About Me
Experience
I’m a person-centred therapist with a masters degree in clinical counselling. Since qualifying, I’ve had the privilege of working with clients from many backgrounds to give them the conditions to overcome distress and anxiety, in the many ways they affect our lives and relationships.
The person-centred approach is a growth model: it sees our pain as the product of our experiences and our ideas of who we are, and it sees therapy as a chance to transform ourselves in the presence of another’s understanding and acceptance. To a great extent, we're formed by our early relationship, and a positive, respectful relationship at any point can allow for significant therapeutic Research shows that therapy as a healing relationship, and the person-centred approach in particular, works.
I'm an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). My accreditation means I'm recognised as providing clients a "higher standard as a competent, ethical and independent practitioner" by my professional body. The BACP provides guidelines and standards for its members and it acts on complaints to provide the public with security and assurance.
My professional experience includes working with:
Anxiety
Anger
Bereavement and grief
Childhood abuse and neglect
Depression
Low self-esteem
Relationship difficulties
Shame and guilt
Self-harm
Substance use and dependency
Suicidal thoughts
I've worked with many LGBTQ+ clients.
Training and Education
MA in Clinical Counselling (with distinction, 2019)
University of Chester
Diploma in Counselling Skills (2016)
Certificate in Counselling Skills (2015)
Shrewsbury College
BSc in Mathematics (2000)
University of Stirling
Selected Professional Development
Working Therapeutically with Eating Disorders (2024) National Counselling Training Institute
An introduction to sex and intimacy in therapy work (2024) National Counselling Training Institute
Working with Relational Depth (2023) National Counselling Training Institute
BACP Private Practice: Am I OK? Are we OK? Anxiety in an uncertain world (2023) BACP
Race and culture core competency: Are you ready? (2023) BACP
Existential Group Psychotherapy and Counselling (2023) Society for Existential Analysis
Depression: A Compassionate View (2022) University of Derby
Understanding Autism, Asperger's and ADHD (2022) University of Derby
Working with Mental Health (2019) Grosvenor Training
Approach to Psychotherapy and Counselling
Person-Centred Therapy is an evidence-based approach that is client led, relational, and exploratory. Its basis is a relationship that is respectful, authentic, and empathic, the conditions revealed by research as promoting therapeutic growth.
Attachment science has reinforced these findings and shown that, just as we are formed by our first relationships, later relationships can change our limiting assumptions about ourselves and the world.