life where challenges were faced.  Alongside this role I began to offer private CBT sessions for children, young people and adults with depression and anxiety disorders for the Northern Centre for Psychological Therapies.  I made the difficult decision to leave RSBC in May 2021 to set up my own business CBT North East.  I now offer CBT full time to children, young people and adults with depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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I also recently completed training in Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing with Michael Paterson of EMDR Masterclass, the training is accredited by EMDR Europe Association and the EMDR Institute based in the USA.  I am now able to offer EMDR therapy alongside CBT.

 

I hold full membership with Social Work England who oversee my ability to practice as a Social Worker and I hold full BABCP accreditation who oversee my ability to practice as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.

 

I hold an enhanced DBS certificate and have professional indemnity insurance with Holistic Insurance Services. I am also registered with the ICO, Information Commissioners Office, the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.