This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I have experience supporting individuals with bereavement, trauma and domestic abuse and I understand that no two people have the same experience.
I understand how lonely and isolating grief can be, and how it can feel like you have no one that you can talk to or be completely honest with about how you feel, if you are even able to understand yourself how it is that you are feeling. I can support you in finding ways to express and talk about the bereavement that you have experienced and will support you with patience and compassion as you process the loss that you are experiencing.
Feeling unsettled, withdrawn, detached and trouble focusing; and experiencing panic attacks, flashbacks, unsettling dreams and trouble sleeping are just some of the symptoms of trauma and it can be really difficult to process these on your own. I can help you by firstly supporting you in finding safety within yourself by recognising what is going on within your body and mind and help you to find ways to ground and calm yourself. It isn't necessary to talk about the trauma that you have experienced in order to recover from trauma and I can work with you to explore what symptoms you're experiencing and find ways to process the impact of those symptoms on your every day life and find ways together to make those symptoms more manageable.
We all have little quirks and things that we have always done, but sometimes they can become an irritation or inconvenience. I can help you get a better understanding of yourself and explore with you, your patterns of behaviour or thought processes by talking about your past and help find the sources of these behaviours. With this increased self awareness you will have the option to choose to change these behaviours and patterns if you want.
It can be helpful to understand how our minds work and reassuring to know that some thoughts or behaviours are completely normal and with this in mind I may offer to explain some of the processes that our mind goes through where I can, and suggestions of techniques or resources that may be helpful to you. It is your choice whether to accept these offers and no offence will be taken if you decide it is not for you, it all helps towards building our working relationship. Trust is an integral part of building our working relationship, and the foundation of this is being open and honest from the start. I will be honest with you and would ask the same from you.
I know how hard it is to find the right therapist, there is so much choice and lots of factors will influence who you feel is right for you. I will build a relationship with you built on trust and honesty, providing you with a confidential space, free from judgement, where you can explore what has brought you to counselling. Therapy is an opportunity to put you first and be curious about what makes you the individual that you are. I will tailor the way we work together around your personality and situation to take a form that suits you and I try to be as creative as possible.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have experience supporting survivors of domestic abuse, bereavement and a national helpline supporting people who are depressed and suicidal.
I am trained in Psychodynamic theory and what that means in terms of how I can help you, is that the theory assumes our thoughts and behaviours are influenced by our unconscious thought processes which are rooted in our past experiences, often our childhood; and this has a huge impact on who we are and why we behave the way we do. Often the reasons for our behaviour happen without our awareness so I look for meaning behind what you say, patterns of behaviour and feelings that may originate in your past, and we can explore these through open discussion where I will encourage you to speak whatever comes to your mind. Talking in this way allows your unconscious thoughts to surface and we can explore what those thoughts mean to you and how they influence your behaviours and thought processes. Other ways that I can help you explore your unconscious thoughts and understanding of how you’re feeling is through creative ways of working, by using emotions wheels, image cards, energy or tarot cards.
Formal counselling qualifications:
- Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Practice
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
I undertake continuous professional development throughout the year, some of the courses I have completed up to now include:
- Single Session Therapy
- Bereavement support through Cruse Bereavement
- Domestic abuse
- Working with shame
- Dissociation and DID: The fundamentals
- Suicide prevention training
- Safeguarding Adults
- Introduction to Safeguarding: Keeping Children
Safe (Level 1) - Suicide bereavement training
- The role of diagnosis in counselling and psychotherapy
- Level 2 Certificate in Safeguarding, Prevent and British Values
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£25.00 - £50.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My standard fee is £50, but I have a limited number of reduced fee sessions available, so please get in touch if this something you would like to discuss as I would like to help if I can.
When I work
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I have in person, online and telephone appointments available Monday afternoons, and Thursdays just off the A6 in Darley Dale or Chesterfield.
There is free, on-site parking available.
Further information
I offer a free 15minute telephone appointment to discuss what it is that you are seeking from therapy and give you the opportunity to ask me questions to help you decide if I am the right fit for you.
