About me
Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, changing moods, demotivation, or can't find any joy in life? And struggling to understand or explain why? It can be a lonely experience, to be in so much distress. It can affect your relationships, at home at work and make it difficult to form any new relationships. It can feel like you are in a bubble, on your own, looking out at everyone else and not able to reach out or take part. You don't feel up to it, isolated because you do not know how to explain why you are unhappy. You can't find the right words, no-one will understand.
How I work
Carl Rogers, the founder of Person-Centred therapy, observed that: “People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be... I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch it with awe as it unfolds”.
I offer a space where you can feel heard, just be you, without judgement. You can take your time as we create a therapeutic relationship based on your needs. Where we can work together at a pace that suits you, to help you to find the words to express what it is that's troubling you, how you are really feeling. You may just want to talk and say things that have been bothering you for a time. Or you may have some aims that you want to work towards, to be happy, to sleep better. And sometimes, you may just want to be quiet. This is okay too, silences can be powerful healing spaces. This person-centred approach can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and deepening awareness of what's making you unhappy. It can lead to real change and healing from within, with the support of a therapy relationship where you can feel safe and listened to on a deeper level by another human being. Someone who is trained to listen. And where your truth will gently unfold.
About me
I came to counselling from a background in community advice and support services, having worked in various settings including a Disabled People’s Organisation. I have always felt that mental distress is a barrier to people being able to achieve their true potential and goals in life. I am passionate about mental health and working collaboratively with people to create a safe space based on trust, where they can discover their own therapeutic goals and grow. I have seen the power of listening in my previous occupations and it is a privilege to offer this to my clients as a counsellor: the gift of a time and space to talk and be truly heard by another human being. Person-centred counselling.
I am a registered member of BACP and I work within their ethical framework. I am a member of a professional peer group, I have a BACP Accredited clinical Supervisor and I have regular ongoing training for my professional development.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have experience of working with the following issues:
- Anxiety and depression
- Talking about suicide risk or suicidal thoughts
- Trauma
- Childhood sexual abuse
- Personal relationships and boundaries
- Work related stress
- Grief and loss
- Health-related trauma and recovery.
My qualifications
- Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling (BACP) – Metanoia Institute 2023
- BA(Hons) in Person-Centred Counselling – Middlesex University 2023
- Certificate in Humanistic Counselling Skills - Metanoia Institute 2017
- BA(Hons) in Humanities – University of West London 1993
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
£70.00 per session
Additional information
Fees and payment:
I have some spaces for trainees and people on a low income, such as means-tested welfare benefits and I offer a sliding scale of reduced fees in these circumstances.
Further information
Are you a frightened learner?
I also have an interest in working with education-based trauma. People who have experienced a difficult time in school can become frightened learners and have difficulty progressing through school, college or university, coping with exams or assessments or realising their full potential. If this has been your experience and you feel it might be helpful to talk about it in a safe and non-judgemental therapeutic space, we can work together to explore what is holding you back, what makes you fearful in learning environments and try to find ways you might support yourself to have a more positive experience as a learner.
