About me
Hello and welcome.
Choosing a therapist or counsellor can be a daunting task and it takes courage to reach out and make that first step.
I believe that therapy or counselling isn't something that is done to you, but a process that is collaborative and personal to you. This is why it's important that you and your counsellor are a "good fit" and why I start by offering a free 20-30 minute telephone appointment to see if we might work together.
I work face to face, by telephone or online, offering therapy for adults who would like support with a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to: anxiety and depression, trauma, including emotional, sexual and domestic abuse, mental health issues, including suicidal thoughts and low self esteem, bereavement and loss, work-related stress, family and relationship issues, including adoption and family estrangement, and other significant life events such as illness and divorce.
I use an integrative approach, drawing from different therapeutic models, such as person-centered, cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic.
I can help you think about what you want from therapy and work in collaboration with you to achieve this.
Together, through supportive, non-judgemental conversations, we can explore and make sense of what brings you to therapy, helping you gain new perspectives and insights and to feel less affected by past experiences.
Therapy or counselling isn't a "quick fix", but it can support you to find healthier, more compassionate and less limiting ways of coping, leading you towards recovery and emotional growth, and helping you feel more empowered to move forwards in your life.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have more than 20 years experience working as a therapist in the NHS, voluntary and statutory sectors, such as primary care and adolescent and adult mental health services and in therapy services for survivors of abuse. I have been working privately since March 2025.
Starting from a degree in Psychology, I undertook certificate-level training in counselling and family therapy before completing an accredited Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling in 2002. Since then I have undertaken further training in humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural approaches, all of which inform my current practice.
I am a registered member of BACP and adhere to their codes of practice and ethics. This includes having regular supervision to ensure I practice safely.
In addition, I am also a qualified Social Worker with 35 years experience of working with children and families in need and in adoption services.
I have particular interest and experience working with issues of abuse and trauma and, as a retired adoption social worker, of working with adult adoption related issues.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I am trauma and Internal Family Systems informed.
I have an interest in adoption and parent-child estrangement.
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 per session
Additional information
I offer a free 20-30 minute telephone consultation to see if we might work together.
The fee for standard sessions is £55 for 50 mins paid by bank transfer.
When I work
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I offer daytime and evening sessions by phone, online and in person.
For in person work, I currently hold sessions in Cockermouth and Whitehaven.
