About me
If you're questioning everything you were taught to believe, recovering from a faith community that controlled more than it cared, or untangling the impact of growing up with a parent who put their needs before yours, you're in the right place.
I specialise in supporting people who are:
- Leaving or have left high-control religion or family systems
- Recovering from and living with complex trauma (C-PTSD)
- Living with the impact of spiritual abuse, religious trauma, purity culture, or fear-based teaching
- Dealing with the psychological impact of narcissistic abuse, emotionally immature parents or highly controlling family dynamics
Many of the people I work with are trying to rebuild self-trust after years of being taught to ignore their own needs, emotions, instincts, identity, or values. This can include feeling responsible for other people’s feelings, struggling to say no, fearing rejection or punishment, grieving the loss of faith or community, or feeling unsure who you are outside of survival, compliance, or performance.
Issues I regularly work with:
- anxiety, panic, hypervigilance, or feeling constantly on edge
- emotional dysregulation, shutdown, overwhelm, or feeling unable to relax
- shame, self-criticism, and feeling like you are “bad”, “too much”, or not enough
- people-pleasing, fawning, over-apologising, or feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions
- difficulty setting boundaries, saying no, or trusting your own judgement
- identity confusion after leaving a high-control religion, family system, or worldview
- grief, anger, guilt, fear, or ambivalence around faith, family, community, or belonging
- low self-worth, perfectionism, and the pressure to be useful, good, compliant, or easy to love
- rebuilding a sense of autonomy, values, meaning, and self-trust
I practise pluralistic therapy, which means there is no one-size-fits-all approach here. Together, we'll figure out what works for you. I draw on a range of approaches and tools, shaping each session around your needs, your pace, and what feels most useful for where you are right now.
I work in person in Aberdeen, Scotland and online, with clients across the UK.
I offer flexible pricing based on your circumstances.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Diploma in Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy
- 15 years of specialist experience supporting people leaving high-control religion and navigating the psychological impact that follows
- Over 10 years working with chronic and complex trauma (CPTSD)
- Trauma-informed practice throughout
- I oversee research on religious deconstruction through The Deconstruction Network
- Regularly consulted by media as a recognised voice on religious deconstruction and recovery
Member organisations
COSCA is the professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland, and seeks to advance all forms of counselling and psychotherapy and the use of counselling skills by promoting best practice and through the delivery of a range of sustainable services. COSCA Counsellor Accreditation is a pathway to entry onto the UKRC. It is a requirement of all individual and organisational members of COSCA to abide by its Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice and be accountable to the Complaints Procedure. 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
- Religious trauma
- Spiritual abuse
- Religious deconstruction
- Cult recovery / cult exit support
- Faith transition
- Coercive control
- Identity crisis
- Shame
- Purity culture
Therapies offered
Fees
£35.00 - £60.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
- My standard fee is £60 for 1hr
- I offer a sliding scale for those who couldn't otherwise access therapy, with sessions available from £35
- If cost is a concern, please do mention it when we speak. I'd rather find a way to make it work than have it be a barrier.
When I work
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Further information
Not sure if therapy is right for you, or whether we'd be a good fit? That's completely understandable, and it's exactly what the first conversation is for.
I offer a free 20 minute introductory chat where you can:
- Share a little about what you want out of therapy
- Ask any questions you have about how I work
- Get a feel for whether working together feels right
There's no pressure and no obligation. It's just a chance to talk.
