Meet Toni

"Each time I told my story, I lost a bit, the smallest drop of pain"

                                 - A. Sebold

Toni Goodall

MBACP Accredited (she/her)

Experienced Accredited Counselling Therapist

Hi, you can't see it but I'm saying hello to you with a warm smile. I'm Toni. You may have looked at lots of counsellors before getting here and I want to say welcome. Well done for prioritising yourself and looking for the right counsellor for you. 

I have experience of being both a therapist and a client. Because of this I know how important it is to find the "right fit": a person who you feel gets you, and who you can build enough trust with to bring your whole self. I welcome all of you - the parts you love and the parts that might feel a little harder to like. You can bring all of yourself to our sessions together. I am here with you in the painful thoughts, feelings and memories as well as the laughter, joy and celebration. 

Together I hope we can create enough safety for you to take the courageous steps towards the life you want.
Contact Toni

I believe that no two people are the same. How we feel about ourselves and how we are treated in the world is influenced by many aspects of our identity including race, culture, sexuality, class, gender and health status to name a few.  

 

I have extensive experience working with people diagnosed with complex health, neurodiversity and disability, and with those who have caring responsibilities for others. I worked in the health and social care sector for over a decade.


I also have significant experience of working with people who find that perfectionism and perfectionist traits are impacting their lives.


When I'm not working, I love to go for walks in nature with my two dogs (Ernie and Otis), or to get lost in a good book - often some sort of dystopian fiction! I can also hyper-fixate on new hobbies which then become a distant lost memory.

Qualifications

I'm an experienced counselling therapist, accredited by the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. What that means is that I am qualified to provide compassionate, safe and professional counselling for you.


I've included some information about my qualifications, training and experience below. Please feel reassured that I am an ethical professional and work safely and responsibly.

Qualifications

  • MA Advanced Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy

    I began my Masters study in January 2024. This is held by The Minster Centre in London. My intention is to deepen my expereince of psychotherapy, and ensure that I am always engaging with the most contemporary research and practice in counselling. 

  • PGDip Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling

    I studied at Brighton University, training to be a humanistic counsellor. What that means is that I value you at the centre of the work together, and I believe that you have every right to be seen, heard and to take up space. 


    There are so many reasons that I chose to train to be a counsellor. Perhaps one of the main ones is that I know that this world can be an unkind and sometimes terrifying place to live. I believe we all need someone in our corner to help us carry the weight when it becomes a bit too much to bear.  I also believe that we all need someone to celebrate with when good and wonderful things happen! I was lucky to find such people dotted about in my life and I want to help others in the way that I've been helped.

  • BA(Hons) English Language and Literature

    I studied English Literature and Language at Oxford University. I've always been passionate about reading and writing, and in trying to grasp how we put into words experiences which defy language. Stories have been a way for me to understand the the world and myself - they've been my escapism and my way of making sense. Stories have helped me to feel "normal" in times when I have felt like the "only one."


    This quote from The History Boys sums it up for me: 

    “The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – that you’d thought particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you’ve never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it’s as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.”

Experience

  • As You Are Centre

    As You Are is a low cost counselling service based in Southwick. They offer:

    • 1:1 counselling for individuals 

    • Groupwork eg. emotional resilience and anger management 


    I strongly believe in affordable and accessible counselling. Within As You Are I provided 1:1 counselling for individuals, and facilitated group work such as understanding anger, emotional resilience and setting boundaries. I worked both face-to-face and online with As You Are. 


    http://asyouarecentre.co.uk/ 

  • Cruse Bereavement Care

    Cruse Bereavement Care provides free short term 1:1 counselling for those who have experienced death and loss in their lives. 


    I completed the internal specialist training to work within Cruse, providing 1:1 support to bereaved children, adolescents and adults both in the Cruse centre and in people's own homes. I also provided telephone counselling. I stopped volunteering here in 2020.


    https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help/local-services/south-east/east-sussex

  • Demelza Hospice Care for Children

    Demelza Hospice Care for Children is a community hospice service for children living in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. 


    I worked as a Family Support Worker in the service providing 1:1 therapeutic support for children, young people and adults. This was creative and dynamic work, considering the impact of anticipatory grief, terminal diagnosis and bereavement. 


    I also delivered and facilitated groupwork as part of my role, supporting parents, carers and siblings to come together to share their unique experiences. 


    https://www.demelza.org.uk/about-us/demelza-community-in-east-sussex

  • Survivors Network

    Survivors Network is a charity supporting self-identifying women surviving sexual assault and violence. 


    I volunteered with this service supporting women accessing the telephone helpline and the face-to-face drop in. I stopped volunteering here in 2019. 


    https://survivorsnetwork.org.uk/ 

  • BHEDS Peer-to-Peer Support Group

    I volunteered as a co-facilitator in a peer support group for adults identifying as having disordered eating and challenging relationships with food. This group supported individuals of all genders. I stopped volunteering with this group in 2019. 


    https://www.mindcharity.co.uk/the-mind-directory/eating-disorders-peer-support-service-womens-group/ 

  • Additional Training (Various)

    I've listed some areas of additional training below. You would be welcome to ask me any questions about these trainings


    • Working with Relational Trauma 

    • Reflective and Creative Practice 

    • Psychoeducational Groupwork

    • Empowering Autistic Individuals 

    • Working with Shame 

    • Anti-Racism in Practice 

    • Suicide Prevention 

    • Working with Borderline Presentations 

    • Cultural Identity Awareness 

    • Working with Black survivors of sexual abuse 

    • Understanding Eating Disorders


    I am currently engaged in ongoing training to become a Certified Complex Trauma Professional - Level 2

I am allied with all genders and the LGBTQ+ community.

I am a committed member of the BACP and follow their ethical framework.

I hold an enhanced DBS certificate for working with children and adults.

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