About me
I am an Art Psychotherapist with a spacious, comfortable art therapy room in Sheffield city centre, with step-free access. It is stocked with a vast range of art materials to be used freely. You do not need established creative skills to benefit from the healing and explorative nature of art-making and self-expression. Creating images can be used as a way to look deeper, or from a new perspective, and can help to communicate difficult and complex feelings.
I work in a person-centered way; this means that I focus on your needs and what you wish to bring to each session. I understand and celebrate that each person has a unique perspective, identity and way of being. I like to use strengths-based approaches that celebrates difference, and gently guide towards building a more positive sense of self. Part of my ethos is to be transparent and genuine when communicating with clients; I aim to create a safe space of authenticity and trust in which to process trauma and life’s challenges.
I am HCPC and BAAT registered, and I hold an up-to-date enhanced DBS check.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained on The Art Therapy Northern Programme, a course then embedded in the SHSC Community Art Therapy Team.
I developed my practice in this team, working closely with highly experienced art psychotherapists. I provided one-to-one art therapy to those referred to the service; often people recently discharged from inpatient care or CAMHS services. I then went on to working on acute psychiatric wards and a psychiatric intensive care unit. Here, I provided open group (everyone welcome) 'studio-style' art therapy in communal spaces.
I am a founding member and director of newly developing community interest company, Sheffield Therapy Collective. We, as a community of therapists, aim to improve accessibility of quality support by addressing the social and financial barriers in receiving quality therapy.
Alongside my private practice, I support university students (ages 18 and over) with the challenges that complex mental health conditions and additional needs present in higher education. I also work in a specialist education secondary school, supporting neuro-diverse children and teenagers (ages 11-19). I first began supporting young people, marginalised groups, and those in institutional care in 2010 through international development charities and mental health organisations. I volunteered in projects supporting disadvantaged communities in South Africa, Honduras, Ghana and Sri Lanka.
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 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
Fees
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Lower rates are offered to those on a low income or students in training. I am very happy to discuss prices in relation to your specific circumstances.
For those interested, we can arrange a short online meeting for you to get a feel for me and my practice. This is free of charge.
When I work
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Further information
During my studentship, my research focused on service user movements and alternative therapeutic approaches that avoid pathologizing and othering; instead focusing on validating and strengths-based approaches. I was also interested in shadow theory, and how this can be applied broadly to 'scapegoating' in society - resulting in a blaming, misrepresentation, or disregard toward minorities, the vulnerable, or those who do not follow the socially prescribed way of being in the world.
