About me
I am a psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counsellor offering both short-term and long-term therapy. I am warm, supportive, & non-judgemental. With me you can explore your experiences in a safe, welcoming environment. I want you to relax and feel like you can say anything you need to without fear or shame.
You may be facing a particular challenge or you may feel weighed down and generally low, feeling that life isn’t as hopeful or as happy as you thought it would be. Therapy can help you discover a way forward – we are all capable of finding new freedom and new possibilities, no matter what our past looked like or how we feel now.
My psychodynamic approach can help you identify patterns of thought and feeling that keep you 'stuck'. Most of us are living in a story of ourselves that wasn't created by us and is hard to understand while we are in it. Together, we will build an understanding of your inner world, noticing why you might feel, think, & do what you do. With this deeper understanding will come space to notice, acknowledge, & grieve the things you haven’t felt able to in the past. With a greater understanding of the way you experience the world, & of the origins and influences that came together to create the unique person that you are, you will be able to find new ways to be. Leaving you with a greater sense of self-awareness and the freedom to live life more authentically.
I offer therapy for: depression, low mood, anxiety, relationship difficulties, chronic health conditions, neurodivergence (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD), sexuality & identity, & others (pls ask). I am neuro-divergent friendly, LGBTQI+ and trans affirming, I offer a safe space for all humans.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Postgraduate Diploma – Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (level 7) – University of Brighton
- NCFE Cache Level 3 – Counselling Skills & Theory – Brighton MET
- NCFE Cache Level 2 – Helping Skills – Brighton MET
- PhD – Literature, philosophy, poetry – Cambridge University
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
£60.00 per session
Additional information
I offer a free 15-minute phone call for us to have an opening conversation about your needs, and if you decide to find out more, I offer a low-cost first session for us to meet (in person or online) and discuss in more depth your reasons for seeking therapy, your expectations, how I work, and to think about whether you want to continue and on what basis (short-term, fixed number of sessions, open-ended). No obligation. If you decide to continue, our sessions will be weekly at the same time and location (see bottom of page for locations) and will last 50 minutes.
Prices:
15 minute initial call: free
50-minute discovery session: £15
Full session (50 minutes): £60
Further information
Our therapeutic conversation will be built on trust, compassion and meeting you where you are. My approach is warm, relational, supportive and welcomes playful exploration and dialogue. Laughter is very much allowed! You won't find yourself talking at a blank wall or feeling under pressure to keep thinking what to say. Collaborative exploration enables discovery of new ways of feeling, thinking and acting. Most clients slowly and steadily feel stronger and happier over time.
I work psychodynamically, with some elements of humanistic and interpersonal approaches. ‘Psychodynamic’ means that we think about how your early life and significant relationships have had an impact on the way you think and feel now. We revisit any experiences that may be troubling you, and we wonder about how they have affected you.
I have personal experience of neurodivergence. I understand the challenges facing many with neurodivergent characteristics & diagnoses. Social stress, workplace challenges, sensory overload, cognitive burnout, shame, feeling alien and ‘wrong’ in a neurotypical world.
My own experience of long-term health challenges has given me valuable insight into what it’s like to live with a condition that limits your choices and opportunities. I can support you to think about how you are now, to develop acceptance, and to begin to put in place strategies that may lead to new ways of approaching mind and body.
As a creative artist and former editor, I have intimate experience of the challenges people working in the arts and creative industries often face: stress and burnout; creative blocks; self-criticism; harsh self-talk; extreme lack of confidence; the shock of success (imposter syndrome and dissociation); the burdens of failure.
Creative work is demanding and can uncover dimensions of yourself that can be painful and distressing. A sympathetic therapist can help you understand, explore, and resolve the issues that arise as you move through your creative journey.
