About Me

Vivien is a former CEO of a national charity, and an organisational and personal consultant, with a wealth of experience working across sectors, primarily in the field of mental health, deafness and disability. She originally trained and worked as a British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter and qualified with an undergraduate degree in Deaf Studies and Sign Language Interpreting (University of Bristol 1996). She retrained and qualified in Psychodynamic Counselling (Goldsmiths – University of London 2004). She has undertaken further clinical training with Scarborough Psychotherapy Training Institute (November 2010) Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy (ScPTI 2010). Vivien achieved merit, merit and distinction with ScPTI. As Vivien provides supervision she has completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision (University of Derby 2009). Vivien has been UKCP registered Integrative Psychotherapist since 2010. In 2013-2014, Vivien trained at ScPTI as a Lecturer/Trainer and was awarded a Postgraduate Teaching Certificate. In 2014 she co-led the Integrative Programme at ScPTI and in 2015 she became Programme Leader on the Relational Integrative Psychotherapy Programme. Vivien has undertaken a further research degree (MA Psychotherapy) with Leeds Beckett University. This research addressed provision in Parent-Infant Psychotherapy in the UK. Vivien received MA Psychotherapy (Distinction). Vivien qualified with a Doctorate in Psychotherapy in 2019.

Vivien works as a Senior Lecturer in University lecturing in Psychological Therapies and Mental Health courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

In addition to psychotherapy Vivien is an award-winning author of The Blossom Method - The Revolutionary Way To Communicate With Your Baby From Birth. In 2015 The Blossom Method received a Silver Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association. She was honoured to be asked to write a chapter for Professor Rosina McAlpine's (University of Sydney) latest book; Inspired Children: How The Leading Minds Of Today Raise Their Kids. Vivien is one of ten contributors.

Vivien is an international speaker/trainer. Her work on attachment and connection using The Blossom Method in clinical and everyday settings is taught in the UK and internationally.

Vivien has written a very well received therapeutic children's book. The book has been illustrated by a New York based illustrator. This book, Robot Meg, She Lives in my Head is tells the story of a little girl with a negative voice in her head and how she overcomes this negativity. Available now on Amazon.

Vivien is an artist and filmmaker. Her film 'Lost, Taken, Murdered' was officially selected for a Short Film Filmmakers award, and although it didn't win the film has been viewed thousands of times across various social media platforms. Her art has been featured in Art Magazines and she has been commissioned to paint seascapes and floaralscapes and she has sold several pieces.


Vivien's approach to her work is unique. She considers herself to be an expert in the field of non-verbal communication and body language. She often utilises these highly tuned skills to address the incongruence between spoken language and language of the body. Vivien has a published qualitative research paper in The European Journal of Psychotherapy addressing Post Natal Depression. For further information regarding Vivien please see http://www.viviensabel.com

Doctorate in Psychotherapy (DPsych)
MA Psychotherapy (Parent-Infant Psychotherapy Research) Distinction
Postgraduate Certificate Full Teaching Membership
Postgraduate Certificate Associate Teaching Membership (ATM)
BACP Register Certificate Of Proficiency
Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherap
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling
Postgraduate Certifcate in Clinical Supervision
Postgraduate Certifcate in Management
Diploma Higher Education in Deaf Studies (Sign Language Interpreting)
Advanced British Sign Language (Level III)
EMDR Psychotherapist (Level III) Trama-focused Psychotherapy
EFT Practitioner

I work with

• Companies
• Couples
• Groups
• Individuals
• Private healthcare referrals

Types of Therapies Offered

• Integrative Psychotherapist

What I can help with

• Abuse
• Addiction
• ADHD
• Anger Management
• Anorexia
• Anxiety
• Bereavement
• Bulimia
• Bullying
• Chronic Illness
• Cultural Issues
• Depression
• Disability
• Domestic Violence
• EMDR
• Employment Difficulties
• Gender
• Health-related Issues
• Identity Problems
• Infertility
• Mental Health Issues
• Obsessions
• Parents
• Phobias
• Physical Abuse
• Post-Traumatic Stress
• Private Practice Issues
• Race Issues
• Relationships
• Sexual Abuse
• Sexuality
• Spirituality
• Stress
• Supervision
• Telephone Counselling
• Training
• Transgender
• Trauma
• Workplace Counselling