About me
Hello, and welcome! Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or perhaps things have just got too much? Maybe you have experienced a loss or trauma and it is impacting on your day to day life. We all struggle at times and sometimes we just need someone outside of our situation to listen and help us make sense of how we feel and what is going on for us, especially if we don't want to burden family or friends.
Whether you are a young people or adult, I offer a warm and safe space in which to explore your thoughts and feelings in confidence and without judgement.
My aim is to put you at your ease so that you will feel welcome and accepted as you are. Together, we build a trusting relationship where you can talk about what is going on for you, whatever and however you feel. That process of talking with the right person, exploring things together, can have a really positive impact, helping you make sense of things and feel lighter.
I work face to face, remotely (video call or phone), and through walk and talk sessions and ecotherapy. We can discuss Walk and Talk locations if you would like to work in the natural environment. Being outside in nature can improve physical health and has proven benefits for anxiety and depression too. For anyone who finds talking face to face difficult, being side by side can feel like a much easier way to explore things.
I am based in Keynsham, which is easily accessible by public transport from both Bristol and Bath and I offer a shorter, free introductory phone consultation to help you decide whether you would like to work with me. I work with clients both short and long-term.
I also offer low-cost supervision to counsellors and therapists on a one to one basis. I also have extensive experience of supervising practitioners working in organisations, one to one and in groups, and in particular within Education, the Church of England and with carers.
How counselling can help
As a Gestalt therapist, I am interested not just in the issues that trouble you, but in what is happening in the wider context of your life and its impact on you. I hope our conversations and contact will, in a gentle way, help bring greater awareness, clarity, and balance to your life, so that difficulties diminish and you feel stronger and have a greater sense of wellbeing and being able to achieve your potential. My role is not to "fix" you but to offer support and a safe space and where you can explore and find the best way forward for you.
How I work
While many people feel comfortable talking one to one, others, and especially young people, can find just sitting still and talking about emotional issues harder. Being able to use art materials, clay, games and other sensory tools can really help with expressing feelings and thoughts that it might be difficult to put into words initially. I offer all these possibilities within the space I work in and it is fine "just" to talk too.
Who I work with
I work with adults and also with young people, and with couples and families when there are difficulties within relationships.
I have specialist training and experience in working with trauma, anxiety and depression, young people, families (be they birth, adoptive or with children-in-care), carers, depression, self-harm, relationship difficulties, eating issues, and abuse of all kinds. I have a particular interest in the impact of childhood experience on later life.
What to expect
The process of finding a therapist should always be a mutual one and finding the right one is so important! Speaking on the phone first offers an opportunity for you to find out what I can offer and whether you feel comfortable enough to work with me. It is an opportunity for you to tell me about what seems not to be going well and what you'd like support with. If when we first meet you don't feel at ease, that is something to pay attention to, as the relationship between the therapist and client is vital as it is through that relationship that so much repair and healing can come about.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified counsellor and have many years experience of working with both young people and adults, within Education settings,, private practice, the NHS and the Third Sector.
- Post Graduate Diploma in Gestalt Therapy
- Post Graduate Certificate in Group Work,
- Certificate in working with Children and Adolescents using a Gestalt Approach
- Diploma in Supervision
CPD (Continual Professional Development) training including:
- Certificate in Creative Supervision
- Certificate in Reflective Supervision in Education
- Social Media: Shame and Clinical Implications for young people
- Working Creatively in the Outdoors (Ecotherapy & Walk and Talk Counselling)
- Mental Health First Aid for young people
- Advanced Safeguarding training
- Working with Adolescents Experiencing Neglect
- Social Media and Mental Health.
- Resilience Building
- Motivational Interviewing
- Certificate in Therapeutic Mentoring (Trauma Recovery Centre, Bath)
- Action Trauma: Intergenerational Trauma and Childhood Experiences
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
- Louise Hayes: DNA-Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for young people
- Chaotic Eating
Professional Membership:
- I am an accredited Member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society.
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 National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
£60.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Initial telephone consultation (up to 20 minutes): Free
Individual counselling: £60. Depending on availability, I may be able to offer some concessions.
Couples and families: £75
When I work
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Daytime and weekday evening sessions available.
Further information
As a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, I work within its ethical framework for the counselling professions. I also have regular supervision and am committed to the development of my own skills and expertise by undertaking regular Continual Professional Development.
I work in Keynsham, in a counselling room in a discrete location offering greater space for family and group work. It is within easy walking distance of the train station and bus routes and there is some free parking nearby. Whilst we are in the midst of Covid-19, I am working remotely, by phone, Zoom, What's App, FaceTime or other secure media. I am also offering walk and talk sessions where we can meet face to face safely as well as some face to face work indoors subject to Covid 19 restrictions and safety.
