About me
Life can sometimes feel overwhelming and finding the right space to clarify your thoughts is the first step toward lasting change. Within My Private Therapy, I offer a safe, confidential and compassionate space for adults and adolescents navigating a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges.
For me, therapy always starts with a genuine human connection. Before introducing any techniques or clinical frameworks, i see it as one individual meeting another in a safe, non-judgmental space where you can feel truly seen and understood.
As an integrative therapist, I draw upon Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic exploration and person-centred models. I offer both short and long-term therapy tailored entirely to your unique needs, pace and presenting difficulties.
Adolescent Support: I am deeply passionate about supporting teenagers through anxiety, depression, bullying, family difficulties, OCD, bereavement, self-esteem and relational challenges. Where appropriate and helpful, I welcome involving family members in sessions to foster understanding, improve communication and strengthen support networks.
Adult Support: I work closely with adults dealing with anxiety, depression, unresolved childhood experiences resurfacing in later life, bereavement, relationship issues, domestic abuse, postnatal depression, self-esteem and identity issues.
My Approach to Therapy: I believe that medical diagnoses and medication are not the only answers to psychological distress. An individual's environment, life history and unique way of thinking profoundly shape their world. My aim is to truly understand your lived experience from your perspective. As an insightful, warm and approachable practitioner, I care deeply about every client I work with, helping you build self-awareness, resilience and genuine growth.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified chartered counselling psychologist. I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the organisation that regulates Psychology within the UK. I am also chartered by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which is the gold standard of practice for psychologists within the UK. I work within the code of ethics and standards set by these organisations.
About Me
My fascination with individual behaviour began in childhood, driven by a natural curiosity about why people think and act the way they do. Over time, this evolved into a lifelong commitment to psychological practice.
My early interest led me to study Psychology at A Level in 2001 and subsequently start my Psychology degree in 2002. During my undergraduate studies, I gained hands-on experience supporting children struggling with underachievement due to personal life burdens and provided online counselling for university students facing difficulties.
Following my degree, I worked within a secure personality disorder unit for adults who had committed violent and dangerous crimes. This frontline experience gave me a profound, firsthand understanding of how early childhood experiences can shape adult lives in deeply painful and self-destructive ways.
In 2009, I undertook my Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, culminating in a published thesis titled "When Personal and Professional Worlds Collide: An exploration of trainee counselling psychologists' experience of having a relative with mental health problems." Alongside my doctoral research, I broadened my clinical experience through specialised placements. I worked with children in primary education using a Play Therapy approach and spent time in a primary care NHS Psychological Health centre supporting individuals with anxiety, depression, bereavement, OCD and abuse.
Clinical Experience & Expertise
Over the years, I have worked extensively across both educational and healthcare sectors:
Adolescent Support: In secondary school settings, I delivered one-to-one short and long-term therapy for teenagers navigating panic disorder, OCD, social anxiety disorder, phobias, low self-esteem, body dysmorphic disorder and the profound impacts of bullying and cyberbullying.
Adult Support: Within NHS adult services, I provided one-to-one psychological therapy for a wide array of challenges, including relationship issues, depression, anxiety, phobias, postnatal depression, family breakdowns, separation and divorce, carer support, domestic violence, abuse and bereavement.
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.
British Psychological Society
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£120.00 per session
Additional information
Prices
Fees & Structure
Assessment Session (50 minutes): £50 (reduced introductory fee for our initial meeting, available online or face-to-face).
Therapy Session (50 minutes): £120 per session (typically held weekly or fortnightly, available online or in person)
What to Expect from the Assessment
The initial 50-minute assessment is our starting point to see if we are a good fit. It gives you the chance to understand how therapy works, briefly talk about what brings you to therapy and discuss your background. Together, we will decide if my approach is the right match for your needs. If not, I will gladly signpost you toward a more appropriate service, keeping in mind that finding the right therapeutic relationship takes time and patience.
Ongoing Therapy Following the Assessment: ongoing 50-minute therapy sessions, whether held online or face-to-face, are collaborative and tailored specifically to your goals, working together as a team to find the best mode of treatment for your journey.
When I work
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Further information
What is a Counselling Psychologist?
A counselling psychologist works collaboratively with individuals to navigate a wide range of life difficulties, including anxiety, depression, domestic violence, phobias, relationship issues and bereavement. By examining a person’s past, present and perceived future, counselling psychologists help make sense of how internal and external processes connect across time. They explore both conscious and unconscious patterns to foster a deeper understanding of the self and utilise targeted interventions to encourage positive personal growth.
Understanding My Approach to Therapy
Every individual is unique, meaning no single therapeutic model fits everyone. I draw from several evidence-based approaches, tailoring our work entirely to your needs and goals:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): A short-term, present-focused approach that examines how your thoughts, beliefs and behaviors are interconnected. CBT helps you identify and challenge negative thinking patterns, equipping you with practical tools to think more realistically and positively influence your mood and behavior.
Psychodynamic Therapy:This approach explores how unconscious memories, thoughts and feelings influence your conscious life. In a safe, non-judgmental space, we look at unresolved conflicts and relational patterns (including transference) to help you gain profound self-awareness and relief from recurring difficulties.
Person-Centred Therapy: Developed by Carl Rogers in the 1950s, this humanistic, client-led approach is rooted in the belief that everyone has an innate drive toward their full potential. In an empathetic environment, I actively listen and support you as you trust your own feelings and find your own solutions.
Integrative Therapy: Rather than sticking to a rigid method, I blend techniques from CBT, psychodynamic and person-centred therapies to suit you as a whole person. For instance, addressing depression might involve CBT task-setting for daily motivation, psychodynamic exploration of past roots and person-centred empathy to empower lasting change.
