About me
Cambridge Counsellor
People come to counselling for many different reasons. Some might need to talk over an issue or situation that is causing distress. It may be that things are not going well in a relationship, or it is difficult to shift feelings of anger, anxiety or depression or cope when lacking self-confidence. Others find counselling helpful when faced with specific life events such as bereavement or loss, traumatic events (past or present), or job changes. There can be many situations where people can find themselves stuck and identify areas they would like to understand better and work on.
Talking to a counsellor can be helpful itself and can also help in gaining insight into feelings and identify new outlooks and ideas to help live a more satisfying life.
I have been in practice as a counsellor and psychotherapist since 2006. This has included working in a busy GP surgery for over 8 years, as well as experience in NHS Secondary Care and independent practice.
I work with individuals in brief, medium or long-term therapy and one-off sessions are sometimes available. It is helpful to have a clear focus for the work, and while some people I work with want to work in the medium to long term, others achieve a lot in 8-10 sessions. One of my aims is to do myself out of work ;-)
I am an Accredited Member of the BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
While I have experience working with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, bereavement and trauma, I work with clients as individuals to help them gain the insight and courage they need to deal with what they want to work on.
I co-ordinated the counselling training programme at Bottisham Village College, Cambridgeshire from 2010 to 2023. As a member of the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology I have attended conferences in the US and Canada. I teach at the International Adlerian Summer School - ICASSI (www.icassi.net) which attracts around 200 participants from over 25 nations each year. Other teaching includes leading workshops in Greece, China, Germany, Ireland and Singapore.
Training, qualifications & experience
My training is in Individual Psychology, based on the work of Alfred Adler (1870 – 1937). This is a practical, down-to-earth, integrative and creative approach. The therapeutic relationship I work to achieve is based on equality, collaboration, support and empathy. Encouragement is key to the process. Personal growth and development are important in this therapeutic approach as well as linking into personal strengths, resources and creativity. While I am not CBT practitioner, the cognitive and behavioural aspects of therapy are central to the Adlerian approach. Most importantly I work flexibly to reflect the particular needs of the each client I see.
I am passionate about this approach to therapy which is effective and encouraging. Adler has been one of the key influences in therapeutic theory and practice but has not received the acknowledgement he deserves. His work is developed by practicioners and academics today.
I am a qualified counsellor and a Registered Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I hold an ASIIP Diploma in Adlerian Counselling and Psychotherapy, Advanced Certificate in Adlerian Theory and Counselling.
In addition to my counselling training I have carried out substantial Continuing Professional Development each year. This includes Pink Therapy’s Essentials of Sexual Minority Therapy and units in brief therapy, trauma, anger management, working with addiction and with dreams. I also teach counselling, in the UK and overseas, through which I further refresh and enhance my practice.
In 2025 I completed certification as a practioner of Choice Theory/Reality Therapy. This is a practical approach that complements my training in Adlerian theory and psychotherapy.
As an accredited member BACP I adhere to their Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to the BACP Professional Conduct Procedure.
Before training in counselling and psychotherapy I spent over 10 years in personnel and training management at British Antarctic Survey.
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.
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
£55.00 - £65.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£55-65 per (60 minute) hour.
Concessionary appointments for JSA/ESA recipients and students on counselling courses are available.
When I work
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Further information
My approach is based on encouragement and understanding the goals and reasons for starting therapy. Through helping people tell and process their stories, we can examine and build on strengths that may have been forgotten to help build resilience for dealing with the inevitable life challenges that come our way.
Building a successful therapeutic relationship is key to my work. I enjoy working with people from a variety of backgrounds - this has been a constant in my life in the various roles I have undertaken at different times. I often work with groups with people from a number of backgrounds and social profiles.
I work flexibly in order to help people reach their individual goals.
I led the counselling programme at Bottisham Village College from 2010 - 2023 and have taught in many countries in Europe, Asia and also in the USA. I contribute to an online Masters Program in Adlerian Counselling.
