This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Looking for a therapist can be difficult and scary. If you are feeling vulnerable, choosing the right person to work with can be daunting. You are welcome to contact me for an initial free phone consultation, to let me know what is happening in your life and to find out more about how we might work together. Please don't hesitate to get in touch, I'm an approachable, down to earth person who will take the time needed to listen to what you want to say.
I'm an Art Psychotherapist with over 30 years experience of working with all kinds of people in many different settings. You can use the art materials to express feelings and explore your experiences, or we can just have conversations. I have also been a couples counsellor for the past 7 years.
If you are an individual looking for help at a time of difficulty, or a couple struggling with your relationship, I will try to help you to move towards positive change and to understand feelings, explore past experiences or current issues and think about what you want in the future.
I have a lot of experience working with people with an Autism diagnosis and I welcome enquiries from anyone who is on the spectrum, or thinks they may be, especially women who may have always wondered why they feel different.
My preference is for face to face work but it's also possible for us to work online, or to come to an arrangement that includes a combination of meetings and online work
Here's how it works.
Send me an email and we will arrange an initial phone call or online session to discuss what you need and see if we're a good match for working together. Then, if we decide to go ahead, we arrange regular sessions at agreed times.
We can work together to help you understand feelings, safely explore past experiences or current issues and think about what you want in the future.
With Art Therapy, there is a huge potential for expressing feelings or exploring experiences either by using art materials while we are together, or by working with images you have found or made previously. The therapy studio is in a quiet rural setting, where alongside conventional art supplies, natural materials are also available for use, as is the outside space. The peaceful rural setting of my therapy room is a quiet haven from everyday life and the yearly cycles of nature are very present around us. You can see some photos further down my profile which were taken near the studio.
What happens in the sessions is led by you but I may make some suggestions from time to time.. However, art therapy is not like an art class. Don't worry - you don't have to be good at art to benefit from art therapy and there is no right or wrong way to use the materials. There is no need for previous experience or any special level of skill; you only need to be willing to give it a go.
For couples, the work may include discussion; questions and exercises to bring fresh insights or to help with changes in communication and behaviour; individual as well as joint sessions and the opportunity to use image making to explore the dynamics of your relationship in a way that words alone may not. It can be an opportunity to literally see things from another person's point of view. However, the use of the materials is optional - if you don't want to use them we can just talk
My approach to therapy is open-minded, enquiring and collaborative. Our identities and experiences may be very different but my aim is to empower you to deal with what life brings. There may be challenges along the way but I will be an empathetic witness to the emotions and experiences you bring to therapy.
The next step
Please contact me if you'd like to find out more. We can arrange an introductory session either by phone call or online to discuss the possibility of working together. We would also discuss terms and other practical issues. There is no obligation on either side to go further at this point and any agreement for short or long term work would be reviewed regularly.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained as an Art Psychotherapist at the University of Sheffield from 1993-4, gaining a Post-graduate diploma in Art Psychotherapy. Since then I have worked in community settings, in the NHS and in private practice. This has included work in education, learning disabilities services, in a hospice, in hospital and community based mental health services and a wide range of other situations. I've been in private practice since 2011. In 2018 I completed the Advanced Certificate in Relationship Therapy, accredited by the College of Sex and Relationship Therapy.
My initial training was based on psychodynamic theory, which means that attention is given to how past relationships with important people such as parents, may be affecting the present. I believe that exploring this can lead to changes in how we are in ourselves, our relationships, families, friendships and work settings. I have also completed training based on humanistic approaches. In recent years a wealth of new information has become available which can be very useful to consider in therapy. For example, thinking about the impact of early attachment, brain development or neurodiversity can shine a light on why a person may be experiencing relationship difficulties. We may look at some of these ideas in therapy and think about how they may apply to your situation.
As well as working as an Art Psychotherapist, I still continue to make my own art taking inspiration from the natural world. I also run a community Taiko drumming group which performs at local festivals and is developing the use of Taiko drumming for health and well-being.
Qualifications:
PG Diploma in Art and Psychotherapeutic studies
Advanced Certificate in Relationship Therapy
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.
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 - £70.00
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
My usual fees are:
Individuals : Introductory 1 hour session £30. Ongoing sessions £70 for 1 hour face to face or online. Some concessions are available with a minimum fee of £60
Couples: Introductory 1 hour session £50. Ongoing sessions £90 for 80 minutes face to face or online.
When I work
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My usual hours are Monday to Wednesday 10am - 6pm. I can sometimes do appointments on other days, please ask about this.
Face to face, online or phone.
Further information
I'm registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
I have been a full member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) since 1994 and I work within the BAAT code of ethics
