About me
How can counselling help?
I am a degree qualified Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapist/Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor with over 15 years experience. I work on a short or longer term basis with adults and young people who are experiencing challenges with their mental health and wellbeing. I can offer a single session approach which is more solution focussed. I also facilitate individual and group supervision sessions with both experienced and student/trainee therapists either individually or within organisations and with those in the helping professions.
If you are concerned about your mental health and find yourself experiencing uncertainty, anxiety, depression, family or relationship issues, a qualified and experienced Psychotherapist or Counsellor can help you make sense of what's going on for you. If we sit with these experiences on our own, we go around and around the same thought cycle but meeting with another person can interrupt that cycle and raise awareness while also being supported through potentially unsettling or upsetting thoughts and feelings and whilst we make changes.
We often push our own needs to the back of our minds and focus on others, especially in times of crises. Do this long enough and we can find ourselves lost. Taking that first important step and seeking counselling, allows you the time and space to gain perspective and calm; it also means that others around you can directly benefit from the changes you make for yourself.
I have a special interest in working with the effects of little-t trauma. These might be described as the events which exceed our capacity to cope, ie neglect, bullying, narcissism, abuse, divorce, job loss or abrupt changes in our environment. Amongst other things, these experiences can result in depression, anxiety, anger management difficulties, low self esteem, a lack of self worth and challenges in developing healthy relationships. I specialise in building your self-esteem so that you can have the healthy relationships you deserve. I aim to build a meaningful, compassionate and supportive relationship which enables you to explore how long-lasting change and a healthier way of being is possible for you.
I trained and qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy with the highly regarded Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute. Valued for it's indepth and rigorous training, it considers a holistic approach to be important; this means that our thoughts, physical sensations and emotions need to be considered as they all play a part in forming who we are.
How can I help?
Firstly, we make space to explore and consider your current challenges and to understand what's happening that's making life difficult. We work out why those are impacting you and, together, see how change is possible. Counselling also supports you through any changes you want to make. Clients are often surprised to realise how much they have changed through our work together. I've experienced change personally too, so if you need help to explore how change is possible for you, please ring or email me.
My approach focusses on the relational, cognitive and behavioural elements of therapeutic models including CBT, DBT, Person-centred, Psycho-dynamic, Gestalt, Human Development, Neuroscience, Attachment, Affect theory and Contact in Relationship.
Sometimes talking isn't the best way forward, so if it's something you're willing to take part in, I can offer creative methods or materials to help you express your feelings and thoughts in a more unconscious way.
A limited number of discounts are available for student counsellors, students or those on low incomes.
What to expect from our sessions
Working online, by phone or in-person, we agree the frequency, number of sessions and discuss any goals or outcomes you have. Then we work towards those. Ultimately, you decide whether to work short-term or for longer.
When we meet in-person, my office is a warm and welcoming environment with parking on-site or nearby carparks. I am based at The Quadrant in Beeston, in the NG9 area of Nottinghamshire. This is just a couple of minutes from the A52 and convenient for Derby, Nottingham, Stapleford, Chillwell, Long Eaton, Wollaton, Bramcote. Excellent local transport links and on site parking is available as well as disabled access. I offer day time or evening appointments, Monday - Friday (Saturday by exception).
I offer a free 15 minute telephone consultation for us to talk briefly about what you might bring to therapy. If you prefer a face-to-face introduction, we could arrange an initial 20 minute online video session which enables us to meet and discuss how we might work together or a 50 minute session (online or in person) which allows time for a more detailed exploration of what brings you to counselling and the process of counselling itself. There is a charge associated with these 2 latter options. None of these commits you to ongoing therapy; that choice is yours.
I hope you'll take the time to read my profile and connect to my website to hear more about how I will work with you to discover your aims for counselling and build a counselling relationship which is warm, supportive, understanding, non-judgemental and, at times, appropriately challenging.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Accredited Member of British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
- BSc (Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Coventry University)
- Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision (Centre for Supervision, Training and Development - endorsed by The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy as a Recognised Supervisor Training organisation and meets all UKCP’s requirements for Supervision Training)
I am trained to provide a wide range of therapeutic approaches, incorporating key elements of therapies such as Person Centred, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Integrated Family Systems, Psychodynamic, Somatic Body Work, CBT and other relationally focussed approaches.
I frequently undertake ongoing personal and professional development.This means I'm constantly challenging my own thinking and bringing you the very best experience I can. I'm often researching articles, interacting with other therapists and organisations, attending workshops or reading articles and research papers which support my interests in all things human and therapeutic.
Recent workshops include:
- Single Session Therapy
- Key Elements of DBT
- Working with energy and resonance in psychotherapy
- The Somatisation of Distress and Medically Unexplained Symptoms
- Working with Perfectionism
- Providing Online Counselling
- Working with Traumatic Memory
- Trans Awareness and Inclusion
- Somatic Relationship (how we relate to our bodily held responses)
- Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults
- Principles and Methods of Relationally Focused Integrative Psychotherapy
- Attachment Theories and Principles
- Creative Interventions Workshop
- Grief and Loss Training
- Working with Self Harm
In addition to private practice where I work with young people and adults (including couples), I provide therapy for children and young people within the education system. I have experience of working with social care and NHS professionals as well as local government agencies.
I have extensive experience working within charitable, public and corporate environments both nationally and internationally and am well placed to understand the stresses and strains which accompany working within these types of organisations.
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.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£70.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
**Discounts for student counsellors and clinical supervisees**
Brief telephone consultation - Free
Initial 20 minute video discussion - £40
Full 50 minute consultation for Individuals- £70; Couples - £85
Supervision offered at £70/hour.
Please refer to my website for further information and more detail of payment methods and cancellations.
When I work
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Further information
Supervision
I am a qualified Clinical Supervisor available for both individual and groups.
Transportation and Parking
There are excellent public transportation links via bus, train and tram. I am a 5 minute walk from the train station and Tram Stop in Beeston, Nottingham.
Free, public, off-street parking nearby and low cost parking directly outside the building.
Please ring or email me if you have any questions at all.
