About me
You may be considering counselling because something specific has happened, or because you've been struggling for a while and aren't quite sure why. Perhaps you feel anxious, low, overwhelmed or stuck, find yourself repeating the same patterns in relationships, or are finding it difficult to understand or express how you feel.
Sometimes people come to counselling without being able to put their finger on exactly what is wrong. You don't need to have it all worked out before you come.
I offer counselling for adults aged 18 and over, providing a warm, supportive and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly and at your own pace. For me, an important part of therapy is developing a relationship in which you feel genuinely heard and understood, and safe enough to explore the parts of yourself or your experience that may be more difficult to share elsewhere.
How I work
My core approach is person-centred. This means I won't tell you what you should do or assume that I know what is best for you. Instead, we work collaboratively to understand what is happening for you, where some of your feelings or patterns might come from, and what you might need moving forward.
I am also an integrative counsellor, which allows me to adapt the way I work to the individual rather than expecting everyone to engage with counselling in the same way. Depending on what feels useful for you, our work might involve exploring past experiences and relationships, recognising patterns that continue to affect you now, understanding thoughts and behaviours, developing ways of managing difficult emotions, or paying attention to how experiences are felt in the body.
I draw on approaches including CBT, mindfulness-based approaches, attachment and psychodynamic thinking, trauma-informed work and parts work.
I don't believe therapy should feel like something that is being done to you. We can regularly think together about what is helpful, what isn't, and what you need from our sessions.
What I can help with
I have experience supporting people with anxiety, depression and low mood, low self-esteem, relationship and attachment difficulties, bereavement, trauma, identity, emotional regulation and periods of significant emotional distress.
A substantial part of my counselling experience has involved working with neurodivergence, particularly autism and ADHD. I recognise that people experience and communicate emotions very differently, and that traditional ways of sitting and talking about feelings don't necessarily suit everyone.
You may find it difficult to identify what you are feeling, struggle to put things into words, become overwhelmed by emotions, or perhaps feel very little at times. You might understand intellectually why you respond in certain ways but find that knowing this doesn't necessarily change how you feel.
We can work with this gently and without pressure. I can use creative, visual or more practical approaches where these are helpful, but equally our sessions can simply provide somewhere to talk and be heard.
Knowing yourself, not fixing yourself
I am particularly interested in helping people make sense of themselves with greater compassion. Sometimes ways of coping that are causing difficulties now developed for very understandable reasons.
Counselling can provide an opportunity to become curious about those patterns rather than judging them understanding where they came from, noticing when they appear and gradually finding different ways of responding where you would like things to change.
For some people, therapy is about understanding their past and relationships more deeply. For others, it is about dealing with what is happening in their life right now. Often it becomes a mixture of both.
Getting started
Choosing a counsellor is a very personal decision, and feeling comfortable with the person you are talking to matters.
If you are considering counselling with me, you are welcome to get in touch. We can have an initial conversation about what has brought you to counselling, what you are hoping for and whether working together feels right for you.
You don't need to know exactly what you want from counselling before you begin. We can work that out together.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified counsellor and an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), with around four years' experience working therapeutically with a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties.
I hold a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and a BA (Hons) in English Literature. My core therapeutic approach is person-centred and integrative, allowing me to adapt the way I work according to the individual and what they need from counselling.
My professional experience includes counselling within both educational and charitable settings. During this time, I have supported people experiencing a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression and low mood, low self-esteem, relationship and attachment difficulties, bereavement, trauma, neurodivergence, identity difficulties, self-harm and significant emotional distress.
Alongside my core counselling training, I undertake regular continuing professional development (CPD). Areas of additional training and professional development include:
- Neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD
- Suicidal thoughts and self-harm
- Trauma and trauma-informed practice
- Eating disorders and disordered eating
- Attachment and relationship difficulties
- Emotional regulation and managing distress
- Working therapeutically with young people
- Safeguarding and risk assessment
- CBT and mindfulness-based approaches
I hold a current Enhanced DBS certificate, receive regular clinical supervision and undertake ongoing professional development in accordance with BACP ethical and professional standards.
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
My standard fee is £60 per session.
I also offer a limited number of reduced-fee spaces for those who may otherwise find the cost of counselling difficult to manage. Please feel free to ask about availability when you get in touch.
Fees and affordability can be discussed openly during our initial conversation, with no obligation to continue.
