About Me
I’m an integrative counsellor and I work with adults and young people aged 16 and over.
I’m passionate about people and about supporting them through the difficult, confusing and sometimes really painful things life can bring.
For me, counselling isn’t about sitting silently while you do all the talking, and it isn’t about me telling you what you should do either. I see it as something we do together.
I want you to feel that you can bring all parts of yourself into the room ~ the things you understand, the things you don’t, the bits you might feel embarrassed about and even the things you have never said out loud before.
My aim is to offer a relationship where you can feel safe, heard and accepted, without judgement or pressure to be anything other than yourself.
How I work
I am an integrative counsellor, which means I have trained in a number of different therapeutic approaches, including Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, CBT and Existential therapy.
In simple terms, this means I don’t believe one way of working will suit everyone.
You are an individual, so your counselling should be too.
Sometimes our work may involve looking at what is happening in your life now. At other times, it can be helpful to understand where certain feelings, beliefs or patterns may have come from.
We might notice the way you speak to yourself, explore relationships and past experiences, look at things from a different perspective or find practical ways of managing something that feels difficult.
Some sessions may feel quite deep. Others might involve talking through what has happened during your week.
There isn’t a right way to do counselling.
I will be led by you and what you need, while also asking questions, noticing patterns and gently challenging things when I think it may be helpful.
I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the room
I have been through counselling myself and I think that experience is an important part of who I am as a therapist.
I know that starting counselling can feel daunting.
I also know what it is like to wonder what you are supposed to say, whether what you are struggling with is somehow “enough” to bring to therapy, and what it feels like to talk honestly about parts of yourself that perhaps you have spent a long time keeping hidden.
My own experience of counselling helped me understand myself in ways I hadn't expected. It helped me recognise patterns, question things I had believed about myself for years and become more comfortable being who I actually am.
That experience is one of the reasons I value the counselling relationship so much.
You don't have to come to me knowing exactly what is wrong or what you want to change. We can work that out together.
you don’t have to go through this alone
My background and experience
Before becoming a counsellor, I worked in education for many years as a learning support assistant.
After retraining as a therapist, I went on to work in a number of different counselling settings alongside building my private practice.
I have worked within a GP surgery, supporting people with a wide range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, abuse and relationship problems.
I also volunteered for over two years with a cancer charity, counselling people living with cancer and their families.
Alongside this, I have worked within a local sixth-form college supporting young people experiencing a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression and questions around gender and sexuality.
These different experiences have given me the opportunity to work with people of different ages, backgrounds and life experiences, and with people coming to counselling for very different reasons.
My qualifications
BSc (Hons) Therapeutic Counselling
Diploma in Integrative Therapeutic Counselling
My core training includes:
Person-Centred Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Existential Therapy
Learning doesn't stop once you qualify as a counsellor, and continuing professional development is an important part of my practice.
I have completed additional training in areas including:
Anxiety
Attachment
Shame and the inner critic
Trauma and developmental trauma
Suicide and self-harm
Working professionally with young people
Anger
Risk in private practice
Existential anxiety
Dreamwork
Emotional regulation
Breathwork and nervous-system regulation
Professional membership
I am an Accredited Registrant Member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and work within their ethical framework.
I also attend regular clinical supervision. This gives me a confidential professional space to reflect on my work and helps ensure that I continue to practise safely and ethically.
For me, being a counsellor means continuing to learn, reflect and question my own practice, not assuming that qualifying means I suddenly know everything.
And most importantly, underneath all of the qualifications and training, I am still just another human being sitting in the room with you.
If you think I might be the right counsellor for you, you are very welcome to get in touch.