I am a registered psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy and have many years of working in private practice as well as formally having been Lead Consultant Psychotherapist with two of the UK’s leading providers for ‘Looked After Children’ who have attachment, complex trauma and Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I am also the Court psychotherapist for the R.C. Diocese of East Anglia.
It is understandable that we all experience times of crisis, especially when dealing with major life events. This can lead us to periods of low mood, anxiety, obsessive, compulsive behaviours, grief or conflict with self or others or a range of other symptoms which represent our emotional distress.
Psychotherapy offers you the possibility of a safe space in which you can achieve a more reflective and objective perspective about your life and the choices you are making. It is a time and space that enables you to feel free to explore whatever is troubling you without the fear of being judged or criticised. I encourage my clients to explore their own value systems so that they can see their way forward in life and find the courage to take a ‘leap of faith’ forward into the unknown.
My approach is integrative which incorporates different therapeutic styles, I do not believe there to be a 'one size fits all solution'. At the heart of my approach is the therapeutic relationship which is the vehicle for growth and change. In order to create an effective therapeutic alliance I endeavour to be empathic, respectful and, where appropriate, challenging. This approach assists in helping you to understand how your past may be influencing your present thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Working through these issues will enable you to be more in charge of your life, alleviate your symptoms, create meaning in your life and develop more fulfilling relationships.
Letting go of emotional distress whether old or relatively new can free up energy which is otherwise used in the maintenance of holding on to conflict and the repression of emotions.
I have an M.A. in psychotherapy, am a member of the U.K. Council for Psychotherapy, University Psychotherapy & Counselling Assoc, Trauma trained by the International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation. I provide clinical supervision for mental health professionals and am on the UKCP register of supervisors.