About me
Welcome to my profile and thank you for taking the time to read about how I work. Seeking support can feel challenging and so my plan is to keep things simple. Please don't hesitate to get in touch for anything you need clarified. I work online across the UK and face-to-face in Cumbria, Carlisle, CA2.
How do I work exactly?
- I am an integrated counsellor and tailor my counselling approach to the individual.
- No obligation telephone assessment to ensure that we agree on the right approach from the outset.
- I counsel individuals and couples.
- My objective is to focus on any distressing symptoms as soon as possible – while at the same time seek to identify any root causes.
- I am happy to offer counselling with fixed timeframes or budgets as I have experience of using solution-focused techniques that are designed for shorter-term support. These techniques allow us to examine our coping strategies in order to revise them.
- I integrate a number of techniques in my counselling, focusing mainly on the impact of our emotional development and how we react to our past and present experiences. I have an interest in attachment, thinking and behaviour patterns (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and deep-rooted beliefs / values (Schema and Attachment-based Therapy).
- If you are mainly looking to manage stress without needing to work on root causes, I can provide mindfulness coaching to groups and individuals.
Couples Therapy in Carlisle and online across the UK
I work using a narrative approach when I support a couple. This provides a space for each person to tell their story in a co-ordinated, uninterrupted fashion - allowing scope for a broader discussion of what is impacting on the relationship.
What is counselling?
Counselling is a talking therapy and mainly works through understanding your point of view by actively listening and empathising with your experiences. This is done through exploration of thoughts and feelings and not judgement. It is important to feel safe and confidentiality is ensured as part of this. The first sessions are important to establish your goals and expectations. With increases in self-awareness these goals may change and so it is important for us both to be open-minded.
How does therapy work?
The work is a process of discovery and the connections made during the sessions can bring to light aspects to the self that are obscured and unconscious. A large part of the work is therefore a change in self-awareness and potentially also how we feel. Feelings may change where something we talk about becomes easier to manage - often through expanding what we thought possible or by breaking out of negative patterns. If we have been very distressed, therapeutic change can reduce the stress response in the body (the fight or flight) and improve natural tendencies to feel more positive. As therapy progresses, strategies for coping with life can be updated – improving ways of relating to the self and others.
What issues can I support with?
I support my clients with specific issues as well as foster self-development and self-discovery - as often we are not entirely sure what we want to change until we start talking. Common issues I support with include anxiety (e.g. excessive worry), depression (e.g. low mood), self-identity (e.g. confidence), relationship issues, work-related stress (e.g. burnout), attachment distress (e.g. bereavement), phobias, addictions, adverse experience (e.g. trauma) and emotional regulation (e.g. anger management). If you have been diagnosed with a condition (e.g. Autism or ADHD) you may benefit from therapy to increase your understanding of yourself and how you cope with the impact. I may suggest you refer to your GP if you have suspected undiagnosed conditions - particularly if they ordinarily require specialist or integrated support with more than one professional. Please see below for a comprehensive list.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a fully qualified counsellor. My early counselling training focused on individual and group psychodynamics at WPF Therapy in London. I then obtained my Diploma in Attachment-based Counselling at the Wimbledon Guild in London. I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and I conduct my work in compliance with their Ethical Framework. This includes working in an insured, supervised and confidential capacity.
While I am broadly integrated in my approach, I regularly work in employee assistance and therefore have qualifications and experience of conducting brief therapy within specific models such as solution-focused therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I have an interest in Schema Therapy which I use to support my core work in attachment.
Outside of my private practice I have worked in the educational sector (schools and universities), occupational health and for charities.
I have worked in a range of fields including communications, digital project management and heritage.
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
£44.00 - £90.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I can support clients in all parts of the UK.
The rates for video and telephone counselling sessions are:
£44 per hour (9am to 5pm)
£48 – 58 (for times outside of 9am to 5pm)
£58 – 78 for couples (depending on times)
For face to face work, I am currently based in the centre of Carlisle. The rates for face-to-face counselling are the above plus a fee of £12.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
Further information
The first session is a telephone assessment to make sure that I am able to provide the support that you require. There is no obligation to continue or commit thereafter. The cancellation, privacy and other terms will be agreed during the assessment process. The service is confidential and any limitations will be explained from the outset.
