Experienced psychotherapist supporting individuals, couples and families in Brighton or online
I’m Louise Shuttleworth, an Integrative Psychotherapist with over 20 years in private practice. I work with adults, couples, teenagers, children and parents, offering support with anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties and challenges in family life, including adoption. Together, we explore what is happening, how past experiences may affect you and what you would like to change.
Support with relationships, family life and personal difficulties
I work with adults, couples, teenagers, children and parents who need help with emotional difficulties, relationships or family life.
My work includes anxiety, low mood, recurring conflict, parenting challenges and support for adoptive families.
Together, we look at what is troubling you, how past experiences may affect what happens now, and what you would like to change. I ask questions, help you make sense of patterns and work with you on ways to respond differently.
I’m registered with the UKCP and a member of the BACP. I offer sessions at my Brighton practice and online.
When to consider psychotherapy
You might be finding everyday life harder, struggling in a relationship or concerned about your child. Sometimes there is a clear reason to seek help. Sometimes you just know that something isn’t working and need time to understand it.
You don’t need to wait for a crisis or know exactly what to say before getting in touch. Therapy can help you address a difficulty that keeps returning, prepare for a change in your life or understand your own reactions better.
A free 20 minute chat gives us a chance to discuss what you need and see if working together would be a good fit.
How I work
Two main areas I work in are couples therapy and teen support, but every bit of my work comes from the same twenty-odd years of sitting with people and helping them through what's hard.
Couples Therapy
Attachment informed, and increasingly informed by RLT (Relational Life Therapy), a couples model I am on my way to completing and which has real standing internationally. A clear, structured way back to each other.
Find out more about couples therapy →Primary focusTeen Support
For young people, and for the parents trying to help them, drawing on attachment and DDP informed approaches. This will be time in my room that belongs to your teenager, not to you.
Find out more about teen support →Adult Counselling
One to one counselling for adults dealing with anxiety, low mood, stress and relationship difficulties.
Learn more →Child Counselling
Play-based, attachment-focused support for younger children, alongside their parents.
Learn more →Parenting Support
Practical, compassionate guidance for the day to day, not just the crisis moments.
Learn more →Adoption Support & DDP
Attachment-focused work for adoptive families, including Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.
Learn more →Theraplay
A playful, structured way to strengthen the bond between a child and their caregiver.
Learn more →Supervision for Therapists
Reflective, honest clinical supervision from someone still doing the clinical work herself.
Learn more →
Twenty years of sitting with people through the hard bits
I hold dual accreditation as a UKCP and MBACP Integrative Psychotherapist, I’m an AC Psychological Coach, and I have Full Practitioner Status in DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy). I’m a LINK adoption counsellor and an attachment focused therapist, and I’m currently completing training in RLT, a couples model.
- UKCP & MBACP Integrative Psychotherapist
- AC Psychological Coach & Full DDP Practitioner
- Registered with AXA; GP & social services referrals
A couple's story
Finding their way back from the same argument
A couple in their forties came in exhausted by the same row on a loop, unsure whether they still wanted the same things. Over several months we slowed the cycle down, found the hurt underneath the conflict, and rebuilt a way of talking that felt safe again.
Illustrative example. Details are anonymised to protect confidentiality.
From the blog
Honest writing on relationships, parenting teenagers, and looking after your mental health.
Consultancy work available to Media
As a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor of 25 years plus, I am increasingly being asked to contribute to advertising campaigns, BBC documentaries regarding…
Read article →
Supervision -The Long Journey to become a therapist Acknowledged
Real Acknowledgement Intelligence Increasingly, I have been experiencing the AI intrusion into our lives whether we like it or not! I am…
Read article →
Spotting Non hyperactive ADHD
Hello again, As neurodiversity becomes more recognised, I am really making sense of this particular presentation that shows up in my couples…
Read article →Not sure where to start?
The free 20 minute chat costs you nothing and commits you to nothing, it just lets us both find out if I'm the right fit before you commit to anything more.
Questions people ask before they get in touch
How do I know if couples therapy or individual therapy is right for me?
If the issue is mainly about how you and your partner relate to each other, couples therapy is usually the better starting point, even if only one of you comes at first. If it’s more about you, individually, then one to one work makes more sense. If you’re not sure, just ask me on our first chat and I’ll help you work out which fits.
What happens in the first session?
There’s no pressure and nothing you need to prepare. I’ll ask about what’s brought you here, we’ll talk it through, and you’ll get a feel for whether I’m the right person for you. Plenty of people find the free 20 minute chat beforehand takes the edge off that first proper session.
Do you only see people in Brighton?
No. I see people face to face from Brighton, Hove, Lewes, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Hassocks and Worthing, and I work online with people anywhere in the country who prefer that or find it easier.
How much does it cost?
You can see the detail on the pricing page, but the honest answer is it depends what you need. Get in touch and I’ll be straight with you about what’s realistic.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes. I have ongoing supervision and will discuss any safeguarding risks with you.
