About me
About Me
I’m a counsellor and psychotherapist with over ten years in private practice and thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience. My work is grounded in the belief that healing happens through genuine human connection — where you feel safe enough to be fully seen, heard, and met just as you are.
I offer a warm, confidential, and non-judgemental space to explore anxiety, depression, shame, trauma, identity, or life transitions. My approach is person-centred and responsive — I don’t impose a fixed agenda, but instead walk alongside you, supporting your process in a way that feels right for you.
Alongside my professional training, I bring over 25 years of mindfulness and contemplative practice, including a decade as a Buddhist nun and approximately six years in structured meditation retreat. This unique background supports my presence as a therapist — grounded, steady, and able to hold deep emotional and existential work with compassion and care.
Specialist Areas
I have particular experience and interest in working with:
Anxiety, chronic stress, and panic
Depression, low mood, and numbness
Shame-based thinking and self-criticism
Low self-worth and identity struggles
Burnout, life transitions, and overwhelm
Spiritual or existential concerns — meaning, purpose, direction
I also bring specialist expertise in:
University and international student mental health — including counselling students abroad and supporting transitions, academic stress, and identity development
Clients living with chronic illness, disability, or neurodivergence — including MS, visual impairment, and autism
Clients facing systemic or internalised barriers — especially those navigating difference within education, healthcare, or the workplace
These areas have been central to my practice for over a decade — shaped by my work in university services, online counselling for students overseas, and mentoring disabled students. I also draw on personal lived experience of chronic illness, which informs my work with empathy and authenticity.
How I Work
I work relationally — meaning I view the therapeutic relationship as central to growth and healing. I bring presence, empathy, and curiosity to help you explore what’s happening beneath the surface and reconnect with your inner resources.
My work draws on:
Person-Centred Therapy
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Where helpful, I also incorporate existential or transpersonal exploration — especially with clients navigating questions of meaning, identity, or direction.
Mindfulness & Contemplative Training
Before becoming a therapist, I spent ten years as a Buddhist nun, during which I undertook extensive study and approximately six years of retreat, including four years in solitary retreat with a disciplined schedule of 8–10 hours of formal meditation practice per day.
These were not wellness getaways or reflective breaks — but intensive, structured training in emotional regulation, insight, and compassion.
This contemplative depth shapes how I hold space in therapy. While my work is entirely secular, I bring the stability, clarity, and non-reactivity that come from long-term practice. For clients seeking more than surface-level techniques, this offers a deeper foundation for emotional healing and inner transformation.
I also offer formal mindfulness and self-compassion training, including:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Mindful Self-Compassion & Compassion-Focused Practice
These can be woven into therapy or offered as stand-alone support.
Training, qualifications & experience
I’m a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in accordance with its Code of Ethics.
Qualifications:
Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling – University of Strathclyde
COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills – Glasgow Caledonian University
Compassion Focused Therapy – Levels 1 & 2 (Paul Gilbert)
Emotion Focused Therapy – Levels 1 & 2 – University of Strathclyde
Mindfulness Teacher Training – Bangor University
Mindfulness Practitioner Training – Mindfulness Association
Mindful Self-Compassion Core Skills – Drs Kristin Neff & Chris Germer
Experience Includes:
Over ten years in private practice
Counsellor in university and college counselling services
Online counselling for international students (Georgia Tech Europe)
Mentoring and disability support at the University of Glasgow
Counsellor at the Tom Allan Centre (CrossReach)
PVG Registered (Disclosure Scotland)
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
Photos & videos
Fees
Additional information
From £65 per therapeutic hour (50mins)
I offer an initial 30 minute consultation free of charge.
When I work
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