About me
I'm primarily trained as a CBT therapist specialising in a wide range of anxiety and mood disorders. I work in an honest and respectful way. I can offer you time in a non-pressurised comfortable space to help work through those difficulties.
About me
I have been qualified as a CBT therapist for the last 22 years. I was employed by the NHS as CBT therapist for 15 years. I have worked consistently over that period of time delivering somewhere in the region of 15 - 16,000 hours of therapy. I currently provide supervision in NHS Scotland 2 days per month. I also work on a contract basis for the Priory hospital.
How therapy works
Sometimes people are distressed or in pain for any number of reasons - known or unknown to them and they need to be heard and have a space to figure things out together. This is an essential starting point for any successful therapy.
Consider things you have struggled with in your life. How did you feel about those things when you had some time and space to think about them more clearly? Therapy is really just thinking out loud about the stuff that distresses you and with the help of the therapist you discover ways to be less overwhelmed and anxious that will serve you long after the sessions come to an end.
What to expect
The first session is an opportunity for us to meet each other. It is important you get a feel for whether I'm the right person for you. This is an important point to keep in mind as a client. I am happy to have an informal chat with you about how therapy works or if you prefer you can drop me an e-mail. I am happy to provide face to face, zoom or telephone sessions.
My approach
Although trained as a CBT therapist I draw upon different schools of therapy to find the best way helping people. Being able to draw on different ways of working means we can find a way that best helps you. I don't provide a one size fits all approach. Therapy needs to be personalised not standardised in order to work in a way that is meaningful.
Training, qualifications & experience
COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills (1 year)
- COSCA Validated Diploma in CBT (2 years)
- 1 year Certificate in Clinical Skills (1 year)
- HNC in Learning & Development (1 year)
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- ASSIST trained
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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I am interested in working with longer term childhood based disorders and how they manifest in people's lives today
I have in-depth experience of working with a wide range of anxiety disorders as well as having extensive experience working with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
I have developed an interest in how social media negatively affects and erodes our sense of self, specifically in the area of fitness and body image.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My fees are £60.00 per hour.
I am happy to negotiate my fees for students in full time education and people on lower income.
I offer face to face, Zoom and telephone sessions.
When I work
I offer flexible hours to suit people's specific needs.
Further information
A little bit of background about me
Before qualifying as a therapist I worked with the rough sleeping community for 2.5 years providing help and support to people with social and psychological needs. I also worked for 3 years with mental health crisis services with the focus being on helping people with complex needs as well as self harm and suicide. I also worked with young people at Barnardos for 1 year. I started off life in the manufacturing sector. My areas of interest are varied but I especially enjoy working in the field of anxiety disorders.
What I value most
I value being listened to so I always do my best to listen. I have valued others taking time to understand me so I always try my best to understand other people. Throughout my life I have valued people being kind to me so I always try to be compassionate in return. I value people being honest with me so in turn I always be honest with others. I value what I offer.
What to do next
Please feel free to give me a call, text or e-mail to find out more about what I do and if you think it is something that can help and you feel comfortable with then we can arrange an appointment that best suits you. Check out my training and experience as it tells you a little bit about my areas of special interest.
