About

I am an experienced, BACP registered, integrative and psychotherapeutic counsellor. I have completed integrative, relational counselling training (please see below). I have gained varied and specialist experience as a therapist and have 8 years post-qualifying experience. I offer short-term and long-term counselling. This includes supporting people with trauma symptoms and recovery, complex relationships, past or recent losses, anxiety and depression, adjustment to diagnosis/illness and bereavement. I have 15+ years experience working within psychology and healthcare teams in the NHS; with adults and older adults from all walks of life, many of whom had long-term neurological conditions – particularly dementia – as well as working therapeutically with their carers/partners. I have also worked for charities and agencies specialising in end of life and bereavement support/therapy, and also addiction recovery (mainly alcohol); supporting those in recovery and family members/partners affected by someone else’s substance use (past or present).

Work Experience

The therapy, health and charitable settings I have worked in/with, include the Bristol Dementia Wellbeing Service, the SWAN Project, The Harbour, Forest of Avon Trust (‘Woodland Wellbeing’ groups) and Redcatch Community Garden (Art Therapy groups). Previously I worked for the UK Young Autism Project, and as a healthcare assistant in various mental-health care settings (NHS and private sector).

Qualifications

Diploma in Professional Studies Counselling from University of West of England (UWE), an MSc in Neuropsychology from Bristol University and a BSc in Psychology from Swansea University. I draw mainly from Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Gestalt and Trauma-informed approaches, whilst bringing a neuropsychological perspective to understanding the brain-mind-body relationship. I also bring an ever developing awareness of Neurodiversity into my work. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), abide by its Code of Ethics and attend regular supervision with a qualified supervisor to ensure my counselling work is both ethical and effective.

Approach

I work relationally and creatively. ‘Some therapists combine creative activities with talking therapy as part of their sessions.’ (www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/creative-therapy). I am experienced in integrating various therapeutic approaches to best suit each person, which can include working therapeutically outdoors, such as ‘walk and talk’, or bringing natural items, ‘small world’ toys, or objects which are meaningful for you, into an indoor space to work with creatively. My experience also includes therapeutic drawing, writing, use of metaphors and imagery. There are many options for working creatively to help find the words for, or make sense of, feelings and experiences and the various ‘parts’ of personality. A client once described this as ‘thought untangling’.

Research shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship itself, is the most important element in creating an effective therapy process. I aim to offer you a calm, curious and connected presence, and a chance to be yourself, find yourself, understand your relationships and life circumstances (past and present) and move towards healing old wounds.

This is all possible.

I have experienced first hand how hard it can be to find a voice to express feelings such as sadness, anger, fear, guilt, shame, disgust, joy. With an attuned listening ear and compassionate responses, we can express all of this and more, and discover so much more about ourselves than ever imagined.

I am listening.

“A word after a word after a word is power.”

Margaret Atwood