A Warm Welcome
You may have found my page because your thoughts and emotions are taking up a lot of space, keeping you from getting a restful night's sleep or doing the things you enjoy - I know the feeling! Perhaps a big life change or recent issue has thrown everything off-centre for you. We will find ways to process this difficult time together, all the while creating space for you to explore, understand, and find a sense of belonging, supporting you to embrace the changes you've been wanting to make.
I hope you will find all the information on this website about what it would be like to work with me, but please do reach out if you have any questions at all.
Therapeutic Space
My style of therapy is warm and collaborative, trusting that my clients are the experts in themselves and their lives. At the core of the work is a caring exploration into you and your personal core values. I believe we all have the capacity for growth, healthy change, and to love our true wonderful selves.
I am a creative person at heart and work in an integrative way, holistically centred in psychodynamic, existential and mindfulness therapies. Every session and therapeutic relationship is unique to the space we create together.
How does it work?
Exploring our past helps us to find and understand the roots of our distresses today, helping us to work out how to heal and grow.
We will work together in a human-to-human way, initially building a space of trust and safety, then working collaboratively towards your therapy goals. We will look to find more self-awareness, clarity and understanding of who you are, how you relate to others, and how your experiences have shaped you into the person you are. I tend to work creatively, bringing in tools and techniques that really click with you as a person. I will work alongside you to find clarity and coping tools which help you to tackle life's challenges, feel more grounded, and understand your personal core values.
Areas of Experience
My specialism is working with clients who are at a significant crossroads in their life - whether that's navigating through a career change, bereavement, a newly identified condition or illness, relationship issues, or identity crisis of some kind.
However, every session is shaped by my client's unique path, personal history and relationships - this means I work with a diverse range of experiences and issues. Below are some of the areas I have professional and personal experience of working with.
Emotional Wellbeing
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Understanding, identifying and managing emotions
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Stress, anxiety and burnout
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Fear and phobia
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Anger, anger management
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Low mood, depression
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Grief, bereavement and loss
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Trauma
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Somatic understanding of emotions
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Mental health difficulties
History
Qualifications
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am committed to following their Ethical Framework which ensures I work safely and keep my clients' best interests at the centre of the work.
Below are my academic and professional qualifications. To qualify as a counsellor, I opted for the diploma route because I wanted to benefit from the strong focus this route had on ethical practice, diversity and difference, and practical experience underpinned by research - these qualities are important to me and what I want to bring to my practice.
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CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
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CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
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CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
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BSc (Hons, 1st) Speech and Language Sciences - including modules in Psychology, Neuroscience, Cognition
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Certified Breathwork Instructor (Yoga Alliance YACEP)
In my early career, I gained lots of experience supporting people with communication difficulties, mental health conditions, and neurodiversity (particularly Autism Spectrum Condition and ADHD) in educational and healthcare settings. More recently, I have enjoyed spending years working in the charity sector, supporting a rich tapestry of clients from different backgrounds and age groups to overcome difficult obstacles to their health and wellbeing.
Having spent a few years working overseas, I enjoy working with people who live international or expat lifestyles, able to empathise with some of the challenges this can bring up (such as adjusting to major life transitions, homesickness and loneliness).
My experience set the foundations for my practice to be empathically grounded in the belief that we all have the capacity for growth. I am dedicated to working alongside my clients to find the answers that enable them to live with a stronger sense of self, build confidence and resilience, and foster meaningful relationships.
FAQ
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Investment
Initial consultations are £45, and sessions after this are charged at £70. Payment is required before we meet each week.
Please let me know if you are unable to pay for counselling at this rate. I have some limited spaces available to offer concessionary rates, otherwise I can recommend another agency or counsellor to you.
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Holidays and breaks
Breaks are an important aspect of self-care for all of us. I take regular breaks throughout the year and aim to give you as much notice as possible. We will pause our sessions during these times.
If you are planning to miss a session, please let me know in advance if possible. All cancelled or missed sessions are charged for so I can hold the space for you.
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Commitment
If you decide to start sessions with me, we will meet once a week at our agreed time on an open-ended basis. Each session will be 50 minutes long.
We will also review how the sessions are going for you as the therapy continues - this is to ensure you're getting the most from your sessions. If you are unsure about working long-term, I recommend starting with 6 sessions to allow the therapeutic relationship to develop.
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Therapeutic Space
Working remotely means my clients have the flexibility and comfort of having their sessions from their preferred space. Sessions are usually completed using Google Meets. My physical space is private, quiet and professional. I recommend we both use headphones to maintain confidentiality, aiming to limit any distractions from both sides.
I encourage you to make your space how you want it to be - if you would like to sit with a blanket or sit on the sofa, please do! However, please bear in mind that this is a professional setting - a good tip is to create how you would want your ideal therapy room to be.
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Cancellation policy
I have a 48-hour cancellation policy, and any cancellations made within this timeframe will be charged as normal. I understand sometimes things come up in life which we need to prioritise - in some cases we might be able to rearrange the session for that week, although I am not always able to accommodate this.
Please inform me if you are running late to a session via email. Unfortunately, I will not be able to extend the session length as this will affect my other appointments.
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Accessibility
I work hard to ensure my practice is inclusive and accessible. If you have any accessibility requirements, or you need any adjustments to make sessions more comfortable for your needs, please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate these.