About me
Are you a Mum, a Dad or a Step-Parent and wondering who you are now, apart from being a parent? Do you feel like you may have got a little lost under all the responsibilities of day to day life?
By finding your true self, and giving yourself what you need, it will give you the capacity to be there not only for yourself, but also for your children and other relationships in your life.
I'm Brenda, and as an Integrative counsellor I can help you to rediscover who you are underneath the "Mum" or "Dad" name tags
I firmly believe that one size does not fit all, which is why I trained to be an Integrative counsellor. This means we will work together to find the best approach for you, which could include talking, activities or working creatively.
It's important to remember the sessions I offer are your sessions, so I encourage you to share what you find works best for you. I offer anything from a gentle approach to a more challenging one. I am not a blank slate, I will hear you and possibly react, I will feel your feelings with you. Our space could be filled with tears of sadness or of laughter. It could be a space where there is a silence to reflect or your favourite song could play and we could explore what drew you to that music.
Common themes that come up for parents are: grief at the life you once had, grief for the stage your child has grown out of. Overwhelm of the work, life, relationships balance. Conflicting parenting styles. Worry over your child's mental or physical health. Children leaving home for travel, Uni, relationships. Children returning home and the re-adjustments that are needed. Worry that you are not a good enough parent/pressure to be the "Perfect Parent". Not having a good parent role model to have learnt from.
If you can relate to any of those issues above or indeed have something entirely different that you would like to work through, I aim to offer you the space to be heard, to be able to sit with and process your feelings and to say the things you may feel you can't say out loud anywhere else, all without judgement.
I am also a trauma informed counsellor having undertaken many training courses and workshops on working with the survivors of abuse and trauma. I have experience woking with adult survivors of Child and Adult sexual abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and more. If you choose to work with me, I will take things gently, working with you to create a space you feel able to sit with any difficult emotions and share them when you are ready.
I come from a background in Early Years Education. Many of the theories in counselling are based upon our experiences in our formative years and how they shape our lives and choices in the here and now. With that in mind, I will often work with the client's 'Inner Child' to explore childhood emotions and the impact they can have on adult lives.
Ultimately I hope that you will learn self acceptance and the ability to receive kindness not only from others but yourself.
I offer both face-to-face sessions and online sessions.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.
- Training in Narcissistic injuries, Neglect and relational Trauma
- Training on working with Dissociation
- Training in Victim to Survivor to Thriver
- Training Navigating the Menopausal Mind
- Experience working with the Menopause
- Workshop on roles taken on by children to survive
- Workshop on working creatively with Trauma
- Training, Working with the web of shame
- Training, How to embody Trauma Informed Practice
- Training on Integrating Artwork into Counselling
- Volunteer placement with North Kent Mind - 2 years
- Volunteer Placement with One in Four - 2.5 years
- 20+ years working in Safeguarding and Early Years supporting both children and parents.
- Training, Bringing Polyvagal Theory to Life in the Therapy Room. Completed July 2025
Experience working with clients struggling with parenting issues, struggling with their identity, questioning life choices, grief, relationship difficulties, and anxiety.
Trauma, Adult survivors of Child sexual abuse, neglect, emotional and physical abuse.
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
£60.00 per session
Additional information
My online fee is £60 per session
My in person fee is £60 per session
When I work
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Morning sessions - Sidcup from 8am Tuesdays/ Wednesdays.
Late afternoon/evening - Dartford Tue/Wed/Thur
Subject to room availability. Online availability on request
Further information
I work with individual clients aged 18+
