Why Supernova?

A Supernova is the blindingly bright and incredibly powerful explosion of a star. That’s pretty strange imagery to invoke when thinking about therapy, right?

Here’s why I believe it’s not and why I’ve chosen it for my practice name.

The process that leads to a Supernova is slow to build, but impossible to stop once it starts.

The change that triggers a Supernova occurs at the center or core of the star.

While a Supernova is an existing star which has reached the end of its life; when it explodes, all of its elements spread through space forming new stars, new planets, perhaps even new life.

In fact, everything that makes up who we are comes from Supernovae: all the atoms in our bodies, the calcium in our bones and the iron in our blood.

We are born of those brilliant explosions

As a person-centred therapist, I believe that we have within us the ability to impact our own universes with powerful self-determining change. That change begins when we can honestly acknowledge, experience, and accept who we are and what we’ve been through.

As Carl Rogers said:

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I can change."

Why Therapy, Why Now?

You feel stuck in the past or in visions or longing for an unknown future, struggling to be present in the here and now.

You feel a sense of disconnection from yourself, like there’s a person who you’re ‘supposed to be’ or want to be and that’s different from who you experience yourself to be.

You struggle to see yourself at all, to prioritise your needs or to make room for yourself.

You find yourself struggling to understand and cope with yourself, others, and the world around you.

You find you’re falling into negative or harmful patterns and want to break free from them.

You’ve experienced or are experiencing oppression in any form and want a space to talk about how that makes you feel.

The challenges of daily life, no matter what they are, feel like they are starting to overwhelm you. They feel like they’re taking up more and more space in your life.

If any of this resonates with you, please get in touch.

About Me

Shari A. Jessie

Director and Lead Psychotherapist

I have wanted to help people in some way for as long as I can remember. My own experiences, especially those of adversity, have shaped me as a therapist and as a person.

I was born in New York and moved to the UK in my early twenties. My life has often been about navigating the intersections of my identity: class, race, gender, education level etc. I was raised by a single mother and I attended both government funded and private schools. I witnessed poverty and extreme privilege. All of this fed my curiousity about the world around me and the people that live in it.

In university I studied Psychology, English, and Drama. I attended postgraduate programs during which I studied Psychology, Social Work, Adolescent Development, Drama Therapy, and Person-Centred Counselling. I spent 10 years working in secondary schools in London, providing support, psychotherapeutic intervention, advocacy, assessment, and monitoring to some of the most disenfranchised and underserved young people in the city.

I have worked for the NHS and a low-cost counselling service in South London as a psychotherapist.

I was fortunate enough to travel around the world, literally.

The combination of these places and experiences has afforded me the challenge and privilege of meeting, learning from, and working with people and clients of all ages, backgrounds, religions, cultures and communities. I welcome and celebrate difference. I recognise the impact of oppression and marginalisation and take seriously my role in providing an environment where clients can feel safe to discuss any issue. I commit myself to continuous learning, cultural competence and awareness and the centring of each client’s humanity within the therapeutic relationship.

I have worked with young people aged 11-25, adults aged 18-80, and families.

Some of the Issues I’ve worked with:

Unhappiness or Depression

Anxiety

Self-esteem

Domestic abuse

School refusal

Self-harm

Suicidal thoughts

Culture and Identity issues

Sexuality

Youth offending

Family conflict

Workplace conflict/dissatisfaction

Individual and Intergenerational Trauma

Life transitions

Relationship difficulties

Fertility issues

My Approach

I am an accredited BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) registered person-centred psychotherapist/counsellor. Being a registered member of the BACP means that I adhere to their guidelines, ensuring I work with you in a committed, confidential, and ethical way.

Person-centred psychotherapy and counselling is grounded in the idea that people are self-motivated to ‘live their best lives’ if the conditions around them are supportive. When relationships have empathic understanding, genuine and authentic communication, and acceptance of the other person, people feel more inclined to be honest to themselves about themselves and to seek new and more constructive ways of living.

