About me
Welcome to my profile. I am an experienced BACP Accredited, integrative counsellor/psychotherapist, with training and experience in working with trauma. I work with adults and teenagers and offer sessions in-person in Knowle, Solihull as well as online or on the telephone. I have 8 years of experience of working as a counsellor.
I have extensive experience of supporting adults and teenagers through a wide range of difficulties including low mood, trauma symptoms, distress, overwhelm, anxiety, low confidence, burnout, relationship difficulties, bereavement or a sense of not quite feeling like themselves. I am also trained to work restoratively with clients through the process of grief and loss.
My aim is to support you in a way that feels right for you, helping you move towards confidence, healing and self-understanding. I work from a strong person-centred foundation and way of being, while also drawing on different therapeutic approaches to meet your individual needs. I will offer you a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space where your voice will be listened to and heard. It is from this place that we can begin to make sense of things together and work towards the changes you hope for.
In your first session, we will spend time completing an in-depth assessment together. This will help me get to know you, understand what has brought you to therapy, and begin to build a picture of what is going well, as well as where things may feel more difficult. We will explore your hopes, goals and aspirations for therapy at a pace that feels right for you. From there we can begin to map out a plan together and think about what support may be most helpful and how we might towards your goals. We will also review how things are going to make sure that the work remains focused on what matters most to you.
As a member of Creative Counsellors, I offer creative ways of working including grounding exercises, guided visualisations and breathwork to support feelings of safeness and emotional regulation within the mind and body. Where helpful, this may include working with sand tray, art materials and therapeutic cards/images. I will tailor my approach to you, so the work may include creative methods, talking therapy, or a combination of both depending on what you want from therapy. I also integrate anxiety management techniques using mindfulness-based approaches and polyvagal theory.
I understand that coming to therapy may initially feel daunting. I believe it is part of my responsibility to you to support you to feel at ease from the first time that we meet, up until the ending of your sessions. To help you decide whether I am the right therapist for you, I offer a free 15 minute, no obligation introductory call. This will give us the opportunity to talk about what has brought you to therapy, how I may be able to support you and to answer any questions you may have.
Training, qualifications & experience
Currently, I work as a counsellor in a large private psychology service.
I am registered and accredited with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to its ethical framework for the counselling professions.
I have experience of working with clients in diverse settings such as with survivors of rape and sexual abuse, schools and bereavement services.
- First class degree in Person-centred Counselling and the Psychotherapeutic Relationship -University of Warwick.
- PGCE - Secondary Education.
- A Loss and Grief Awareness Training Course Marie-Curie.
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling - Counselling Tutor.
- Working with Bereavement and Complex Grief - BACP
- Polyvagal Theory Training through attending various CPD trainings.
- Working with Survivors of Sexual Abuse - 3 Credits at Level 3 Provided by Safeline -Warwick Open College Network.
- Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors - Janina Fisher, PESI UK.
- 6 Weeks Mindfulness for Wellbeing in Schools course - British Mindfulness Academy.
- 42- Hour Creative Counsellors Pathway Training - Creative Counsellors.
- Using the Sand Tray in Therapy - The Gestalt Centre.
- Working with Relational Trauma: Dealing with Disorganised Attachment, and other trainings on trauma provided by Carolyn Spring.
- Diploma In Counselling Children & Young People - SPC Online Training Academy - Accredited CPD
- An Introduction to Theory and Practice of Compassion-Focused Therapy - 20 CPD Hours - The Compassionate Mind Foundation.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety with Michael Twohig - 6 Hour Workshop - Contextual Consulting.
- Alleviating Chronic Burnout In Autism and ADHD with Jennifer Kemp - Contextual Consulting.
- Working with Neurodivergent Clients in Therapy - Dr Rita Lacerda.
- Safeguarding Adults Level 1 & 2.
- Safeguarding Children Level 1 & 2.
- I am ICO registered.
- I hold professional Indemnity Insurance.
I keep up-to-date with my own professional development and regularly undertake further CPD through live and on-demand training, including Creative Counsellors training, to support my work as a counsellor/psychotherapist.
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.
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
£60.00 per session
Additional information
I work online, and by telephone within the UK and face-to-face in Knowle, Solihull.
Each sessions session is 60 minutes unless otherwise agreed.
If you are considering therapy, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me by phone, email or text.
Further information
I am committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming space for all clients. Equality, diversity and inclusion were an important part of my initial counselling training, and I have experience of working with LGBTQ+ clients. I aim to ensure that every person feels respected and valued.
My background in teaching and my work as a school counsellor has also given me experience of working with people across different age groups and stages of life. Before becoming a counsellor, I worked as a teacher in both early years and secondary education. These experiences have helped me understand not only the theory behind childhood development and emotional wellbeing, but also the real life pressures that young people, adults and families can face.
