About me
I offer a warm, friendly and evidence-based approach that works with thoughts, feelings and the nervous system to alleviate suffering and promote personal growth. My approach is collaborative and trauma-informed and I offer NeurOptimal® neurofeedback as an additional tool to support your therapeutic journey.
Who can I help?
Because I work with the root causes of distress in the mind, brain and body, my approach helps with almost all labels and diagnoses, e.g. depression, anxiety, self worth, PTSD, addictions, patterns of relationships and states of nervous exhaustion, to name but a few.
Please email me to arrange a chat where I can answer your questions.
Facing painful feelings together in safe company is transformative
Our feelings are full of important information. I can show you how to turn towards them with curiosity and compassion such that you can hear their message and they can be transformed into a force for meaning and purpose. Once you learn this way of relating to yourself, you have a valuable skill for life. Sometimes life experiences can cut us off from our feelings, but we all have them if we look for them!
Working with the mind, body and nervous system to heal from trauma
I embrace modern psychotherapies that pay close attention to patterns of feelings in the body that reflect our life experiences, including trauma. We use this information to find ways of bringing about states that feel better and are linked to personal growth, rather than stuckness, pain or disconnection.
Special interest in physical conditions linked to stress and trauma
Chronic stress and traumatic experiences can add to everyday life pressures and cause or exacerbate many common physical conditions. I have family experience of functional neurological disorder (FND), which has led me to explore this area in depth and find solutions. I believe that much of what I have learnt also applies to chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and a whole range of 'medically unexplained' symptoms. I can help you to feel fully heard amidst the confusing range of symptoms, help you to spot the patterns and develop plans of action.
NeurOptimal® neurofeedback gives the brain information it needs to self-optimise
I am very blessed to have a neurofeedback system called NeurOptimal®. This device listens to your brainwaves 256 times per second and runs the data through computer software to identify inefficient or unhealthy patterns. Where it notices an oddity, it alerts your brain to this by creating tiny interrupts in the music. Although nothing but information is offered to your brain, this is actually a very powerful way of improving brain and nervous system function and I have witnessed remarkable improvements in symptoms. NeurOptimal® typically reduces feelings of stress and promotes mental clarity, focus and emotional ease. This can improve sleep and overall functioning. Many of my clients appreciate the opportunity to use NeurOptimal® as an effortless way of supporting psychotherapy, and it is also effective as the primary approach. I recommend trying NeurOptimal® to support recovery from states of nervous system disruption such as functional neurological disorder (FND).
Connecting with strengths by exploring personality and values
My clients find working with personality theory and values to be a very uplifting part of our journey that also brings much clarity and purpose. The process helps us to identify strengths and also provides insight into why some things just seem so particularly hard or cause more stress than they ‘should’. This work is full of ‘aha!’ moments and feelings of relief! It's a real help when working with overwhelm as it helps us to set boundaries and reconnect with our energy.
What does a session with me look like?
After gaining an overview of your situation, we will collaborate on a plan of action. Sometimes we will use a timeline to gather more information, if your story is long and complicated. I do not probe for details of harrowing trauma, as this can be counterproductive for you. In working with feelings, we go in gently via body scan meditation, mapping polyvagal nervous system states and ‘Focusing’ on the ‘felt sense’. These techniques are very effective for softening the impact of trauma, developing a better relationship with yourself and achieving inner peace. We may also use Brainspotting, a very powerful technique for melting away specific traumas. NeurOptimal® can be a useful support at any stage and can make the rest of the therapy seem easier. I want my clients to feel empowered, so I always explain the process and offer reading materials and other resources / activities for those who wish to make use of the time between sessions.
Although counselling can be challenging at times, I always enjoy working with my clients and seek to create a positive and friendly atmosphere whatever the content.
Please email me to discuss your needs. I can work flexibly around most people's needs and availability.
Training, qualifications & experience
Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy (Level 7)
Brainspotting (Phase 1)
NeurOptimal(R) Certified Basic Trainer
I undertake regular CPD and read widely around the psychotherapy field. I consult widely with people with experience of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
My training placement was at Platform One in Huddersfield, providing counselling services for a wide range of clients referred to the service by GPs and social prescribers.
My previous background was in the biological sciences and health information – the common thread is a fascination with life processes and patterns and helping people to find their power.
Member organisations
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£40.00 - £50.00
Additional information
Most sessions are charged at £50 per hour (60 min).
However, I offer a discount for young people aged 16 to 25 - these are charged at £40 per hour.
Please see my website for some special offers around packages.
Further information
A bit about Brainspotting …
Mental wellbeing is about more than thoughts and words – indeed these can sometimes get in the way, so I’m always on the lookout for approaches that have a more holistic and embodied feel.
Brainspotting uses a few simple techniques to link eye positions to 'brainspots': the places in your brain-body that are particular hotspots for feelings of safety and also stuckness, emotional pain and trauma. If the ‘wisdom of the body’ is anywhere, it is probably in this ‘felt sense’, a concept that dates right back to the early days of person-centred therapy, with Eugene Gendlin and his Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy, a similar approach I also like to use. Focusing and Brainspotting bring powerful relational healing into this sometimes mysterious inner landscape. I can incorporate Brainspotting into regular counselling sessions or you may want to make Brainspotting the main approach.
A bit about NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback …
This is a very clever device that works with the brain’s natural ability to self-organise and self-optimise. It listens to the electrical activity of the brain 256 times per second and invites the brain to notice any out of line behaviours by creating tiny interrupts in the music that you listen to during the session. It is then up to the brain what it does with this information, but over time the brain and central nervous system become more flexible and resilient, which is the essence of wellbeing. As your NeurOptimal® trainer, I help you to track shifts in symptoms across a wide range of mental and physical measures. During the 33 minutes session itself, you can lie back and rest or do any kind of visual activity.
Although the experience is quite unlike regular counselling, I like to think of NeurOptimal® as working to the same philosophical principles as humanistic therapies like person-centred therapy. Both trust the client as the expert in their own process.
