About me
Many of the people I work with have felt different in some way, unsure where they fit, or found themselves questioning who they are. This includes members of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent adults, people living with chronic illness or disability, adults who were adopted, and professionals working in the education sector. I also work with many clients who are drawn to exploring their thoughts and feelings creatively, finding ways of expression that reach beyond words alone.
My interest in the communities I work with is shaped not only by my professional training but also by my lived experience. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, an adoptee, and someone living with a chronic illness, I understand how questions of identity, belonging and difference shape how we experience ourselves and move through the world.
Before retraining as a counsellor, I worked for 18 years as a secondary English teacher. Following a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, I chose to retrain as a counsellor and creative arts therapist. My life experiences have deepened my understanding of identity, change and resilience, and strengthened my commitment to working creatively with people who want to understand themselves more deeply.
As a person-centred counsellor and creative arts therapist, I work alongside my wife, Fleur, as Two Birds Therapy. I offer counselling and creative therapy for adults, both in person and online. Therapy is something we co-create together. I offer empathy, warmth and honesty, and we move at your pace as we explore what feels most meaningful and important to you.
“I could say things with colour and shape that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for” - Georgia O’Keeffe
For some people, words are enough. For others, creative exploration opens something deeper. Creative therapy is not about artistic ability. It is about discovering meaning. While talking therapy provides space to reflect and gain clarity, creative methods offer another language. Working with images or sandplay can reach depths that words alone often cannot, allowing feelings, memories and insights to emerge in ways that may be difficult to articulate.
In-person sessions take place at The Nest, a welcoming and creative therapy space designed to feel calm, nurturing and containing. The room is thoughtfully arranged with sandplay figures, art materials and other creative resources. The Nest is located within a fully accessible building with ample free parking. I also offer online sessions, where creative work can be adapted and explored in different ways.
If this approach resonates with you and you would like a space to explore your identity, deepen your self-understanding, express yourself more freely or discover what you truly want from life, I would be very happy to hear from you. You’re more than welcome to contact me to arrange an initial conversation.
Training, qualifications & experience
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
APCCA Therapeutic Use of Person-Centred Creative Arts:
- Level 2 Certificate
- Level 3 Advanced Certificate
- Level 4 Diploma
Introduction to Integrative Sandplay
Trauma in the Sand
Sound in the Sand
In my previous career, I worked for 18 years as a secondary English teacher. I have a PGCE and MA in English and Medieval History.
I have an Enhanced DBS
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 National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Concessionary rate available
Further information
Alongside my work in private practice, I co-facilitate creative therapeutic workshops with my wife.
I am an ambassador for Creative Counsellors. As part of this role, I am editor of Rooted: The Journal for Creative Counsellors
