About me
I trained and worked initially as a medical doctor before retraining as a psychotherapeutic counsellor. My experience across both fields has shaped the way I think about psychological distress: with attention not only to what is happening within us, but also to the relationships, experiences and circumstances in which our difficulties develop.
People come to counselling for many different reasons. I typically work with people experiencing low mood, anxiety and depression, life crises, burnout, relationship difficulties, bereavement and loss, immigration and adjustment issues, and concerns associated with ageing and later life.
Together, we can look at patterns in your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, as well as the life events and circumstances in which they have developed. This might include trauma; bereavement and loss; grief, fear, anger or joy that has not had the opportunity to be fully processed or expressed; expectations around gender and identity; political and economic pressures; experiences of racism, classism, sexism or homophobia; or the effects of isolation, disconnection and loneliness.
Stress and emotional distress can also find expression through the body. At times, experiences that are difficult to recognise, articulate or process psychologically may be accompanied by physical symptoms. My medical background means I am attentive to this relationship, while recognising that physical symptoms can have many possible causes and should not simply be assumed to be psychological.
We can also consider difficulties at a broader, existential level. They may be connected to questions of meaning, responsibility, authenticity, sexuality and identity, as well as fears of failure, illness, death or rejection. These questions are not necessarily separate from the practical difficulties of everyday life; they can be woven into them.
I do not see people as self-contained individuals, separate from the worlds in which they live. We are shaped by our families, communities and by systems such as education, healthcare and work. These systems can support us, but they can also be unequal, intolerant, excluding, or harmful. Sometimes the effects of these circumstances become obscured when distress is understood primarily as a problem or dysfunction within the individual.
This is particularly relevant to the way psychological distress is sometimes understood within dominant Western models of mental health, where complex experiences can be viewed predominantly through medical or individualised frameworks. Such approaches can be useful in some circumstances, but they can also leave important aspects of a person's social, cultural and relational context unexplored. For some people, repeatedly speaking about their difficulties without feeling genuinely heard or understood can itself contribute to a sense of isolation.
My approach is curious, contextual and collaborative. I offer a nurturing space where, together, we can explore what you are experiencing, make sense of it in the context of your life, and consider different ways of relating to the difficulties you face.
As a practitioner psychologist, I recognise that emotional, psychological, existential, behavioural, spiritual and relational difficulties can be understood in different ways. I do not assume that there is one explanation for distress, or one route through it. Our work can draw on different perspectives according to what feels meaningful and useful to you.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BACP-registered psychotherapeutic counsellor and am continuing my professional education at MA level at the University of Brighton.
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
Fees
£65.00 per session
Additional information
Concession rates can be offered for a limited number of clients.
