About me
Do you have that low, heart sink feeling? It’s a bit like carrying a weight that never quite lifts. Perhaps you’re experiencing anxiety or dread, struggling with a situation you just can't face, or spinning too many plates and finding it hard to keep your balance, hoping they all don’t come crashing down.
Sometimes these feelings stem from difficulties in our relationships, the pressure of too many responsibilities, or life transitions such as menopause or aging that can feel overwhelming. Or it may be that you are carrying these feelings and have no idea why.
When we're struggling, it can be a lonely and difficult place to be, and it's easy to feel that nobody really understands what we're going through.
Whatever is going on for you, you don't have to carry it alone. As a counsellor, I offer a safe, warm and supportive space where we can take the time to explore what you’re experiencing, make sense of it together, and gain a better understanding of who you are, what’s important to you, and how you can move forward when life feels stuck.
The therapy I offer is trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming. Whatever aspects of your identity, background or life experience you bring, I aim to offer a space where you can feel accepted, understood and free to be yourself.
About my work:
I’m a BACP-registered therapist based in York where I work in person and online. I am a person-centred, relational therapist, which means I tailor therapy to you and your individual needs.
I have experience of working with people facing a range of challenges, including relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, burnout, anxiety, depression, bereavement, life transitions and ageing.
Alongside this, I have a particular interest in supporting people who struggle with a sense that they don’t fully belong. This may relate to culture, identity, family relationships, or a more general sense of disconnection from people around you. Sometimes it’s difficult to put into words, but there can be a lingering sense that you don’t quite fit.
These experiences can bring feelings of grief, loneliness and confusion, which are not always easy to express or make sense of by yourself. I offer a calm therapeutic space where we can explore these experiences together, working at your pace so that you feel supported and less alone in carrying them.
Training, qualifications & experience
I run my own private counselling practice called Therapy Room 828. In-person sessions are based in the centre of York, where I work from Tower House in Fishergate on a Tuesday and from professional counselling rooms on other days. I also offer online counselling nationally.
In addition to this, I work as a part-time Counselling Team Facilitator and a volunteer counsellor for a charitable organisation, providing donation-based counselling for Adults in York.
I’ve always enjoyed studying and undertaking CPD, and I’m currently building on my qualifications and experience in areas such as group facilitation and relationships.
Before becoming a counsellor, I worked as a social anthropologist and embedded researcher, working in the community and in hospitals alongside the NHS. Areas I worked in included Dementia Friendly Cinema spaces, life transitions, loss, cancer care, and developmentally appropriate healthcare, as well as institutional settings such as psychiatric inpatient care and prison visiting.
Qualifications:
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
- CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
- PhD in Social Anthropology (specialising in kinship and family relationships)
- MA (Distinction) in Research Methods
- BA (Hons) Human Sciences and Health
CPD:
- Working with Family Estrangement (Independent Study and Practice Based learning)
- Working with Context, Identity, Diversity and Universal Equity: An Embedded Whole Practice Approach (BACP)
- Trauma-informed counselling (The Open University)
- Domestic Abuse and Mental Health (York St John University)
- How to Help Clients with Their Anger (BACP)
- Understanding Attachment (Deep Release)
- Integrating Artwork into Counselling Practice (BACP)
- Online Counselling: Advancing Your Knowledge (The Open University)
- Group Facilitation Training (The Gestalt Centre London and The Open 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
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Belonging, Identity and Disconnection
- Cultural Identity and Difference
- Empty nest and Life Transitions
- Estrangement
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 per session
Further information
The first session:
I offer a free video or phone call of up to 20 minutes, where we can talk about what you would like from therapy and whether the support I offer feels like a good fit for you. This isn’t a therapy session, but it is an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have and get a sense of whether you would feel comfortable working with me.
If you decide to go ahead, our first session is a gentle introduction and an opportunity for us to get to know each other a bit better. I’ll explain how counselling works and talk through our agreement, making sure everything feels clear and moves at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
You’re welcome to share as much or as little as feels right. You don’t need to have everything figured out.
The focus is simply on starting to build a sense of trust and safety, so that over time you feel able to explore what matters to you most.
