COUNSELLING IN LEWES/ GLYNDE/ EAST DEAN, EASTBOURNE EAST SUSSEX
Welcome
Professional counselling to explore your
thoughts, feelings and relational patterns,
break free of your barriers
and become more authentically you.
Testimonials
A WARM HELLO TO YOU!
Are you aged 18+ living in the UK and looking for either short term or long term, easy-to-access professional counselling for yourself? I'm glad you've found my website. Take your time to browse.
Coming for counselling can feel challenging. So in order to help you feel safer during the process, I offer three ways of counselling for you to choose from:
In cosy therapy rooms in three East Sussex Locations:
- East Dean.
- Glynde.
- Lewes.
Using video or telephone calls.
Within a 12 mile radius of Eastbourne, East Sussex
About Me
My name is Suzie Bright (she/her). I live in the South Downs National Park, in Eastbourne, East Sussex with my husband and our cats. I'd describe myself as a quiet, gentle, and empathic person. I enjoy being outside in the fresh air whatever the weather, and gardening for wildlife. I have a love for all living creatures and the natural world. I love exploring new places, and connecting with people authenticity.
I'm a fully qualified and insured Counsellor and have Accredited Registrant Membership (membership no: NCS20-00111) of The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). To view my membership certificate please click on the NCPS logo underneath my photo. To view my NCPS profile, click here.
I've recently trained to become a Breathwork Coach, qualified to Level 3 with CPCAB which is recognised by BACP.
I'm a member of Bizzybirds a networking group for women in small business in East Sussex, and Creative Counsellors an online hub providing support and training for counsellors and psychotherapists..
Who I work with:
People come for counselling for all kinds of reasons. I have noticed there are themes which arise most frequently for people in therapy sessions...
- Relationships:
Do you struggle in your relationship with a family member/s, friends, acquaintances or work colleagues? Or is it your relationship with yourself that you struggle with?
- Self-Discovery and Authentic Living:
Are you looking to enhance your self-awareness? Do you need a safe space to explore your identity and the changes you'd like to make for a more authentic life?
- Depression and Anxiety:
Are you living with a persistent emotional flatness, disconnection and stuckness? Do you have a mix of sadness, anger, fear or dread which prevent you from enjoying life?
- Grief and Loss:
Are you grieving a loved one/s, a relationship, your pet, health, job, home? You may have lost something else more difficult to explain. For example your sense of belonging, identity, purpose, energy, self-esteem or confidence.
Sometimes even when we are surrounded by people we can feel very alone and we can feel completely stuck. In your counselling sessions you can talk about whatever is going on, and I will work with you so that you feel safe, seen, heard and connected and eventually able to break through the dark clouds.
My Approach
I understand that many of the ways we think, feel, and relate to others develop as natural responses to our early experiences and relationships. These patterns often help us cope at the time, but later may begin to feel limiting or distressing. My work is grounded in a combination of Person-Centred Therapy and Transactional Analysis, which places the therapeutic relationship, self-awareness, and personal agency at the centre of the healing process.
I understand emotional distress and trauma as experiences that affect the whole person — mind, body, emotions, and nervous system. When life feels overwhelming, our system adapts to protect us. These adaptations can show up as anxiety, low mood, emotional shutdown, self-criticism, or feeling stuck in familiar life patterns. Rather than seeing these responses as something that needs to be fixed, I understand them as meaningful and understandable reactions to lived experience.
I believe change happens through safety, connection, and increased awareness. Therapy is not about pushing for quick solutions, but about creating the right conditions for growth to unfold at a pace that feels manageable. From a Transactional Analysis perspective, changing long-standing life patterns (sometimes referred to as life scripts) is a gradual process. As old ways of being begin to shift, it can feel unsettling or destabilising, which is why I place a strong emphasis on self-care and self-compassion throughout our work together.
Because trauma is held in the body as well as the mind, I often work in ways that go beyond talking alone. This may include breathwork, creative approaches, and working outdoors in green spaces, all of which can support grounding, regulation, and safe processing.
I see therapy as a collaborative journey. My role is to walk alongside you with curiosity, care, and respect, supporting you to reconnect with your inner resources and move towards greater freedom, balance, and choice in your life.
