About me
My private practice in Durham City, close to the City centre and I can provide therapy appointments face to face, online or by telephone. I am registered with many health insurance providers including Bupa, Axa, Aviva and HCML and can also provide therapy for clients who wish to finance themselves.
Being very flexible with times for appointments I can provide early morning and evening appointments in addition to those during the day, if that helps to make access to therapy fit in with work and other commitments.
As a trained Registered General Nurse specialising in Cardiac Nursing I retrained in psychological therapy in 2004 working as a therapist in the NHS up until 2022 then leaving to focus solely on private practise. Thus far I have gained considerable experience working with clients having a wide range of mental health difficulties including significant complex issues and ptsd. I work with veterans with complex PTSD and also provide therapy for the Royal Marines charity when required.
Throughout my career professional development with a view to extending my knowledge and providing the best therapy possible for clients has been a priority. For this reason I am a trained person centred therapist (counsellor) With a degree in nursing and a degree in counselling, with a post graduate certificate in CBT and accreditation in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, EMDR and IPT. My training has also included Interpersonal Therapy for Depression. couples counselling, ADHD, Autism, Adjustment to the menopause and in providing brief Interpersonal therapy.
I consider myself to be very passionate about providing the best level of care I can and will always do my utmost to help clients to feel well and reach their goals for therapy where possible. I consider the evidence base for therapy and when meeting with clients for the first time, I will give advice on what might be the best model of therapy to provide, given current presenting difficuties based on the evidence.
Helping clients to feel at ease with me quickly is very important and being a very empathic therapist with years of experience, I understand fully how difficult it can be to come to therapy and take that first step to open up to someone and trust that it is safe to do so. Working as a nurse with patients at times in their lives where they have felt most vulnerable has also given me much insight into the needs of my clients.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified person centred therapist (counsellor) with a Degree in Nursing, a BA( Hons) Counselling and a Post Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Maintaining accreditation in CBT, EMDR and IPT. I also a trained as a CBT supervisor at Masters level and have trained in IPT (A) for adolescents and can provide IPT brief therapy.
I work with age ranges 16 and above and have extensive experience working with varying severities of depression as well as working with adults with a range of anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety, health anxiety , panic disorder, social phobia , general phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and post traumatic disorder. Substantial experience has been gained working with complex trauma, for example working with veterans who have witnessed distressing events and with clients who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence, sexual, emotional or physical abuse, bullying, road traffic accidents or accidents at work, bereavement and complex bereavement. imcluding clients who may have experienced a loss in a particular traumatic way. I can work with clients with eating disorders, alcohol or drug abuse problems. and long term health conditions, clients who are experiencing interpersonal difficulties such as conflict/ general relationship dificulties or difficulties sustaining or starting relationships with others, difficulties adjusting to any form of change for example leaving home, physical changes related to health and finding it difficult to come to terms with this, ending of a relationship, adjusting to the menopause and other changes such as becoming a carer/life stages. I work with clients with low self esteem issues, anxiety giving presentations/general low confidence, fear of confrontation and difficulties asserting self with others.I have experience also working with emetophobia. I enjoy also working with clients with autism and adhd and have attended further training in these areas.
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 BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the practice, theory or development of CBT. BABCP also provides accreditation for CBT therapists. BABCP accredited members adhere to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, and are willing to be scrutinised in this adherence as required.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy UK (IPT UK) is a multi-disciplinary interest group for people involved in the training, practice and theory of Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
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
£75.00 - £90.00
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Fees for therapy are £75. I can provide EMDR online as well as all other therapies. EMDR appointments are £80. Couples therapy appointments are £90
When I work
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I can provide therapy from 08am until 8pm in the evening so can be very flexible with times for appointments. I work Monday to Thursday only
Further information
The decision to embark on a therapeutic journey can be daunting and I understand that without health insurance, a financial commitment. When I first meet with you I will complete an assessment to endeavour to understand the current difficulties you are experiencing and how they are impacting on your mental health. This will help me to advise you on the most suitable evidence based therapy following NHS guidelines, most likely to result in positive outcomes, in an appropriate timescale for you. This will allow you to make informed decisions about your treatment, so you may engage more effectively in the process. working towards feeling well and reaching your goals for the therapy.
I live right at the bottom of Archery Rise. It is easy to park outside. I do have a separate entrance to the therapy room. I also have toilet facilities
I am happy for you to book a free 15 minute call to answer any questions you may have.
