About me
A warm welcome.
Why therapy?
Life can be a complicated business. We can rub along quite happily for years, juggling a successful career with family life, yet feel there is something missing. Or we may have felt from the outset that we have never really known who we are.
Relationships may falter, illnesses may strike. Past failures may dog us. Or we may just have a nagging suspicion that things are not as they should be.
How do I work?
With a background in the NHS, I have particular experience of working with people with problems such as depression, anxiety, grief, loss, difficulties in processing emotion and historic trauma.
I also work with people struggling with more 'everyday' concerns, such as mid-life crisis, sudden illness, relationship difficulties, trouble at work or a significant life event, such as a divorce in the family or leaving home for the first time.
What is my approach?
I have a psychodynamic approach. As well as being interested in everyday troubles and triumphs, I also pay attention to the unconscious - the hidden parts of ourselves that emerge in dreams, and our stories about ourselves.
I consider that past experiences, including childhood experience, play an important role in shaping our current thoughts and feelings.
Where do I work?
I work in Cambridge (Tuesday and Thursday) and Ely (Monday and Wednesday). Please let me know when you enquire which venue you prefer.
I have a consulting room just off Mill Road in Cambridge, at 8b Romsey Terrace, CB1 3NH. It is within walking distance of Cambridge railway station, has two parking bays, and unrestricted parking can be found in nearby residential streets.
I have a second base in central Ely, within easy reach of surrounding villages.
My background
I have been a qualified therapist for many years, with a varied clinical background in GP surgeries, the voluntary sector, therapeutic communities, and low-fee charities. I have worked as a group therapist, counsellor and mental health practitioner in a range of NHS services, both in specialist settings and in primary care.
I offer long-term Jungian analytical psychotherapy, and occasionally shorter-term psychotherapy, depending on what you need. Some people stay for one to two years, sometimes for longer, and some people come more than once a week.
I also offer a brief, more focused approach for people who don't feel the need for an in-depth engagement but still feel they need some time and space to think things through.
Get in touch
My practice telephone number is 079 300 56412. Just give me a call, letting me know the best days and times to ring you back, I will be in touch as soon as I can.
Once we have made contact, we meet once or twice - sometimes more - for an assessment. This is an opportunity for you to see whether you feel we can work together, and what other options there may be.
Training, qualifications & experience
The majority of my work has been in the NHS, with a varied background in therapeutic communities, a prison, GP surgeries, an addictions service and low-fee counselling charities.
I gained my Advanced Diploma in Counselling at Wigan and went on to study psychodrama at the Birmingham Institute for Psychodrama, systemic family therapy at Parkview Clinic in Birmingham, and the group analytic approach at Turvey Abbey, Bedfordshire all to certificate level, before qualifying as a Jungian Analytical Psychotherapist at the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy.
MA (Oxon), BA (Eng Lang & Lit), BSc (Psychol), Adv Dip Couns (Wigan), Cert Action Methods and Psychodramatic Techniques (West Mids Psychodrama Group), Prof Cert Management (Open), MBACP (Accred), Jungian Analytical Psychotherapist registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).
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 British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) is a professional association, representing the profession of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
The organisation is itself made up of fourteen member organisations and BPC accredits the trainings of its member organisations. An individual who qualifies from one of these trainings is then eligible for entry into the BPC's register.
BPC registrants are governed by a code of ethics, a policy of continuing professional development, a statement on confidentiality and a complaints procedure. The BPC is a Member Society of the European Federation for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in the Public Sector (EFPP). Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Blocks to creativity. Ageing.
Fees
£75.00 per session
Additional information
Individual sessions
My usual fee is £75 per session, which I may reduce by one or two pounds per session if you decide to come more than once a week. I charge for initial consultations.
Initial consultations
An initial consultation is a longer appointment spread over several meetings. It is an opportunity for you to see whether you feel we can work together, and for you to ask any questions you may have.
At the end of our time together you should have a better idea of whether this kind of therapy may be right for you, and what other options there may be.
Missed sessions and cancellations
In common with many therapists, I charge for every session, including those that you do not attend, for example when you are ill, on holiday, working abroad or decide not to come. Occasionally I am able to offer a different day and time to accommodate you, and if I can do this, I will.
Further information
Codes of Ethics and Practice
I am a Jungian Analytical Psychotherapist registered with the British Psychoanalytic Council, a professional member of the the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy and an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I abide by the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and the BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council) Standards of Conduct, Ethics and Practice.
Supervision
I receive regular analytical supervision.
Location
I work in two locations, in central Ely (Downham Road) and in central Cambridge (just off Mill Road).
My Cambridge base is located at Fincham House, at 8b Romsey Terrace, CB1 3NH. It is within strolling distance of Cambridge railway station and there is unrestricted parking in nearby residential streets, as well as limited parking on site.