Experience
I have over 25 years’ experience working in the third sector as a Support Worker and Advocate alongside vulnerable and marginalised people across Sussex, including Brighton and Hove. During this time, I worked with a diverse range of individuals, including homeless young people aged 16–25, supporting them to navigate complex life circumstances shaped by experiences such as growing up in care, childhood trauma, disability, mental health challenges, poverty, addiction, domestic abuse, and family breakdown.
I was trained to work in a person-centred and trauma-informed way, and through this work I came to deeply value the importance of sitting alongside people as equals — taking time to listen without judgement or agenda to how they experience the world. This approach shaped my belief in the power of validation, compassion, and creating space for people to express themselves safely and authentically.
I had long felt drawn to becoming a counsellor, but my own life script struggles delayed this path. In 2017, following the diagnosis of cancer in a close family member, I reached a turning point that led me to pursue this work.
I began my counselling training at The Link Centre in 2018 and qualified in 2022 with a Level 6 Diploma in Counselling. While the journey was challenging at times, it proved deeply transformative, for my own personal development and self belief.
During my counselling training, I completed a two-year online voluntary placement with a culturally sensitive counselling service supporting Black and Asian minority ethnic clients, as well as individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK. This experience gave me valuable insight into counselling people whose cultural identities and lived experiences differ from my own, and it continues to inform my commitment to learning and developing my cross-cultural practice.
I established my private practice, Brighter Days Counselling, in 2022 and have been continually developing my work over the past three years through regular fortnightly supervision and ongoing continuing professional development (CPD).
Qualifications and Training
Level 3 CPCAB Award in Breathwork Coaching
The Bedfordshire Centre for Therapeutic Studies (Oct 2025)
Level 6 Diploma in Counselling
The Link Centre, Plumpton, East Sussex (Sept 2022).
Certificate in Transactional Analysis Theory
The Link Centre, Plumpton, East Sussex (Jan 2020).
Goldsmiths College, New Cross, London (June 2002)
Continued Professional Development
Working Alongside Trans, Non-Binary and Questioning Clients (July 2025)
Basic Neuroscience of Autism (May 2025)
Certificate in Trauma Informed & Aware Practice (Jan 2025)
Foundation Certificate in the ChrisLin Method (Jan 2025)
Working with Complexity in Grief (Oct 2024)
Introduction to Breathwork (Aug 2024)
Working with PTSD and Trauma Responses (Aug 2024)
Foundation Certificate in the Application of Polyvagal Theory in Counselling and Psychotherapy (June 2024)
Addiction, the Brain & Recovery (May 2024)
Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling (Oct 2023)
Foundation Certificate in Bereavement Counselling (March 2023).
“Trauma is not what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you.”
Dr Gabor Maté
"What is the bravest thing you've ever said?" asked the boy.
"Help" said the horse.
The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse - by Charlie Mackesy
“I'm OK, and so are you.”
Erik Berne
In-Person Counselling in East Sussex.
I offer traditional in-person Counselling in comfortable and tranquil therapy rooms in three different East Sussex locations.
The Buttery in Glynde. A quaint little stand-alone building which benefits from plenty of natural light and peaceful views of the quiet countryside. Facilities include free parking, and ground floor disabled access. It is within a 10 minute walk from Glynde train station.
The Old Coach House in Lewes. A therapy room within a holistic Voice Care Practice. The building is tucked away behind The Rights of Man pub on Lewes High Street. It is a 10 minute walk from Lewes train station, and a 3 min walk from Market Lane Car Park.
The Counselling Cabin in East Dean. A stand-alone little cabin at a discreet private address. Natural light, and peaceful hillside view. Free parking and close to the No 12 coastal bus route. A drive through the beautiful and iconic landscape of Birling Gap, the Seven Sisters, and Cuckmere Haven adds to your reflective experience.
£60 per session.
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Available between 10am and 5pm, depending on room availability.
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Sessions are 50 minutes.
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Bookable directly through myself.
The Buttery, in the quiet country village of Glynde.
The Old Coach House, in the town center of historic Lewes.
The Counselling Cabin, in the quiet seaside village of East Dean
Online and Telephone Counselling
I am a certified Online and Telephone Counsellor. I can provide this way of counselling to you in the comfort and familiarity of your own home.
