About me
Life can be challenging and there are times when we may need help to navigate our way through it. Often our early experiences in our families don't equip us to manage life as well as we would like. This can cause difficulties in our relationships, both with ourselves and others and can lead us to repeat patterns that are unhelpful and leave us feeling depressed and anxious or stuck and unfulfilled. The last year has been particularly difficult for many, with all the challenges the pandemic has brought to our lives, lifestyle and in many cases, our livelihoods, putting a strain on relationships and leading to isolation and loneliness for many.
Therapy can help us to understand ourselves, to reflect on and make sense of our experiences and to give us the resources to cope with difficult feelings and circumstances. It can help us to improve our relationships and make better decisions. It can also help to build resilience and self-esteem so that we can function better in our work and personal lives.
Having originally trained as a social worker, then as an individual and group psychotherapist, I have had over 20 years experience in the helping professions, including 10 years in an NHS secondary care mental health setting, working with both individuals and groups. I can offer a warm, supportive, non-judgemental space where we can reflect together to try to make sense of what troubles you and to bring about meaningful change.
Next steps
You can contact me by telephone or email and we can have an initial discussion about what you are looking for. Then, if you want to take it further, we can meet for one or two sessions so that we can both get a sense of whether I am the right therapist for you.
Training, qualifications & experience
MSc and Diploma in Social Work (DipSW)
Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling as Psychotherapy (PGDip)
Qualified Group Analyst (IGA)
Accredited Mentalisation-Based Therapy (MBT) Practitioner
Over the past 20 years I have worked in a variety of settings, including the Probation Service, substance misuse services, a bereavement service and within in a therapeutic community in an NHS secondary care mental health service.
I am member of the UKCP and the BACP.
Member organisations
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 Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

UK Council for Psychotherapy
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership

Accredited Register Scheme
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
I charge £70 an hour but do have some low-cost places for those on low incomes.