About me
My Approach
I work with clients facing a wide range of emotional difficulties. These might include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship problems, and attachment issues.
My therapy model is psychodynamic - a talking therapy that offers the opportunity for clients to explore feelings, thoughts and ideas that might be causing distress and pain.
Talking through issues together, the counsellor enables the client to recognise unhelpful patterns that may have been learned from childhood. Psychodynamic counselling is a long established and trusted treatment for emotional difficulties.
My practice provides a safe and confidential setting where your concerns will be heard. Talking through difficulties can help to alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression and encourage a sense of hope and self-worth.
It can be difficult to make that step into therapy, and you may feel worried about talking to someone new. We can have an initial phone conversation before you decide to begin working with me.
Working with young people.
Some of you may be parents wondering how you can find help for your son or daughter. I realise it can be hard to think of your child confiding in someone you don't know. My experience in this area of work means I am sensitive to the needs of the young person, as well as the anxiety of the parent. It is important for the young person to know that they, and not their parent, are the client, however I am happy to meet initially with both the parent and the young person if that feels helpful.
Neurodivergent Clients
In recent years I have been working with a number of clients presenting with ADHD and mild autism. They bring a layer of complexity that needs to be navigated with care and sensitivity. My experience with these clients means I have been able to help them understand behaviour patterns, and ease anxious and obsessive thoughts.
Therapy and Creatives
With my own background in the arts, I have experience of the emotional highs and lows that this area of work can bring. When every book or painting is completed, or a tour ended, there is elation and there is loss. The loss can evoke feelings of hopelessness, dread and loneliness. Talking this through offers the opportunity to process this tricky time and re-energise the creative drive.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training and Qualifications
- Post Graduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling. (WPF).
- Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling with Adolescents. (Bridge & Wessex)
- Post diploma training in Solution Focused Short Term Therapy.
- Post diploma training in Couples counselling.
- Assessment training
- Training in Mindfulness
- Training in ADHD. (Northside Training).
As a fully accredited member of BACP I abide by ethical standards which means I receive regular supervision and am committed to my own continuous professional development.
Experience
- Three years working at Cirencester Counselling Service.
- Two year placement at Gloucestershire University.
- Seven years working in two secondary schools with 11 - 18 year olds
- Various roles at Gloucestershire Counselling Service, (GCS), over 19 years, including counsellor, assessor, training organiser, tutor, and student support.
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
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My fees are £70 for couples.
Counselling sessions are 50 minutes in length.
My practice is in the centre of Stroud with a car park nearby.
When I work
I have daytime availability.