As a creative psychotherapist/counsellor I offer you my honesty and respect while we explore the issues you feel you would like to bring to counselling. I strongly believe in the power of artistic mediums as a tool for healing. The creative process can open up new ways of thinking about things, and help you find new strengths and abilities. That doesn’t mean that to do this work you need to be an actor, artist, musician, dancer or ‘good’ at a particular craft; it just means you have a willingness to play and explore.

I provide a confidential, empathetic and non-judgmental space for you to explore what’s going on for you. You take the lead in the work that we do together, and I will adapt my practice to meet your individual needs.

Carl Rogers, who developed the idea of person-centred therapy, once said:

"We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know."

That’s truly what I believe and hope for: that I can provide you with a space where you feel seen and heard. My hope is that our time together will facilitate the development of your self-awareness and sense of self so you can choose your way forward with greater self-insight.

Most importantly, I’m a person just like you trying navigate being unapologetically myself, and get through each day living life on my own terms. I get the process, how hard it can be, and I approach this work with sensitivity, humour and compassion. Being a part of your journey to feeling and living the way you want would be my absolute privilege. Let’s work together to figure out what’s getting in the way of that.

Walking Therapy

I offer confidential sessions that take place outside with me, the counsellor, and you, the client, walking side by side. The pace is always set by you and you are free to pause or sit if and when you want to. Walking side by side rather than sitting face to face enables some clients to feel more comfortable when sharing in the therapy process.

Walking is a whole body experience and can lead to feeling more relaxed, less static or inhibited. Being outside often encourages freedom of expression and can create a powerful shared experience between counsellor and client that fosters engagement and enhances the supportive nature of the relationship.

Walking therapy requires an initial intake counselling session conducted in office or via online therapy.

Creative Therapy

I infuse my practice with a variety of creative techniques, influenced by my training in Dramatherapy, Art therapy, and somatic therapy. The inclusion of these techniques can lead to a deep exploration and awareness of your world. Most importantly, they can provide a way to communicate when verbalising becomes too difficult or when words alone are not enough. We will only work in this way if it feels right for you.

Supernova Sound Therapy

Sound Healing and Therapy

Along with being a psychotherapist, I am a IMPH (International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine) qualified sound therapist.

What we now call alternative or holistic interventions have always existed. Sound healing is an ancient practice from all over the world. There is an increasing amount of evidence and research to show the incredible positive effects of sound on wellbeing.

During sound healing, a variety of instruments are used to create tones of different frequencies. Some of the instruments used include singing bowls, chimes, drums, bells, and gongs. The vibrations created during a sound healing session can promote harmony, relaxation, improve mood, as well as, reduce fatigue and emotional distress.

Certain frequencies have been shown to release stress and tensions from the body, lower blood pressure and improve concentration and focus. Some believe that certain frequencies can even have a reparative or regenerative effect on muscles and tissue.

A sound healing/therapy session may often feel like you’re connecting to something beyond you, whether that be the intangibility and vastness of the universe and cosmos or your own sense of spirituality.

Much like person-centred therapy, your experiences with sound healing/therapy will be entirely individual. The session is almost always accompanied by a guided meditation and short breath practice.

I provide 1:2:1 sound healing sessions, as well as, group sound baths in central Chichester.

1:2:1 Sound Healing

An individual sound healing session will be tailored to whatever your need is on the day. Our time together will begin with a brief discussion and assessment and end with a mindful check-out. It will take place in my private office. A combination of instruments will be used and singing bowls will be placed around, and sometimes on your body.

Think of this as a sound massage, where the vibrations will sooth you into meditative state that will help you regulate and de-stress. You will hopefully experience this session at personal, connective and deeply restorative.

Sound Baths

Sound Baths are sessions where a group of people are immersed in a meditative soundscape. The location may vary depending on availability but will always be a rented community space. A sound bath in a group setting can amplify its effects. The collective energy of the group, combined with the therapeutic sounds, can create a powerful shared experience of relaxation and healing.

Despite sharing the space with others, though, the experience is still entirely your own.

The vibrations and acoustic frequencies of the various instruments will resonate through the space and the bodies in it.

If any of these services interest you, please enquire here.

Monday	9:00am - 8:00pm
Wednesday	9:00am - 8:00pm
Friday	9:00am - 2:00pm