About me
I am a warm, reflective and insightful person, who brings these qualities into the therapy room. As your counsellor, I would help you to make sense of and work through your difficulties - with your autonomy and empowerment always at the forefront.
From my experiences in life and counselling, I understand how transformative it can be when the right conditions for recovery, growth and thriving come together. I believe these are:
- Feeling accepted (exactly as we are - warts and all - totally permitted to just be ourselves)
- Expressing what we think and feel (without fear of judgement or rejection)
- Making sense of our experience (via reflection, dialogue and wisdom)
- Finding realistic ways forward (reconciling the limitations we face in life with new, happier possibilities on offer for us)
I believe these essential ingredients form the basis of effective therapy, whatever the particular background or approach of the counsellor. Acceptance, care, attention and wisdom are extremely powerful tools for growth. I endeavour to provide those qualities in order to empower my clients to get to a better place. For me, helping a client to overcome their distress and helping them to start thriving in life are one in the same thing.
I work pluralistically, meaning that I can draw upon a range of different therapeutic ideas and approaches, depending upon what is a good fit for you. We would work together to help you explore and untangle the issues that are weighing on you, in order to find a way forward.
I am interested in a broad range of ideas, approaches and wisdom traditions. This includes psychodynamic theory; humanistic psychology, eastern philosophical perspectives; sociological and political thought; as well as literature and film. I co-created/presented a bibliotherapy podcast called The Reading Cure (www.thereadingcure.com), and I can bring in ideas and insights from great books in a way that is accessible and relatable.
My background is in education. I have also completed academic studies up to PhD level at St Andrews (International Relations) and very aware of the particular pressures that come with university life. I also have many years of practical experience working with individuals who experience difficulties in their relationships and/or day-to-day functioning, e.g. due to trauma, bereavement, neurodivergence, addictions etc.
I always strive to help my clients to not just get back on track, but to get onto a path in life that feels happier, more purposeful and more fulfilling.
If you think I might be a good fit for you to work with in counselling, do please get in touch - I’ll be delighted to hear from you :)
Training, qualifications & experience
- MSc Counselling (w/distinction), Abertay University
- BA honours (1st) English Literature, Open University
- PhD International Relations, University of St Andrews
- PGDE Secondary Teaching, University of Strathclyde
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Additional information
Sessions are 1 hour. First sessions are half price (£27.50), and can be in person, by telephone or online.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
