About me
I am a trauma therapist with lived experience of Complex PTSD and dissociation, providing short- and long-term therapy and EMDR for Complex PTSD and PTSD.
I work with adults whose past won't leave them alone. This may show itself through Complex PTSD, dissociation, difficulties in relationships or addictions such as alcohol, drugs or gambling. Often there is unresolved trauma energy driving these difficulties — perhaps from child sexual abuse, other childhood abuse, neglect, domestic violence, growing up in the care system or other experiences that have left their mark.
I have over 25 years' experience specialising in working with Survivors of child abuse and child sexual abuse, including Rape Crisis helpline work. I also specialise in working with people who use addictions to manage the effects of trauma. I was the Lead Therapist in a Community Alcohol Team and residential rehab, and also work for the NHS Gambling Service.
I also provide shorter interventions and EMDR for people who have experienced trauma such as a car accident or traumatic birth, helping them process what happened and get back to their lives.
I am EMDR qualified.
I welcome referrals from charities and businesses.
Availability
I am available in person, by phone and WhatsApp.
About me
As a young woman, I struggled with symptoms of cPTSD from the abuse I experienced as a child. I couldn't find anyone who understood, or would even acknowledge, my symptoms, so I had to work much of it out for myself. I trained as a counsellor so I could help other Survivors find the understanding and inner peace that I had struggled to find.
About what I do
I, and many former clients, are living proof that we can recover from cPTSD. We are not 'damaged goods.' Many of us have recovered and moved on to successful, often outstanding lives. It is my privilege to help and support people in their recovery and watch them grow.
I work with people who were abused as children, providing the counselling for cPTSD that I couldn't find when I needed it. Back then, I thought I was 'mad' because I didn't understand the long-term effects of child abuse and how they can taint our view of ourselves and the world.
I didn't understand that behaviours such as addictions, eating disorders, self-harm or risk-taking were often not the problem, but attempts to cope with the underlying effects of abuse. Even loneliness, obsessive thinking and other patterns can make more sense when we understand how they developed.
I can help you explore and make sense of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in the context of what happened to you. Then we can work together to develop new and healthier ways to be.
How I do it
I provide long- and short-term integrative counselling in my private counselling suite. I respect that it is your recovery and work hard to help you take control of it in a safe way that makes sense for you. I will always work with you to achieve or maintain stability.
We work together. This work can be long term, so I'm flexible about how and when we work. Many clients book sessions when they need them, knowing they can come back without worrying about having to start over with a new counsellor in the future.
People come to me for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes there is a specific problem, so we work on that. Some people want to talk about what happened, but you don't have to.
You might be looking for help managing the effects of cPTSD, such as obsessive or compulsive thoughts and behaviours, flashbacks, dissociation or feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps you want to understand how your experiences affect your relationships today, so you can choose how you respond to others.
You may want help recognising patterns of behaviour so you can understand them and decide what, if anything, you want to change. Maybe you already know you have different parts but don't know how to work with them. Sometimes you simply need someone who understands the issues and can support you through a difficult stage in your recovery.
Don't worry if it feels as though 'everything is wrong'. We can explore that together and break it down into something manageable.
I work with what makes sense for you.
What to do next
If you think I might be the right counsellor for you, or you would like to find out more, please email or WhatsApp message me as this is the quickest way to get hold of me. I will WhatsApp back and we can find a suitable time for a chat. You can text too, although sometimes texts take a while to come through.
We can then have a conversation about what you need and see whether we would like to work together.
Qualifications and experience
I am a BACP and NCPS Senior Accredited Counsellor (aligned with Column C of the SCoPEd framework) and I am EMDR qualified.
I have an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling and a Certificate in Working with Children and Adolescents.
I have over 25 years' experience working with Survivors of child abuse and child sexual abuse. My experience includes Rape Crisis helpline work, being Lead Therapist in a Community Alcohol Team and residential alcohol rehabilitation service, and working for the NHS Gambling Service.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BACP and NCPS Senior Accredited Counsellor (aligned with Column C of the SCoPEd framework) and I am EMDR qualified.
I have an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling, and a Certificate in working with Children and Adolescents.
I have over 25 years' experience working with Survivors of child abuse and child sexual abuse. My experience includes Rape Crisis helpline work, being Lead Therapist in a Community Alcohol Team and residential alcohol rehabilitation service, and working for the NHS Gambling Service.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Complex PTSD
Therapies offered
Fees
£65.00 per session
Further information
Free initial consultations are conducted over the phone. If you drop me a Whatsapp or a text I'll get back to you as quickly as I can.
