About me
I am a National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society ( NCPS) Accredited Psychotherapist. I work with both adults, children and young people. I belong to the Children and Young People's Register of the NCPS. Although I specialize in working with neuro-divergent adults and children, I also deal with people who have a wide range of difficulties including:
- anxiety,
- stress,
- depression,
- phobias,
- self-esteem difficulties,
- relationship difficulties, at home, work, or school
- grief and loss,
- communication difficulties,
- experience of abuse,
- attachment disorders
I use a range of therapies. These are carefully chosen to suit the specific needs of the person I am working with, but my approach is strongly Person-Centred, taking into account the person's unique abilities and resources to help them move towards a more fulfilling way of being and thinking.
Some of the other therapy perspectives and techniques I draw on are: CBT; solution-focused therapy; Gestalt therapy; NLP; clinical hypnosis; psychodynamic therapy.
I also have training to use EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), to help people heal from distressing life experiences.
I have many years of experience in working with both children and adults with special needs, and of contributing to EHCP plans.
I worked for a number of years as a school counsellor, both in a school for children with special needs/learning disabilities, and in mainstream schools.
This experience taught me the value to children of having a safe space where they can communicate, verbally or in play, or both, about their feelings, wishes and hopes, and about matters which are troubling them. Emotional and behavioural difficulties also have a wider impact, both on the family and on academic progress.
It can be very distressing to find yourself, as a parent, at a loss about how exactly to help, or whom to turn to, to get effective help for your child.
I therefore work with parents, and with school staff to help them towards a better understanding of how they too, can support the child/young person emotionally and what additional services could be involved to address needs.
I have lectured at Essex University, to postgraduate speech/language therapy students, and was for several years a course facilitator for students at Catalyst Counselling Ltd., Lowestoft.
I have also done THRIVE training, an approach to supporting children's mental wellbeing which is used in many schools in Suffolk and elsewhere.
Currently, I work in independent practice in central Ipswich, having recently downsized, and I offer a service 3 days weekly--Tuesday to Thursday. For many years prior to this, I was a member of UKCP ( United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy), and have sat on UKCP committees working to define and improve psychotherapy standards for children and young people.
In the case of children, who can often find it especially difficult and sometimes daunting to say what they are feeling, I work with a range of arts materials, for example drawing, painting, modelling, sand-play, music, story-telling, and puppets, to help them to express themselves.
I also have particular expertise in working with both adults and children/young people with learning difficulties and communication difficulties. I worked for many years as a speech and language therapist with these groups, and am currently very involved in promoting therapy services to address their emotional needs.
(I no longer practise as a speech and language therapist, due to the demands of working as a psychotherapist, but still utilise the skills in this area which were built up over many years working for the NHS in this capacity).
Specific techniques such as signing and picture symbols can also be used with people who have learning disabilities/communication problems in order to help them express matters which are of concern or anxiety to them.
I frequently liaise with other local services where necessary, including schools, Children and Young People's Mental Health Services, and various NHS departments, and will refer on to these services after discussion with clients, if there is a need to do so.
Training, qualifications & experience
Initially, I became interested in counselling/psychotherapy while working for the NHS. I was registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) between 2012 and 2024. This requires a 4 year pathway of study, including examinations in mental health, psychotherapy techniques and perspectives and counselling methods, as well as supervised practice, before accreditation.
It is one of the main bodies regulating the profession of psychotherapy in the UK. I also have an Advanced Diploma in Hypno-Psychotherapy (this involves the use of clinical hypnosis, where appropriate, along with other methods of working as mentioned above); a diploma in Life-Coaching, and a Certificate in Counselling Skills with children, from The Institute for the Arts in Therapy and Education. I also represented my College at UKCP ( College of Outcome Oriented Therapies), on committees working on psychotherapy standards for children and young people.
Since downsizing in 2025 I no longer belong to UKCP though I adhere to their ethical standards and those of my new organization, the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society.
.I also have training to use EMDR.
All NCPS therapists are required to be in supervision from a suitably qualified therapist, which provides a confidential setting to reflect regularly on their practice with clients.
I also have regular continuing professional development by attendance at regular workshops, courses, seminars, etc.
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Learning disabilities
- Communication difficulties/disorders
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Additional information
My fees are £50.00 per session. Sessions last an hour. With children, this may mean less than an hour with the child ( though I aim towards an hour), and some time with parent--the latter can often be arranged by zoom.
Sessions can be booked in an evening, or sometimes during the day by negotiation.
I work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
When I work
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