Who we are

We are an experienced team of Sussex-based professionals dedicated to supporting individuals, couples and families through the separation and divorce process.

KIM CREWE leads our team. An experienced divorce coach, family consultant, financial coach, relationship counsellor and therapist, Kim is an affiliate member of Resolution and has been trained and certified as a financial coach by Wise Monkey Financial Coaching, she is also an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Kim believes in the importance of couples and families creating their own separation or divorce plan, every couple and family are unique and have their own ideas of how they want their new lives to look.

Kim is Director of Client Wellbeing at Family Law Partners and works with clients on all aspects of the separation and divorce journey. She also supports couples in making pre-nuptial agreements and pre living together coaching support.

Kim’s work is mainly in the separation and divorce field. As well as working with adults she has worked as a Counsellor in a school, so she has a good understanding of the needs of young people when families break up.

As part of the Separation Options wider team we have

Kim is also part of a group of professionals that include collaborative lawyers, mediators, family consultants, arbitrators, financial coaches and financial advisors. Together we provide an integrated approach to help couples and individuals during a separation or divorce. We are known as Brightpod and our brief is to provide support for every aspect of your separation, legal, emotional, and financial.

SOPHIE FLETCHER has worked as a psychotherapist for over twenty-five years with adults and families in a variety of settings including the NHS, primary and secondary education and in private practice. Sophie’s work with families affected by separation and divorce has become her main area of expertise.
Her extensive experience and knowledge from working with children informs her work as a family consultant.

Strengthening the post-divorce co-parenting relationship by developing better communication and understanding is the key focus to how Sophie works in the parenting consultation sessions. This can help to reduce the inevitable stresses and strains on two parent households and minimise the negative impact on the child/children.

Research has shown that children cope better in the long term when their parents’ separation is amicable. Involving a neutral therapeutic practitioner can help to strengthen new family structures and promote balanced thinking during a time of emotional turbulence and instability. Practical discussions can help parents manage the organisational changes during and after a divorce or separation. This can be in the form of helping with parenting plans, for example, handovers, weekly routines and appointments. Sophie either meets with parents separately or together to help maintain the co-parenting relationship.

At times it can be helpful for Sophie to meet with the children and teenagers individually. These sessions provide a private and neutral space in which to explore their feelings and concerns. Using art materials can help the younger children to express feelings non -verbally and enable them to gradually expand their emotional vocabulary and understanding.

Sometimes children find it difficult to talk to their parents about the family break up. They may feel torn between two parents or struggle to accept a new step-parent figure. They may feel alone with their loss as their parents appear to be happier and moving on. The individual sessions can help children to feel more secure in adjusting to their two-household family. Sometimes Sophie might suggest some joint sessions with a child and parent to enable better communication and understanding.

Sophie Fletcher qualified on a post graduate Art Psychotherapy training in 1996 at Goldsmiths University, London. Alongside working as a psychotherapist Sophie’s professional development has incorporated further models of training and studying including;

• Family Consultant Training with Sussex Family Solutions.
• Tavistock Relations – developing skills in couple work.
• EFT couple therapy – Externship and Core Skills trainings.
• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy – Level 1.
• Dyadic Art Psychotherapy – Level 1.
• The institute of Group Analysis (IGA) a one-year introductory course.

Sophie has given talks and trainings to counsellors, psychotherapists and teachers on art psychotherapy, and to family lawyers on working therapeutically with families effected by divorce and separation.

Sophie’s professional memberships include HCPC (The Health and Care Professions Council) and ICEFT (The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy). Sophie is an affiliate member of Resolution. She is committed to their code of practice, promoting a constructive approach to family issues that consider the needs of the whole family.