For this type of counselling it's important that you are in a safe, comfortable, quiet and confidential space where we won’t be interrupted or overheard for the whole 50 minutes. As long as these requirement are met then you can choose a location that works for you. Your environment should be somewhere you are able to fully concentrate and feel as relaxed as possible. This might be in a spare room at home, in your parked car, in your friend’s/ family member’s house, or somewhere outside.
Video calls
Currently my favourite video call provider is Google Meet which is GDPR compliant and easy to use. For a video call session the most important thing is that you have a reliable wifi signal either on your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.
Telephone calls
Telephone calls are an option if you feel uneasy about being seen on video calls, or if you do not have strong or reliable wifi. If you prefer to use end-to-end encrypted calls we can use WhatsApp or Signal.
Returning clients can book further sessions using the buttons below:
£45 per session between 10am - 5pm.
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£50 per session between 5.30pm - 8pm.
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£35 per session (Discounted Rate) 10am-5pm.
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Sessions are 50 minutes.
The Discounted Rate Eligibility:
Total Household Income is under £25,000 a year.
Income verification is required to qualify:
3 months of bank statements.
Walk and Talk Therapy
I'm Walk and Talk Therapy trained, and offer sessions in green spaces in the beautiful South Downs National Park, within a 12 mile radius of Eastbourne, East Sussex.
Walk and Talk Therapy is counselling outdoors in the fresh air, amongst nature where you can relax and breathe deeply. We will walk together at your pace, according to your abilities and needs, along a pre-planned route. Routes are either circular, or walking in one direction then retracing our steps back to the beginning. In my backpack I bring foldaway stools and a couple of waterproof mats to sit on so there's opportunity to rest.
There are many proven benefits to being outside in nature including reduced anxiety, depression, stress and anger, increased confidence and self esteem. There are also benefits if you are experiencing loss and bereavement, or going through crisis or transitions. In nature there are many metaphors allowing us to work with symbolism, and for you to find solutions and new perspectives.
At your assessment we will talk about confidentiality, safety elements, and your needs. We will then agree on a public green space to meet. I will prioritise what you are comfortable with and what works for you. If you'd like to know more, here's a good article on Walk and Talk Therapy.
£45 per session between 10am - 5pm.
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£50 per session between 5.30pm - 7pm (offered during April-Sept only).
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Sessions are 50-60 mins.
NEW CLIENTS
BOOK HERE
Do you feel unsure and want to ask some questions first?
Book your FREE 15 minute "Discovery Call"
(phone call or video call)
Ready to start counselling?
Book your reduced cost (£20) 50 minute "Initial Session"
(phone call or video call)
Please Note: I have a 24 hour cancellation fee.
See p3-4 in my terms & conditions
Yes, I'm happy to talk through any questions you have. Then you can take as much time as you need to think about it, and send me a message when you want to book your initial session.
Please click on the button above to book your FREE 15 minute "discovery call" into my digital diary at a day and time which suits you best.
Here is a link to an article on the Counselling Directory website on common questions to find out about before starting therapy: Counselling FAQs
The initial session is for us to start to get to know each other, and figure out if we are the right fit to work together therapeutically. I charge a reduced fee of £20 for the initial session. There is no obligation for you to book any more sessions if you don't want to. You can...
- Ask questions or discuss any concerns you may have about counselling.
- Begin to talk about the issues that are troubling you.
- Identify your therapy goals and what you want to achieve from counselling.
- Decide whether counselling with Brighter Days Counselling is right for you.
- If it feels like we are the right fit to work together, then we can make a plan on how to proceed and book in a date and time for your first full price session. I will email you confirming our plan and date of your next session.
Please ensure you are in a comfortable and private space for the whole session which will be up to 50 mins.
Before you meet with me you might find it helpful to read through my Terms and Conditions, Privacy Notice, and Disclaimer. You can ask for further clarification to make sure you understand everything before you arrange any more sessions.
To book your Initial Session, click on the button above to book a time and date into my digital diary, and to make a payment of £20 via Stripe.
Please note I have a 24 hour cancelation fee. See p3-4 in my terms and conditions.
Get in touch
You are welcome to send me a message using this form if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange a phone call, or initial assessment.
Please check your spam email box as my emails often end up there. Then you can save my name and email address in your contacts list.
I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
Practice Open Times:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10am - 8pm.
- Fridays 10am - 5pm.
Please be aware that sessions are in process during these times, so I will respond to your enquiry as soon as I am able, usually within a few days.