About me
Being human is complicated. We’re born into a body, family and world we don’t choose. We’re told how we need to be and what path to follow. If that wasn't challenging enough, we also have to endure the pain, loss and suffering that life so frequently brings.
In order to manage this suffering, we develop unconscious strategies to keep us safe. While helpful in the moment, they also tend to create distance from who we are beneath all the layers. Over time, we become alienated from ourselves, others and the world around us. Perhaps you have noticed persistent feelings of depression or anxiety, or maybe you feel burnt out at work, perhaps you struggle with ongoing low self-esteem, or maybe you keep finding yourself getting into the same relationship patterns. On the surface, these are the 'symptoms'. But beneath the surface, they tell a story waiting to be heard.
My approach focuses on understanding the symptoms and developing new ways of being that contribute to feeling 'unstuck' in different areas of life.
Who am I?
I am a Counselling Psychologist and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist offering online therapy to individuals, couples and multi-partnered people. I am also an Advanced Accredited Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversities Therapist (AAGSRDT).
Key areas that I work with include:
- anxiety and depression
- loss and grief
- adapting to chronic illness
- trauma/PTSD/CPTSD
- identity issues
- sexuality and gender conflicts
- chemsex/sexualised drug-use
- HIV
- addiction
- relationship difficulties
My philosophy
First and foremost, I believe that healing is a holistic process that has as much to do with mental health as it does physical health. My approach is rooted in an idea that mind and body are not separate, and therefore need thinking about together. What we do with our bodies has a direct influence on how we feel in our minds, so fostering a healthy relationship between the two is an important step.
Secondly, I don’t believe in the “one size fits all” approach to therapy. Everyone’s different and so what works for you won’t necessarily work for someone else. Taking this perspective means that I value what makes people different, and I will think carefully with you about what kind of approach might be helpful and whether we could be a good fit.
Influencing my thinking is an understanding that the context in which we grow up in, shapes our sense of self and how we live our lives. My work acknowledges the impact of culture, sexuality, gender, sex, race, religion etc., on the development of our sense of self.
My approach to therapy
I was trained to think in an integrative way (combining different models of therapy). However, I have now come to specialise in trauma-informed psychodynamic psychotherapy. I qualified as a Psychodynamic psychotherapist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
The psychodynamic perspective is exploratory in nature and non-directive. It aims to help people become aware of the unconscious aspects of their behaviour, thoughts and feelings.
More information about this approach can be found here: https://www.bpc.org.uk/information-support/what-is-psychoanalytic-therapy/
Training, qualifications & experience
Training and qualifications
After initially completing a BSc in Biochemistry which offered me an understanding of health and the body, I chose to pursue a career in Psychology. I completed an MSc in Health Psychology at University College London (UCL) and then trained to Doctoral level in Psychotherapeutic and Counselling Psychology at the University of Surrey. I have developed a good understanding of the body, the mind, and the link between them. Following this, I did specialist training in gender, sexual and relationship diversity (GSRD) therapy. I then qualified as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist from the Tavistock & Portman clinic.
I work with individuals, couples and those in multi-partnered relationships (e.g. polycules, open-relationships...etc.).
Experience
I have worked in mental health for almost 10 years and have specialised in therapy with young adults (18-25) and adults (>25). I have worked with mental health difficulties on the entire spectrum of distress, ranging from "mild" to "severe".
Aside from my private practice, I have worked in secondary care NHS services with people who experienced severe and complex mental health difficulties. I am also an academic lecturer and research supervisor on a Doctoral programme for trainee psychologists and psychotherapists.
I offer online therapy only.
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.
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.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Ace or Asexual
- BDSM / Kink
- Bi- | Pansexual
- Cross-dresser
- Intersex
- Non-binary | Genderqueer
- Queer
- Questioning
- Survivors of attempted conversion therapy
- Trans
Therapies offered
Fees
£160.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I am only seeing clients online.
- Standard individual fee (for psychology assessments and sessions): £160
- Standard fee for relationship therapy (1h-1h30min): £200
- Standard fee for individual supervision: £100
The preferred payment method is by bank transfer which can either be after each session or upon receipt of a monthly invoice.
When I work
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Further information
Cancellation policy
Once we have agreed to start therapy, your slot will be reserved for you on a weekly basis. All cancelled sessions are therefore payable in full.
Confidentiality
It isn't uncommon for people to be concerned about confidentiality given that what they discuss often concerns private or intimate details about their lives. Therapy is a confidential process, however, I attend regular supervision in which I discuss the work anonymously. No private details are shared in this environment, and it serves as a way of reviewing the work so that I can ensure that my attempts at helping you are sound.
There are only specific circumstances in which I may have to breach confidentiality:
1) You provide me with information that makes me think that you or someone else is at risk of harm
2) Situations requires by law
Ethics
As a registered practitioner with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS), I am accountable to their codes of ethics and clinical practice.
