About me
Welcome, I’m glad you’re here.
Taking the first step into counselling can feel daunting. It often marks the beginning of meaningful and life-changing work, and I want you to know that you will not face that journey alone. My approach is warm, grounded, and person-centred, offering a safe space where you can feel heard, understood and supported.
Whilst I am fully trained to work with a wide range of mental health needs and presentations, I specialise in relationship work with parents, couples, families and teenagers, as well as supporting individuals with ADHD and Autism. My background in education means I have extensive experience helping children, young people and families with challenges such as anxiety, OCD, school avoidance, depression, stress, loss and grief, confidence issues and relationship breakdown. I work holistically and tailor my approach to meet the unique needs of every person I work with.
I am a highly qualified therapist and play therapist, blending traditional talking therapy with creative techniques such as sand tray work and drawing when appropriate. These approaches offer different avenues for exploring thoughts and feelings safely and at your own pace.
I work in a way that is honest and open. I will support you, and I will also gently challenge you to see things in new ways and to make decisions that help you move toward the changes you want in your life. We will always work at your pace, and my role is not to tell you what to do, but to help you uncover your own answers and solutions.
Next steps
Choosing a counsellor is a very personal decision, and it needs to feel right. To help with this, I offer an initial 20 minute telephone or Zoom call without charge. This means we can meet, explore what you are looking for and establish whether we are a good fit to work together.
If you feel ready to begin, I am here to support you every step of the way.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 5 Diploma in Trauma-Informed Practice, Integrative Trauma Solutions
- Level 4 Diploma in Counselling, Heartwood College
- Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy, Play Therapy UK
- Psychometric Testing and Access Arrangements (CPT3A), Middlesex University
- National Award for SENCO, Edge Hill University
- PGCE, Brighton University
- Diploma in Social Work, University of Gloucester
- BSc Psychology (Hons), University of Gloucester
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling (BACP-endorsed), 2023
- ASIST Suicide Intervention Training, 2024
- Trauma-Focused CBT (Advanced CPD), 2022
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, 2021
- Workplace Mental Health and Employee Assistance, 2023
- Member, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- Member, British Psychological Society
- Registered Assessor, BPS RQTU
- Member, Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education (CACHE)
I’m an integrative counsellor with more than 25 years of experience supporting adults, young people, and families across the UK and overseas. My career has taken me through a wide mix of roles in education, community services, wellbeing support, and international school counselling. These experiences have shaped a warm, steady and human approach to therapy where people can feel heard, understood, and supported.
I have worked as a counsellor in international schools in Beijing and Spain, supporting individuals and families through emotional difficulties, transitions, identity issues, and everyday pressures. Working in these settings taught me how differently people experience the world depending on their culture, family story, and personal history.
I have also worked within a community counselling service in the North East of England, where I supported adults and young people with trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, and complex emotional experiences. Before moving fully into counselling, I spent many years working in social work and safeguarding. While I am no longer a practising social worker, this background provided me with a strong foundation in understanding vulnerability, resilience, family systems, and how to support people during challenging periods in their lives.
As a parent of two grown boys and a step-parent, I also understand the realities of family life and the ways relationships shape our well-being. My approach is gentle, relational, and integrative, drawing from person-centred therapy, CBT, mindfulness, creative techniques, and trauma-informed practice.
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
£55.00 per session
When I work
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Further information
Why People Choose to Work With Me
I feel privileged to have worked with people from all walks of life, both in the UK and internationally, and this has given me a genuine understanding of how differently we all experience change, stress, family life and emotional challenges.
I have supported adults, teens, children and families in community counselling services, private practice and schools. This mix of experience helps me meet people where they are and offer support that feels safe and manageable.
My background in social work and safeguarding means I am confident holding space for difficult emotions, big life events and moments where things feel overwhelming. It also helps me understand the wider pressures that can affect your wellbeing.
People often describe me as calm, steady and easy to talk to. My aim is to create a space where you can breathe out, be yourself and explore things at your own pace.
Because I am trained in a range of approaches, I can shape our sessions around what feels most natural and helpful for you.
I also know how busy life can be, so I offer weekly or fortnightly counselling, whatever fits best with your schedule. You can choose daytime or evening appointments, and I work both online and face-to-face in my comfortable counselling room.
