About me
There are many reasons we might seek out therapy but it's usually when something isn't working with how we are living. Perhaps there is suffering that's never been expressed or acknowledged, or a vague sense of something being 'off', or we may be wondering about the headwind of life and want to unravel the forces and cultures which have shaped our sense of who we are.
Often what I am contacted to explore includes unfulfilling relationships, a lack of meaning and direction in life, an absence of intimacy with others, difficulties with sex or sexuality; the death of loved ones, traumatic memories that feel stuck or immovable, questions surrounding ones diagnosis, identity or neurodiversity, or struggles with anxiety and depression. However, whatever is going on, my aim is to meet you in your uniqueness and help you explore what you feel moved to speak about, while also supporting what may want to be worked with more deeply.
My approach is rooted in the trust that we all do the best we can - the best that we know so far - put together from how we grew up and where we need to exist today in our lives. We all craft a solution to these experiences of past and present which although carrying great sense can often limit our attempts to change and grow. This might feel like issues within relationships that keep repeating, such as old and stuck patterns, or a general sense of disconnection and a struggle to be in the world with others.
Therapy and particularly the therapeutic relationship is one in which something different can happen. We pay close attention together to what arises between us: whether in our thoughts, emotions, dreams, or in other channels, gently shifting and listening to the meanings within these. It is always collaborative, starting with the time and space to turn things over at a pace that feels right, but each therapy gathers its own creative, emotional sense so reconnection and healing can unfold.
The ways we gather understanding aren't limited to only talking. Our bodies are a part of the conversation and we can take a shared interest in them by attending to internal sensations, gestures, our breath, movement that wants to come, or even working outside. But equally we may not, and very often we will be sitting together. More important is the process of making deeper contact with where you are - to take the risk of being real - something which can allow you to live more easily and creatively.
Training, qualifications & experience
EXPERIENCE
I've worked in a variety of clinical settings including national charities, local low cost therapy services and as an honorary psychotherapist within the NHS. I also have previous experience working within an IAPT service and so understand how difficult it can be to heal and transform in manualised treatments (CBT) that invariably leave little space for the complexity of who you are.
QUALIFICATIONS
PGDip in Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling – University of Brighton
Advanced Diploma in Embodied-Relational Therapy (Body Psychotherapy) – ERT Association
Advanced Certificate in Body, Breath and Energy – with Nick Totton and Kate Ellis
Diploma in Existential-Analytic Psychotherapy – SAFPAC (Ongoing)
Certified Brainspotting Phase 1 & 2 (Trauma Therapy) – BSP UK
Level 2 & 3 in Counselling Skills / Studies – Counselling and Psychotherapy Training Academy
I am a member of the BACP and abide by their code of ethics, as well as the ERTA and the Southern Association for Psychotherapy and Counselling (SAFPAC) - the latter being a place to critically examine established ways of thinking about mental distress. I have full Professional Liability Insurance and I'm enhanced DBS certified.
I have also engaged in further experiential groups to develop my practice: exploring community and psychotherapy for a year at the Philadelphia Association and authentic movement (and it's relation to the brahmaviharas) at the Karuna Institute. Fundamentally my interest is located in two things: how we find our voice in the world with others and how we inhabit and express our bodies together. The ongoing relationship here, its joys and challenges and its significance for how we live our lives sits at the core of my practice.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 - £65.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I have a limited number of reduced cost spaces for students, the unemployed or those on low income. Please check with me regarding this.
Each session will be for 50 minutes, weekly, although I am willing to consider various practical arrangements.
When I work
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Further information
Beyond psychotherapeutic schools of understanding, the ground of my approach has also been shaped through my own embodied practices. I've spent over a decade engaged in brazilian jiu-jitsu, exploring how play and contact emerge in this art when trust develops, as well as through meditation, authentic movement and dance.
