About me
Hello and welcome
I am an experienced Chartered Counselling Psychologist and EMDR Therapist, qualified in 2011 and in full-time clinical practice since then. I work with adults, adolescents, children, parents and families from my clinic in central Faversham. I also offer online therapy for adults.
People often come to therapy because they feel anxious, low, overwhelmed, ashamed, stuck, avoidant, or caught in patterns they understand intellectually but cannot seem to change. Others come because of trauma, relationship difficulties, self-esteem issues, emotional dysregulation, neurodivergence-related challenges, parenting stress, or longstanding difficulties that have affected several areas of life.
My approach is collaborative, person-centred and active. I aim to offer a relationship in which you feel accepted, understood and safely met, while also helping you develop a clearer understanding of what is happening and what might help. I do not believe therapy should be vague or passive. I work with you to understand your difficulties, identify patterns that may be maintaining them, and agree a therapy plan that fits your goals, circumstances and capacity.
How I work
My work is integrative and formulation-led. This means I draw on a range of approaches rather than using one model in a fixed way. Depending on your needs, I may use EMDR, Mentalisation-Based Therapy, somatic approaches, psychological formulation, relational therapy, psychoeducation, and practical strategies for emotional regulation and change.
I pay attention not only to thoughts and feelings, but also to the body and nervous system. Many difficulties are not only “in the mind”; they are also held in patterns of tension, shutdown, threat, avoidance or emotional overwhelm. Where helpful, I may invite you to notice what happens in your body as we talk, so that we can better understand and work with your emotional responses in the here and now.
Therapy can help you develop greater self-understanding, steadiness, emotional regulation, perspective and choice. My aim is to help you relate to yourself with more curiosity and less fear, and to find more effective ways of responding to yourself, others and the demands of life.
This approach may be helpful if you:
- have tried therapy before but found it either too structured or too unfocused
- want depth, but without pressure
- want to understand yourself better
- are looking for sustainable change, not only short-term strategies
- feel stuck in patterns of avoidance, shame, anxiety, low mood or relationship difficulty
- want therapy that is thoughtful, active and collaborativ
Therapy for adults
With adults, I work with a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic low mood, shame, avoidance, procrastination, self-esteem, emotional regulation, relationship difficulties, attachment patterns, work-related stress, life transitions and complex longstanding presentations.
I am particularly interested in helping people work with patterns that are protective but costly. These may include withdrawal, over-functioning, people-pleasing, perfectionism, avoidance, emotional shutdown, high self-criticism, or difficulty trusting others. Therapy can help us understand how these patterns developed, what keeps them going, and what new responses may now be possible.
Couples and family work
I also offer short-term, supportive work with couples and families using a Mentalisation-Based approach. This can be helpful where people feel stuck in repeated arguments, emotional reactivity, shutdown, misunderstanding, parenting stress, neurodiversity-related communication difficulties, or adjustment after life changes.
The aim is not to change people but to slow things down and create a safer space where each person’s experience can be heard and thought about. This can support calmer communication, improved emotional regulation, and greater emotional safety within relationships.
Family members may be seen together, individually, or in smaller combinations, depending on what is clinically appropriate.
Working with children
Many parents contact me because they are concerned about their child’s emotions, behaviour, sensory sensitivities, focus, confidence or social relationships. With children, I use a play-based, sensorimotor approach, including clay-based therapy, symbolic play, warm water, figurines and creative materials.
This kind of work allows children to express feelings and experiences through play, movement and imagination rather than relying only on words. Children often experience the sessions as enjoyable and empowering. The work can support emotional regulation, confidence, sensory integration, self-expression and a stronger sense of mastery.
Parents or carers are usually invited to remain nearby in the therapy room, while allowing the child space to engage in their own process. I also offer parent consultation sessions to think together about your child’s emotional development, behaviour, relationships and needs.
Working with adolescents
Adolescence can be creative and full of possibility, but it can also be turbulent, pressured and emotionally intense. I work with young people who may be struggling with anxiety, low mood, self-esteem, emotional overwhelm, friendship difficulties, school stress, family conflict, identity, neurodivergence-related challenges, or difficulty expressing what they feel.
Some adolescents find it very valuable to have a private space to talk openly and in confidence. Others find creative, symbolic or body-based approaches more accessible. Depending on the young person, therapy may include talking, psycho-education, clay-based work, EMDR, journaling, creative reflection, walk-and-talk approaches, or other agreed ways of exploring experience safely.
