My Experience, Therapeutic Approach and Qualifications
About me and the way might work with you
Working in collaboration with you, I hope in counselling to offer you a safe and non judgemental space where I hope that you will feel able to unpack and process your emotions and also discover some of the underlying causes to your problems and concerns. Sessions with me are friendly, open, holistic and centred on the individual experiences of my clients. As a person centred therapist I will work with you at a pace that you feel comfortable with on the parts and aspects of your life that you choose to bring to each therapy session.
I have been counselling clients since 2013 and have gained significant experience counselling in a variety of therapeutic settings including Rape Crisis (2013-2016) and Mind (2015-2017). In addition to my own counselling practice, I currently work with a national company providing Employee Assistance counselling and also provide a specialist mental health mentor service for students at a variety of universities. I have been blessed to work with so many people who have decided that the time is right to make changes in their lives and feel very privileged to do the work I do.
Like so many others in my profession I became a counsellor having experienced counselling myself following a difficult period in my own life. I have first hand experience of the 'rug of life' being pulled out from underneath me and went into counselling to try and make sense of it all. Through my own time in therapy, I gained first hand insight into how powerful an experience therapy can be. Counselling offered me a place of acceptance and non judgement, careful and structured listening, coupled with a space to gather my own thoughts and make sense of who I was then and who I wanted to be, eventually I found my way through the chaos. I then became a firm believer in the benefits of therapy and following that period trained first as a family support worker, working with young families and families in crisis and following that trained as a counsellor.
I have experience of working on short term and long term counselling contracts with both young people (over the age of 18) and adults. Within my weekly counselling practice clients bring to counselling a variety of issues including:
- Abuse
- Relational issues
- Anger
- Low self esteem
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loss and Bereavement
- Pregnancy Terminations
- Miscarriage
- Self Harm
This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a guide. Please do feel free to telephone me for a no obligation chat about the therapy and how we might work with your particular presenting concern. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have and welcome your call.
Sessions are available online
Back in March 2020, due to concerns over the pandemic I moved my previous face to face counselling practice online and undertook additional training in online therapy delivery. I now continue to work online with clients and provide sessions remotely via live webcam using Zoom or over the telephone throughout the week. An online or telephone counselling session can be just as effective as a face to face counselling session for many clients, but has the added convenience that clients can access their session from the comfort of their home or office at a time that is suitable for them.
Qualifications
Further to obtaining my original practice Diploma qualification in Therapeutic Counselling, I went on to study and obtain a Masters degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy practice where I specialised in Older Adult counselling engagement.
I have additionally received specialist training in online counselling which is recognised by ACTO (Association for Counselling and Therapy Online) and the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists. As a counsellor registered with the BACP, I work within the BACP ethical framework and fully abide by the associations ethical and professional code of practice. As such I undertake regular clinical supervision and also participate in a number of different courses and workshops throughout the year as part of my commitment to both my clients and the BACP.
As a trained eco therapeutic coach, I can offer therapeutic client sessions that take place outside the therapy room, this form of therapeutic work can be really freeing for clients who are comfortable outdoors and find traditional forms of talking therapy restricting. For more information on how that works please visit the eco therapy pages on this site.
