Sidonia Stiles

Sidonia Stiles (Sonia) offers straightforward, calm support for people feeling overwhelmed by relationships, loss, anxiety or major life changes. She speaks English and Portuguese and aims to make the first steps simple and clear for anyone unsure where to begin.

Sidonia uses a person-centred way of working that keeps the conversation focused on what matters to each individual. She pays attention to how upbringing, family patterns and attachment shape current difficulties. She often uses genograms to map family stories and spot repeating patterns that affect relationships and choices.

Her background includes ten years as a group worker with residential young people for the local council. That work involved supporting families and navigating difficult relationship dynamics. More recently she completed a Level 5 Diploma in Relationship Therapy with the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body and holds an HND Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling.

In sessions she draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy as well as Attachment-Based and client-centred ideas. She also has experience working with bereavement and grief, using Gestalt-informed thinking to respect each person’s experience of loss.

Sidonia runs a private practice based in Eastbourne, United Kingdom, and offers online sessions introduced after COVID. Her practice covers a wide range of concerns including stress, depression, intimacy-related issues, addictions, LGBT matters, parenting strain and coping with life changes.

How therapy approaches work in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on identifying what matters to you and taking small steps towards those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts and feelings. It can help with anxiety, depression and coping with life transitions. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and emotions, and helps people understand and change how they relate to others. Client-Centred Therapy places the person’s experience at the heart of the work, offering a respectful, non-directive space to talk through problems and find personal solutions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and together decide which methods to try first. This is a collaborative process and plans can change as progress is made or needs shift.

Sidonia introduced online sessions after COVID, so confirm the exact session formats when booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments around busy days, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people access support from different locations and keep continuity during life changes. Talk with the therapist about practical arrangements and which approach feels most helpful before your first session.