My aim is to offer young people a calm, respectful and non-judgemental space where they can feel understood, develop emotional regulation, build confidence, and increase their sense of agency.
Getting started
I offer a free initial video consultation so that you can ask questions, tell me a little about what you are looking for, and get a sense of whether working together feels like a good fit. If we decide to proceed, the next step is usually a 60-minute initial consultation.
Training, qualifications and professional registration
I qualified in 2011 as a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. I am registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. I am also an EMDR Therapist and a member of EMDR Association UK.
My core professional training includes 4-year postgraduate training in Counselling Psychology at the University of Roehampton, a two-year psychology conversion diploma from The Open University, and other training in counselling, psychodynamic theory, somatic psychology, Mentalisation-Based Therapy, reflective parenting, EMDR, environmental art therapy and sensorimotor clay-based therapy for adults and children.
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, hold professional indemnity insurance, and have an Enhanced DBS certificate.
Training, qualifications & experience
Professional Registrations
- Chartered Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society
- Practitioner Psychologist with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Reg no: PYL27878
- EMDR Association UK Member (Membership No S0752)
I am registered with Information Commissioner Office, hold a DBS certificate dated October 2021 and have a full professional indemnity insurance.
Core Trainings
MSc Counselling Psychology (Roehampton University, 2010), Postgraduate Diploma in the Practice of Counselling Psychology (Roehampton University, 2011), Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology (Roehampton University, 2007), Conversion Diploma in Psychology (Open University, 2000), BSc Psychology and Business Studies (London Guildhall University, 1998).
Other trainings
Certificate in Counselling Skills (Westminster Pastoral Foundation, 1998), Diploma in the Application of Psychodynamic Theory (Westminster Pastoral Foundation, 2000); Foundation Certificate in Biodynamic Massage (Cambridge Body Psychotherapy Centre, 2003), Mentalisation Based Treatment for Adults (Anna Freud Institute, 2016); Reflective Parenting: Increasing Mentalising in the parent-child relationship (Anna Freud Institute, 2016,); Multi-family mentalisation based group training (Anna Freud Institute, 2016); Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors Training (Canterbury Christ Church University, 2017); Environmental Arts Therapy (London Arts Therapy Centre, 2018-2019) and with Ian Siddons Hegginsworth 2019-2020), EMDR Therapy (EMDR Academy, Parts 1-3), Safe and Sound Protocol (2020), Mentalisation Based Treatment for Children (Anna Freud Institute, 2022), Certificate in Clayfield Therapy for Adults (August 2024), Certificate in Clayfield Therapy for Children (February 2025). Lighthouse Mentalisation Based Therapy Parenting Programme (Anna Freud Centre, December 2025), Mentalisation-based Treatment for Families (Anna Freud Centre, Jan 2026).
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.
British Psychological Society
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£90.00 - £120.00
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Initial 20-minute Zoom Consultation - FREE - Simple and easy to book. We meet over Zoom to chat and see if working together could be a possibility.
Introductory 60- minute Consultation - £70 - An opportunity to understand your needs and help us decide if the approach I offer is suitable for you.
Psychological Therapy £90 (off peak), £120 (from 4pm)
In addition to individual work I offer work in small groups. This makes longer-term psychological work financially more accessible. Please book a free Initial Intro Chat if you are interested to explore this option.
Clayfield Therapy: £120 (off peak), £140 (from 4pm)
Insurance companies: I am registered with BUPA, AXA, CIGNA, WPA.
When I work
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Further information
In the course of my own life, I experienced many of the challenges, losses and set-backs as well as joys and accomplishments that are experienced by people who come to me for help. I have also received my own in-depth therapy over several years so I am able to appreciate how it feels to be a client and what is needed for a successful change.
Through both my personal life and professional practice, I learned that the sooner help is received, the better. Modern life can be complex and stressful, demanding an individual to have good psychological adaptation. If that adaptation is fragile, a person may lose their “inner compass” and respond by withdrawing from life’s demands or from their own inner life or by overcompensating, ie responding too aggressively to the perceived threat. This often leads to making decisions that are not conducive to their well-being or achievement of life’s developmental tasks. The longer this continues, the less options may be available.
However, I also discovered that it is never too late to improve something in your life that you really want to change, to learn new skills, treat yourself with compassion, to connect to yourself and to others and to find meaning and valued directions. In other words, it is never too late to start doing what you can with what you have, wherever you are right now.
