About me
A little about me.
I first became interested in becoming a professional counsellor after beginning as a ‘listener’ at Blackpool Samaritans. I was overwhelmed by the huge value and power in just listening and being there in the most darkest of times. From this experience I then realised I wanted to help other people and this quickly led to me enrolling at university to study for a Diploma in Higher Education in Person Centred Counselling at the University of Cumbria. I graduated in 2016 and have been practicing since 2014.
Since then I have added to my training regularly and can add a number of modalities in to my practice, to give my clients the best support to suit their needs.
I have been fortunate enough to work in numerous organisations, specifically specialising in sexual violence &historic sexual abuse, drug and alcohol recovery, the support of women and domestic violence and have also worked as a counsellor for students in a local schools around the Fylde coast and a local university, supporting young people.
In more recent years I have concentrated on my private practice, working with my own clients as well as a number of Employment Assistance programs as well as Lancashire Constabulary, welcoming clients from all walks of life with varies presenting issues.
I feel it is always a privilege when people find they can open up and trust me with some of their deepest fears, feelings of depression and anxieties and speak about traumas which may have been buried for years. The power of this is never lost on me.
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and attend monthly supervision sessions to ensure I am giving the very best level of service to my clients.
What I offer.
I offer a one to one counselling session in a warm and cozy garden room within my home garden in Lytham St Annes I also offer telephone and Online counselling for those who prefer contact this way.
Counselling is a talking therapy where a trained therapist can help support you with many different types of life problems, from anxiety and depression to bereavement and loss and relationship problems. Counselling can also help to identify and manage limiting beliefs, troubling emotions and behaviours, helping you to be the best version of you.
My practice is influenced by continuous, professional development. I ensure I am up to date with research and ongoing annual training to provide the best service to my clients.
All sessions are underpinned by the BACP Ethical Framework to ensure best practice and standards.
Practical exercises:
I may offer more practical support to help manage feelings, emotions or behaviours. This may include grounding techniques, breathing and mindfulness exercises or help to challenge intrusive thoughts or emotions.
A therapeutic relationship:
Research proves that one of the most important factors for a successful outcome in therapy is the therapeutic relationship between client therapist. I will always endeavor to help you feel safe, seen, heard, respected and valued, supporting you to help find your own answers.
It is a shame that we rarely have time in our busy lives to just stop and talk about ourselves and what may be troubling us, in a non-judgmental, accepting environment. This is exactly what I hope to offer.
It is in this non - judgmental, confidential, warm and accepting environment that it is possible to explore and process feelings which may be painful, repressed or not fully understood. It is a way to help you find your own answers. It may be that you aren’t aware of any ‘problem’, it may be that something just feels different or not right.
We will work through these feelings together to help better understand and cope with them. We will work at your pace, I would never ask or encourage you to bring painful feelings or experiences in to the session if you felt you weren’t ready.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
Level 5 Cognitive behavioral therapy - March 2023
HE Diploma in Counselling (Level 5) - Pass - 2016
University of Cumbria
INLPTA NLP Practitioner Certification - August 2020
Level 2 Award in Counselling Concepts - Pass - 2013
Lancaster College
Neuro- Linguistic Programming Foundation Diploma - 2019
Further Training
CBT for Trauma - Feb 2024
Coaching with NLP - July 2023
Working with adult children of Narcissistic parents - September 2021
Narcissistic Traits and Emotional abuse - July 2021
Working with Suicide & Self harm - July 2020
Couples and Relationship Counselling - Feb 2020
Person Centred Expressive Arts - June 2019
Working with Complex Trauma Phase 1 - March 2019
Introduction to Resilience therapy – Dec 2018
Domestic Violence – analysing the impact – Nov 2018
Domestic Violence Awareness – Nov 2018
Pre-Trial Therapy Training – Dec 2016
Assist Suicide Intervention - August 2015
Trans Awareness Training - Completed February 2016
Sexual Violence Information - Completed July 2014
Sexual Health and Blood Bourne Viruses Awareness and brief intervention for practitioners - Completed July 2014
Information Governance: The beginners Guide - Pass - 2015
Introduction to Information Governance - Pass - 2015
Patient Confidentiality - Pass - 2015
Secure Handling of Confidential Information - Pass - 2015
Care Act - Safeguarding duties and responsibilities - Pass - 2015
Samaritans in house training - Completed March 2012
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
It is important to find the right therapist, as the relationship is one key to a successful outcome. I therefore offer a free 20 minute telephone session so you can decide if I am the right therapist for you. We will also discuss a little more about what you may be wanting out of the sessions and how I may be able to help. These sessions can be via telephone, or on-line
If you decide that you would like to work with me then my fee will be 50 pounds per hour.
When I work
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I have sessions available Monday - Friday, 08:30 - 18:00
Further information
I work from a cozy therapy room in my garden in St Annes. There is side access and the room has it's own toilet facility.
I am also working on-line and via the telephone.
Our first session will be taken at your pace. You will be offered refreshment and the chance to ask any questions you feel are important to know and no pressure will be placed on you to divulge information you don't feel comfortable or ready to discuss. We will go through a working agreement which sets out terms and what to expect from therapy and each other in terms of fee's cancellation policy, limits to confidentiality etc.
Therapy is very much based on you and what you would like to discuss. There is no commitment to block book and sessions are booked based on the clients needs. Clients will often book their next session after a session and this can be whenever they feel they need it, there is no obligation to work weekly etc.
