About me
Who I am as a counsellor
I'm a person-centred counsellor, meaning I'll value and accept you as a person, I'll listen to understand what life is like for you and I won't hold judgements about you. I believe that with the right therapeutic relationship and environment, you can get to know yourself and find ways of managing the challenges you experience.
As well as my person-centred core approach, I'm trained in a range of counselling modalities, meaning I can integrate parts of other approaches into my work to suit you as the client.
I have experience of working with people who have a sight impairment, people who are neurodivergent (mainly ADHD and / or Autism, late diagnosed / suspected) and people living with long term health conditions. Together we can explore one or more of these things, or you may want to explore another issue, but with someone who will be understanding of who you are and any particular needs you may have.
I have personal experience of supporting a close family member through cancer. If you're supporting or caring for a family member or friend, we can explore your feelings about their situation, and also the impact it may be having on your life and your responsibilities.
I am trained in trauma-focused therapy. If you are looking to process one or more traumatic / distressing experiences we can use a range of techniques to help with this, including managing the emotions and feelings you're experiencing as a result.
Therapeutic work doesn't always have to mean talking. If you're finding it hard to put into words how you feel, we can find some creative ways to help move things forward.
My work with clients has ranged from just a single session to focus on a particular problem, to longer term therapy, enabling deeper exploration.
Who I am outside of counselling
I've spent most of my working life in housing associations and charities and work with a variety of people from different backgrounds and in different circumstances. I now dedicate most of my time to counselling, alongside working one day a week for the NHS. In my spare time I enjoy the gym, crochet and spending time with my cats.
Who I was as a client
When I had counselling myself, it helped me better understand who I was, the messages I'd grown up with and how they were influencing my feelings, thoughts and behaviours. I learned to trust myself, my values and my decision-making. Experiencing this means I understand the process of personal growth. I appreciate it can be hard at times, but I also know the benefits it can bring.
My qualifications and training
I'm a qualified counsellor and have completed the following training:
Certificate in trauma focused therapy
Level 4 diploma in therapeutic counselling
Level 3 certificate in psychodynamic counselling skills
Transactional analysis 101
Level 2 award in safeguarding for counsellors
I am qualified to work with adults (aged 18+).
I'm an Accredited Registrant member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (MNCPS Acc.)
I'm committed to my own continuous professional development (cpd), meaning I read, listen, watch and train to keep up to date, enhance my knowledge and help me think about things from a different perspective. I also regularly engage with other counsellors to share best practice and gain from other people's experiences.
