Family & loved-ones support in Kent & Online
Support for Those Affected by a Loved One’s Addiction or Eating Disorder
I’m Sian Carpenter, an experienced counsellor based in Deal, Kent, offering support for families and loved ones affected by addiction and eating disorders, both face-to-face and online across the UK.
Supporting you through the difficulties that come with loving someone who's suffering with addiction or an eating disorder, because you deserve support too and you don't have to navigate this alone.
What is family & loved-one support?
Family support provides a safe space for people affected by someone else's addiction or eating disorder.
It helps you to understand what's happening, explore difficult emotions and find ways to support your loved one while protecting your own wellbeing.
--- Because you matter too ---
Individual support
One-to-one sessions in a calm, safe space, offering dedicated time for you.
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Explore your feelings & emotions.
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Understand the impact on your life.
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Develop healthier boundaries.
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Create coping strategies.
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Learn about your loved one's problem to gain a deeper understanding.
Family group sessions
Guided group sessions for up to 3 family members to come together in a safe, mutual space.
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Improve communication.
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Develop understanding of each other's feelings & struggles.
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Explore healthier ways of supporting one another.
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Create support plans together to aid recovery and feel supported.
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Look at co-dependency and enabling.
My experience supporting families comes from a combination of clinical experience, professional training and personal lived understanding.
Throughout my work in addiction and mental health services, I have supported families whose loved ones were receiving treatment in residential rehabilitation, attending structured community recovery programmes or accessing specialist eating disorder treatment. This has given me an understanding of how deeply these challenges can affect the entire family, often leaving loved one's feeling overwhelmed, isolated and unsure how best to help.
My experience also includes family interventions and facilitating family group sessions, helping families come together, improve communication and work collaboratively to support their loved one. I understand the importance of creating space for everyone to feel heard, explore difficult emotions, develop healthier boundaries and feel less alone.
My understanding is personal, too. Having supported loved ones through their own struggles of both addiction and an eating disorder, I recognise the devastating impact these experiences can have on the whole family system. This lived understanding, alongside my professional experience, helps me offer compassionate, practical and realistic support that helps you to navigate what can often feel like an incredibly difficult and lonely journey.
I believe that families deserve support, understanding and care, too — helping them protect their own wellbeing while finding healthier ways to support the people they love.
My Experience with family support