About me
I am an Emotion Focused Adult Psychotherapist and a Teen/Child counsellor, providing a bespoke therapeutic service to clients for over 8 years. I draw on whatever approach is needed so that I can tailor my help to meet your particular needs. As well as Adults, I specialise in counselling children and young people, using talking therapy with creative and playful activities where appropriate. I am also recently accredited to offer DBT-A, which is a particular kind of therapy for teens who are struggling with high risk behaviours such as self harm and suicidal ideation. I can provide support for parents who are struggling, particularly with challenging behaviour or attachment difficulties.
Whatever your age, you will find me warm and easy to talk to, as I help you explore your difficulties and together we find out more about what can help to deepen your self - understanding, increase your confidence and reduce your distress. My practice is also Autism friendly and aware.
I am really pleased to let you know that I am also now registered with Bupa, AXA and Vitality Health Insurance as a therapist so I am able to work with clients who have these covers.
What happens next?
It can be really daunting to think about how to approach a counsellor and many people find this quite stressful. Please don’t worry. Just get in contact with me, you can call or text me on 07759 094879 or send me an email. We can have a chat to talk about what you are looking for help with and I can answer any questions you may have before you make a decision to book a session or not.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training
My trainings for adults are in Emotion-Focused Therapy, drawing on ACT, CBT and other approaches when needed. With children and teens, I am trained in the P2Be model, which draws on Attachment Theory , Play Therapy and Creative/talking therapy. I offer DBT-A, which is a particular kind of therapy for teens who are struggling with high risk behaviours such as self harm and suicidal ideation. I have found this rich mix wonderful in really helping clients find the root cause of their struggles and addressing them. I tailor my approach to meet your unique needs, whatever they may be. I attend regular supervision and professional training so that I can ensure the help I give you is really effective and evidence based. I am ASD aware and have worked with many neurodiverse, children, young people and adults.
I am also qualified to offer The Rewind Technique, which is a trauma-focused therapy method used to help people process distressing memories (like trauma, phobias, or intrusive images) without having to talk through the details in depth.
Anxiety is a very common concern that most age groups struggle with, and I have a wealth of experience and training in successfully helping with this, including using the STILL Method, by breaking anxiety down into clear, practical steps that help you regain control. This approach helps you learn:
✅ Why anxiety happens and how it impacts the brain and body
✅ How to recognise and respond to anxious thoughts
✅ Practical tools to manage anxiety in the moment
✅ How to move from feeling stuck to feeling in control
Counselling Qualifications and training
- Post Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Practice (Distinction), University of Wales, Trinity St. David.
- Accredited Level 4 Certificate in Children’s Counselling ,Place2Be.
- ‘Creative Counsellors Facilitating Therapeutic groups’ certificate (15hrs CPD)
- Rossjke Hasseldine "Mother and Daughter Attachment"
- New Pathways -Vicarious Trauma "Life beyond sexual violence"
- Carolyn Spring " dealing with Distress. Working with Suicide and Self Harm"
- Creative Counsellors " The 8 Dimensions of Well being"
- DDP (Dyadic Developmental Parenting) level 1 and level 2
- The (NVR) Non Violent Resistance Parenting Approach Level 1 NVR
- CAPA First Response Training for supporting parents struggling with challenging behaviour
- Online counselling
- BPS approved qualification to practice "THE REWIND" technique for Trauma
- “The STILL Method” for Anxiety for Adults, Children and Young People
- The Association for Psychological Therapies (APT’s) Level 2 accreditation in DBT- A {Dialectic Behavioural Therapy for Adolescents)
Professional Memberships
- I hold current and full Professional Indemnity Insurance.
- I hold a current enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate (DBS).
- I am registered on the Data Control Register
- I am a BACP Accredited Register membership MBACP 377109
- I am an Accredited Registrant with NCPS: MNCPS (Acc.). NCPS1817
Experience
Over the years I have gained a significant amount of experience in alleviating distress, through my individual work in private practice, with all ages, and for patients in GP surgeries within the NHS. I have a proven record of delivering effective help so that clients can find an acceptable resolution to those issues or problems that are causing distress, including emotional dysregulation and anxiety with children, and low self-esteem, OCD, anger management and loneliness with adults. I am also a parent of three children, all now grown up, and have experienced fully both the joys and difficulties of parenting, which have led me to develop my skills also in helping parents who are struggling.
With a colleague, I set up and was, until recently, Co-Owner and Director of a counselling company “Family and Therapy” which has a solid reputation across Swansea in delivering a number of effective therapeutic projects, for all ages. Through running a company, supporting our team of counsellors and students, delivering training and also community support that has included running anxiety workshops, I gained a considerable amount of knowledge and skills. I have now stepped back from running the company and now focus on developing my own private practice to become even more effective in supporting children, young people, adults and parents who are struggling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Specialism in children and young people's talking/creative/playful therapy and also providing parents with support when behaviour is challenging, which includes aggressive behaviour.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£40 - £45
Please enquire about Fees for Health Insurance
When I work
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Further information
What can you expect
I practice in my warm and welcoming Therapy Lodge at my property near Ammanford in Carmarthenshire . I work with all ages and my special interest is in working with children, young people and parents.
Counselling is a partnership and the most important factor in ensuring counselling makes a positive difference is that both feel they can trust each other and develop a good working relationship. Therefore, my practice is sensitive to the needs of all individuals, offering a warm and safe space for you to explore your story and support you non judgementally on your way forward.
My therapeutic approach with adults is based on a person-centred, emotion-focused approach. With younger children I use therapeutic play and creativity, drawing on current best practice approaches, Gestalt theory and attachment theory to help children express, explore and understand their troubling feelings and behaviours in order to make sense and mange them. I involve parents/carers of younger children in this. With older children and young people aged 13 - 17, who are developmentally ready to talk and think about their troubling feelings and thoughts, I use more focused talking therapy as well. The primary aim of all my counselling work with children and young people is to increase their emotional resilience and regulation, to help them become more self-accepting and self-controlling, and ultimately to improve their views of themselves and the important people in their lives. I can help make this transitionary phase from child to adult, which can be incredibly distressing for young people and families, easier, safer and more positive, by strengthening family relationships also and easing the way forward. With parents, I can provide 1:1 support/coaching/advice and signposting.
Can counselling help me?
Yes, significantly, and I have seen this time and time again. In our first meeting, we get to know each other a little so that you can decide if we are a good match. If you agree, then together we identify what you want me to help you with, and we use that to guide our work together in the weeks to come, so that you are able to enjoy your life more without the burden of the troubling feelings and thoughts you were experiencing.
You can find out more by contacting me for further information by email or my mobile number 07759094879
