About me
There is no formula for a person. We are shaped by what has happened to us, the relationships we have had, what we have learnt about ourselves and the ways we have found to cope along the way. Therapy, in my view, needs to make room for all of that. It needs to fit the person, rather than expecting the person to fit the therapy.
I’m a qualified Integrative Counsellor and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), with around seven years’ experience.
People often come to therapy knowing that something needs to change, but not necessarily knowing what that change is. Maybe you understand exactly why you feel the way you do, yet knowing hasn't actually changed how you feel. Maybe you overthink conversations long after they've happened, question yourself constantly, find it hard to say no, or notice yourself falling into the same patterns despite promising yourself you wouldn't again.
Sometimes the ways we learnt to cope worked very well once. We just don't always notice when they stop working for us.
This is the part of therapy that really interests me – getting underneath what is happening rather than only dealing with what can be seen on the surface. Why does this affect you so much? Where did that belief about yourself come from? Why does the same pattern keep showing up? And, importantly, what might help things feel different?
My approach is warm, down-to-earth and collaborative. I’m not a therapist who will sit silently and leave you wondering what I’m thinking. I’ll listen, but I’ll also ask questions, share what I notice and help you make connections that might not have been obvious before. Where it feels useful, I can bring in psychoeducation and practical strategies too.
As an integrative therapist, I’m able to draw on different therapeutic approaches depending on the person I’m working with. My work is also informed by an understanding of the connection between mind and body, and how our emotional experiences can influence the way we respond both psychologically and physically. Some sessions may involve looking more closely at past experiences and how they are showing up in your life now. Others may be much more focused on what is happening today.
I don't believe we need to endlessly search the past for answers. But I do believe the past matters when it helps us understand the present. The beliefs we hold about ourselves can become so familiar that we experience them as facts. Understanding where they came from can give us the opportunity to question whether they still belong.
I believe the relationship between therapist and client is the foundation on which good therapy is built. Therapeutic knowledge, theory and the way we work together are all important, but for that work to be meaningful, there also needs to be a relationship in which you feel understood, respected and able to trust the person sitting opposite you. Without that connection, even the right approach may not feel right for you.
I place enormous value on building that relationship. I want you to feel able to be yourself with me, not a polished version of yourself, or the version you think you should present in therapy. You don't need the right words or to know where to start. You certainly don't need to have yourself figured out before you walk through the door.
We can start with what is there.
I offer individual counselling from my private practice in Rainham, Kent, as well as online sessions.
Training, qualifications & experience
I hold a Diploma in Integrative Counselling, awarded with Distinction, from the Inter-Psyche Training Institute – Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy Studies. I completed my training on a BACP-accredited professional programme, which combined extensive theoretical study with supervised clinical practice and personal therapy.
My core training is integrative, drawing particularly on humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches. This has given me a broad theoretical foundation and the flexibility to work differently with different people, rather than relying on one fixed model of therapy.
My counselling experience spans private practice, community mental health and education. I have worked therapeutically with adults at MMK Mind, with young people within a secondary school and, since 2021, with adults and young people aged 16+ in private practice.
Before training as a counsellor, I also volunteered with Samaritans, supporting people experiencing distress both over the telephone and face-to-face. This was an important early part of my experience and taught me a great deal about how to really listen, sit alongside difficult emotions and support someone when life feels particularly hard.
Further training and continuing professional development includes:
- Trauma
- Attachment
- Anxiety and panic disorder
- Emotional regulation
- Self-harm
- Suicide and suicide awareness
- EMDR techniques
- Existential approaches to counselling and psychotherapy
- Autism awareness for counsellors
- Distance and online therapy
- Working therapeutically with children and young people
- Safeguarding
- Mental Health First Aid
I believe being a good therapist involves continuing to learn. I regularly undertake further professional development to deepen my knowledge, challenge my thinking and continue developing the way I work with clients.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work within its Ethical Framework. I also hold a current enhanced DBS certificate, professional indemnity insurance and ICO registration.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Further information
I have a particular interest in the connection between mind and body, and this understanding is an important part of how I work.
Our thoughts, emotions and physical responses don't exist separately. What we experience psychologically can be expressed through the body, and what is happening physiologically can influence how we think, feel and respond.
This is particularly important when working with trauma for example. When the nervous system has learnt to remain on high alert, shut down or respond as though danger is still present, insight alone isn't always enough. Establishing a sense of safety and supporting regulation are important foundations of trauma work, before deeper exploration can take place.
I also value psychoeducation. Understanding why your mind and body respond as they do can make experiences that feel confusing or frightening begin to make more sense.
For me, good therapy means understanding the whole person, our thoughts, emotions, experiences, relationships and physical responses are connected, and therapy should make room for all of them.
My practice
Face-to-face sessions take place in my private, self-contained counselling practice in Rainham, Kent. The space is separate from my home, with on-site parking and private toilet facilities. I also offer online counselling for clients who prefer to work remotely.
