About me
When life shifts
Life can change in ways you expect, and in ways you really don't.
Sometimes you're left trying to find your footing again. Things feel harder than they used to and you may find yourself questioning yourself more than you'd like.
You might be adjusting to a cancer diagnosis, or finding that the emotional impact has continued after treatment ended. Menopause may have arrived suddenly because of surgery or treatment. Burnout may have finally caught up with you. Or perhaps you're grieving, struggling in a relationship, or simply know that you're not feeling quite like yourself.
You don't need to know exactly what you want to talk about. I won't rush you to explain yourself. We can start with what's happening now and take it from there.
How I work
I'm warm and thoughtful in the way I work, and I like counselling to feel like a conversation. I listen carefully, but I won't just sit silently while you do all the talking. I'll ask questions and sometimes notice things that we might want to explore together.
I'm interested in helping you get curious about yourself rather than judging yourself for how you feel. Sometimes there's a real tug of war going on inside. One part of you is struggling while another is saying you should be fine.
Cancer and what happens emotionally during and after treatment is a particular interest of mine. There's often so much focus on getting through treatment that what happens afterwards can take you by surprise. Other people may think it's over. You may have expected to feel that way too.
I'm also particularly interested in surgical and treatment-induced menopause. When menopause happens suddenly because of treatment or surgery, there can be a lot to come to terms with.
Alongside this, I work with burnout, anxiety, grief, low confidence and times when life just feels harder than it used to.
Before becoming a counsellor, I spent 25 years working in investment banking and media. I understand demanding environments and the pressure to keep going. You can look as though you're managing perfectly well while knowing privately that you're not.
My work is trauma-informed, which means I pay attention to what feels manageable for you and won't push you somewhere before you're ready. Mostly, we talk. If you find it hard to put something into words, I can also use sand tray and other creative ways of working. There's no expectation to use them.
Couples counselling
I also work with couples. You may have got stuck having the same argument, stopped talking about things because it doesn't seem to get you anywhere, or simply feel that something between you has changed.
Sometimes life has changed the relationship too. Illness, menopause, grief or pressures at work can all play a part.
I'm interested in what happens between you, particularly the patterns you can get caught in and what might be going on underneath them.
Where and when I offer sessions
I'm a BACP-registered counsellor working in Richmond and East Sheen, as well as online and by telephone. I offer evening and Saturday morning appointments, including walk-and-talk sessions.
I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. You can tell me a little about what's bringing you to counselling and ask me anything you want to know. It's also a chance to see how it feels to talk to me. There's no obligation to continue.
Areas I work with:
*Cancer and life after treatment
*Surgical and treatment-induced menopause
*Burnout and long-term stress
*Anxiety and social anxiety
*Grief and bereavement
*Low self-confidence and life changes
*Couples and relationship difficulties
Training, qualifications & experience
- BSc (Hons) Degree in Person Centred, Pluralistic Counselling from Middlesex University, London.
- Diploma (Advanced Practitioner) in Person-Centred, Pluralistic Counselling from the Metanoia Institute, London.
- Registered member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists).
- BACP-accredited Professional Certificate of Facilitation for Online and Telephone Counselling.
- Trauma-informed certified: Mind Body Breakthrough
- Mental Health First Aid Certificate, (MHFA)
- I have worked as a Mental Health Champion in the workplace, acting as a first point of contact for colleagues and helping build a culture where mental health could be talked about openly.
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
£75.00 - £100.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual sessions (50 minutes)
£75 - weekdays
£85 - Saturday mornings
Couples sessions (60 minutes)
£100
Free introductory call - 15 minutes, no obligation to continue
When I work
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Further information
I'm South African and naturally warm and fairly direct. I like people and I'm genuinely interested in what makes us who we are. I'm curious by nature, which is probably one of the reasons I found my way into counselling after 25 years working in an analytical role in investment banking and media.
Outside the areas I've talked about in my profile, I also have experience working with:
• Separation and divorce
• Family difficulties
• Loneliness and isolation
• Chronic illness and disability
• Retirement and later life changes
• Career and work changes
• Miscarriage and loss
• Bullying and its longer-term effects
• Cultural and family expectations
• Changes in faith or beliefs
• Feeling stuck or unsure about what comes next
