This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
What if you could live a life that is enjoyable, contented and fulfilled? What if you could achieve your full potential? What if you do not have to suffer undue distressing symptoms, even when painful things happen to you? As a result of my training, work and life experience, I believe you can.
It is usually the habits we have learnt to use in order to avoid our human longings for attachment, and human feelings of love, grief, anger and guilt, which cause us additional suffering. Invariably, we learnt within our early relationships, which feelings were acceptable, and which were not. We learnt what was an acceptable expression of those feelings, and what was not. Although we might have needed those habits in order to stay connected to our carers back then, those habits may be harmful, and hurting us now.
I practice a model of therapy called ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy), which can help you to rapidly understand the source of the symptoms that cause you distress or dissatisfaction; symptoms you may have unconsciously adopted as ways of coping.
Using ISTDP, I can help you if you suffer from anxiety, excessive worry, depression, suicidal thoughts or ideas of giving up, sadness, burn-out, self-sabotaging behaviours, feeling stuck, ADHD, low self-esteem, low confidence, family issues, relational and intimacy difficulties, performance anxiety, or if you suffer from a pervasive sense of guilt, walking through life at times with expectations of judgement and condemnation in your relationships or at work, which can make life feel tough, lonely, and even excruciating at times.
I also have experience in using ISTDP to treat physical pain, FND, and other somatic conditions that do not have organic causes. Suffering like this may have left you feeling frustrated if no one is taking your physical suffering seriously. In fact, the pain or other symptoms that your body registers, may have hidden emotional roots and conflicts that can be resolved, thereby eliminating your physical symptoms.
As we collaborate on your goals and build a safe relationship, the interventions that I offer should provide insights that might otherwise remain hidden and hard to access. As such, ISTDP therapy can help you achieve deep and lasting internal changes beyond simply providing you with additional coping tools to manage your symptoms; tools that may ultimately only perpetuate your suffering. You may have tried therapy previously, and found it wanting, you may not wish to re-hash the past, or you may even think you cannot be helped. If so, ISTDP may be for you.
ISTDP was developed out of the psychoanalytic school of therapy that was typically offered several times a week for years at a time. The phrase 'Short-Term' in ISTDP, is therefore to be taken in light of that.
I start with a longer initial assessment session to determine if ISTDP is likely to be helpful to you, and you also can decide if you wish to work with me. Following that, if we are able to form a good alliance and collaborate effectively on your goals, we can expect to see deep changes for you within a shortened period..
I also offer time-limited therapy. After the initial assessment session, we can agree to work towards your specific goals for a set block of sessions (eg. 10 sessions).
The decision to start therapy can be challenging. You can expect some of the habits mentioned above to mobilize to cause you to hesitate, procrastinate, fear or worry. You may also have further questions about how I work and how we might work together. Please do contact me. I am happy to provide you with information or answer questions you have.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have completed 6 years of training in intensive short term dynamic psychotherapy, which is the model I practice. ISTDP is an empirically-proven model of therapy, with a wealth of research spanning over 30 years. (see http://reachingthroughresistance.com/publications). I have a diploma in integrative counselling, and I have worked with clients from varied backgrounds and symptoms, on a one-to-one basis for many years.
I have experience using ISTDP to help address various symptoms including:
- anxiety,
- physiological symptoms of anxiety,
- excessive worry and rumination,
- ADHD,
- depression, including long-term and treatment-resistant depression,
- suicidal thoughts or ideas of giving up,
- enduring sadness,
- PTSD and other trauma responses,
- stress and burn-out,
- self-sabotaging and self-limiting behaviours,
- feeling stuck,
- low self-esteem / low self-confidence,
- failing to thrive,
- relationship and intimacy difficulties,
- dating dilemmas
- parent-child enmeshment,
- performance anxiety,
- chronic physical pain, and
- somatic conditions or symptoms, that do not have organic causes, including Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which may have left you frustrated if no one is taking your physical suffering seriously or able to help you.
The symptoms described above are just some of the ways we may be suffering now as result of painful life events, including: trauma, abuse, neglect, bereavement and other loss, or racial injury.
I studied law at Durham University and worked as a solicitor for many years in the City, so I also understand the challenges and demands of working in an intense and pressured environment.
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
Concessions offered for
Additional information
I offer a free, brief, informal phone chat before our first session during which you can ask me any questions you may have.
When I work
Daytime and evenings slots available.
Weekend block therapy available.
Further information
Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is an accelerated form of experiential psychotherapy which is practiced internationally, and which has a well-established and impressive evidence base. ISTDP aims to bring rapid resolution to a wide range of psychological issues including depression and anxiety, and self-defeating behavioural and relational patterns by using techniques that enable the processing of emotional blockages and the experience of core emotions. By reaching through to the unconscious mind, ISTDP helps you create permanent change, including freedom from detrimental habits and self-defeating patterns.
