About me
I am a fully qualified Person Centred Therapist with a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and Psychotherapy.
I am an accredited register member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) licensed in the UK.
I follow a humanistic model - talking therapy focussed on the client's experiences and needs.
I will not diagnose you but instead will try to provide a safe and confidential space in which you can uncover what your needs are and what it is to be you.
Although I sit within the Person-Centred framework, I draw on other models of therapy if I feel these can help my clients, Transactional Analysis and Inner Child Therapy for example.
I have worked with clients who have a range of mental well-being issues, including stress, anxiety & depression. I create an environment where emotions can be shared without fear of judgment, one in which clients can explore the conditions they need in order to grow into the person they truly are.
Men and therapy:
When I graduated as a therapist there was only one other man on my course. My agency placements were run by women. The other therapists were predominantly women as were the clients. As a therapist the majority of my clients are women and they are of course very welcome to access their therapy through me. As a therapist who is male this lack of men in therapy could however lead me to conclude that counselling is a system that does not have men in mind.
According to Dr Zac Seidler, a clinical psychologist at Movember.com, 60 percent of men who die by suicide have been in touch with mental health services in the prior year. This suggests that men are willing to engage but counselling is not meeting their needs. 32 per cent of men offered treatment by UK NHS Talking Therapies will not complete their allocated sessions.
Man up? Is there more to being a man in the 21st century than this? How about a therapy that uncovers and supports all those different parts of you? How about a therapy that helps you lead a more fulfilling life?
What is it to be a man? And by asking that question does it take away your individuality?
Are men who exhibit addictive behaviours eg pornography or gambling seen as vulnerable or are they judged as risk takers? Does the word vulnerable contradict the “be a man” expectations that society has of men?
What do you think of the term toxic masculinity?
There is a danger that therapists inadvertently judge men in the same way society judges them. If they are angry they are difficult. If they are silent they are uncooperative.
I provide a space where I talk with you not at you - and that is for male and female clients.
Clients and addiction
Feeding our “addictions” can provide a temporary escape from inner insecurities
Each person’s experience with alcohol drugs or “behavioural” addictions is relative to them. I will provide a space in which you can explore what your relationship is like with your addiction and how you would like that relationship to be.
Addictive behaviours around substances and alcohol - or "behavioural" addictions around pornography and gambling for example - are increasingly common today. Many “users” feel shame and have unsuccessfully tried to shame themselves out of using. I will support you in developing self acceptance in order to gain autonomy over how you want your life to be.
It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling life and to take the first steps towards a change. I’m here to support you.
It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support you on that journey.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications:
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (cpcab)
- Accredited register member of the BACP
Experience:
- Mainstay, a registered charity offering support to people who have a broad variety of mental health concerns.
- Phoenix Health and Well-being, a charitable social enterprise, which supports people who have mental health issues.
- Betterhelp, a platform that provides online mental health services to clients.
- Private practice
Training:
- Shame - The Meaning of Shame in the Treatment of Trauma, Janina Fisher.
- Trauma Informed Practice, Christiane Sanderson.
- Working at Relational Depth, Mick Cooper.
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
£40.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£40 for 50 minutes session
When I work
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