Maggie Southworth

Maggie, Centre Director, is a person-centred psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor who has been an accredited member of the BACP for over 30 years.  Maggie has been a trainer and workshop leader since 1998 and has tutored on all levels of person-centred training courses, both at The Norwich Centre and at other training institutions including the University of East Anglia.  Maggie also offers specialist training in disability awareness and is personally and professionally committed to issues surrounding disability but also equality, diversity and inclusion in general. Maggie has an MA in Counselling Research alongside a masters level in social work and, partially, gender studies.  Maggie is extremely invested in the training of others, the person-centred approach and The Norwich Centre's commitment to its future contribution to the development of the person-centred tradition.

As the Director of The Norwich Centre, Maggie is responsible for all aspects of the work The Norwich Centre is committed to.  This includes our fantastic team of professional counsellors, the trainee counsellors on placement here and overall responsibility for our training programme, events and workshops.  Maggie has clinical responsibility for the work at The Norwich Centre and upholding our mission to be accessible, affordable and committed to the person-centred approach.

Sarah Bartholomew

Sarah is a person-centred counsellor and is committed to working with the core principles of the person-centred approach. Presently, she is Senior Counsellor/Assistant Director at The Norwich Centre and Course Director for Counselling Skills. She is also a tutor on The Norwich Centre's Introduction to Counselling Skills course and a facilitator of a Personal Development Group for the current Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling course.

The tutor team for the Introduction to Counselling Skills comprises of a number of professionally qualified and experienced person-centred counsellors who are all registered and/or accredited members of the British Association for the Counselling Professions (BACP). The tutors bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills to the courses and work with students to facilitate personal development, an understanding of person-centred theory and reflective listening skills practice.

Brian Thorne

Emeritus Lay Canon Professor Brian Thorne is one of the world’s leading person-centred scholars and (until his retirement as a therapist in 2005) an innovative practitioner of the approach.  He is the author of a much-valued study of the life and work of Dr. Carl Rogers, co-author (with Dave Mearns) of the best-selling (and much translated) ‘Person-Centred Counselling in Action’ and the writer of many other books and articles in the fields of therapy, education and pastoral theology.

Brian co-founded The Norwich Centre in 1979, the only service in the world we believe, which, throughout its lengthy history, has been wholly committed to the person-centred approach to counselling, counsellor training and spiritual exploration.  Whilst he has retired as a therapist, Brian continues to work regularly at The Norwich Centre offering spiritual direction and valued support and wisdom to the centre and the Centre Director.

Brian was busy during lockdown writing an autobiographical memoir ‘Journey Homewards’ in poetic prose, soon to be published by The Norwich Centre.  This powerful new work, besides giving revealing insights into Brian’s early years and his experiences as a schoolboy, an army officer in Cyprus, a student at Cambridge, a schoolmaster and an academic, and has important sections on the significance of family and friends, the practice of counselling, the challenges of spiritual accompaniment and the daunting prospect of an unknown future.

Sandra Lee

Sandra is a person-centred counsellor, supervisor and course director on the Post-Graduate Diploma.  She has a keen interest in spirituality, presence and meditation.  The team of tutors who support the course have wide ranging experience in both client presentations and counselling settings.  Between them, the team work in private practice and organisational settings which mean they bring a wealth of experience and expertise across a breadth of psychotherapy arenas.  This offers students to the Diploma access to comprehensive knowledge in terms of both theory and clinical practice.  Students will benefit from unique tutor perspectives and skills.

John Jackson

John is a person-centred counsellor and is also committed to working within the core principles of the person-centred approach.  He has a background in nature conservation and his work is inspired and informed by the natural world.

John is Assistant Director and Senior Counsellor for The Norwich Centre’s new Youth Connect Service.  Youth Connect provides free counselling to Young People (18-25), particularly those who typically might not access counselling and who are living with mental health issues.  He is also a tutor on The Norwich Centre's Certificate in Counselling Skills course.