If you feel stuck, alone or if you are finding it hard to see a way forwards, then therapy can be a confidential and safe space for you to talk about the things that are important to you and for you to feel heard.
You may be feeling anxious, overwhelmed or stuck, struggling in your relationships, experiencing grief or significant change, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself without quite knowing why. You don't need to arrive at therapy knowing exactly what is wrong or how to change it.
I am a UKCP-accredited Gestalt psychotherapist offering individual therapy for adults either in person or online. My approach is warm, relational and collaborative. Rather than focusing only on the difficulties that have brought you to therapy, I am interested in you as a whole person and in understanding your experience together with curiosity, compassion and honesty. Alongside exploring your thoughts, emotions and relationships, we may also become curious about what you notice in your body and what is happening for you in the present moment. Often our bodies hold important information that words alone cannot fully express, and bringing awareness to this can open up new possibilities for understanding and change.
My extensive background in movement and the creative arts also informs the way I work. If it feels helpful, we can draw on creative or embodied approaches to explore your experience in different ways. Or you may simply prefer to sit and talk. Together, we'll find a way of working that feels right for you. As we explore your experience, familiar patterns can begin to make more sense. With greater awareness can come greater freedom to make different choices, respond in new ways and develop more fulfilling relationships with yourself and others.
I understand that taking the first step towards therapy can feel difficult. I offer a free 20-minute telephone consultation, giving you the opportunity to ask questions, tell me a little about what brings you to therapy and get a sense of whether working together feels right for you.
I am a UKCP-accredited Gestalt psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and trainer and have been practising as a therapist since 2017. I have worked with adults from a wide range of backgrounds across voluntary sector, NHS and private practice settings, with particular experience in trauma, identity and belonging, loneliness, grief and loss, relationship difficulties and significant life transitions.
I was formerly Programme Leader of the MSc Integrative Psychotherapy programme at Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute (SPTI), where I supported trainee psychotherapists in developing their clinical practice, relational awareness and professional identity. I have also taught across accredited counselling and psychotherapy training and postgraduate mental health, trauma and wellbeing programmes. These roles have deepened my understanding of what it means to support others through periods of personal and professional challenge and change.
Alongside my psychotherapy practice, I bring over 27 years' experience as an educator, researcher and academic leader in Higher Education. Working within demanding educational and leadership roles has given me a particular understanding of the pressures of high-responsibility working environments, including stress, overwhelm and burnout, and the challenge of balancing professional demands with personal wellbeing.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I also worked professionally in dance and movement. This background continues to inform my interest and expertise in relational, embodied and body-oriented approaches to psychotherapy.
Qualifications and professional training:
• Advanced Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy – Gestalt Psychotherapy Training Institute (GPTI)
• Diploma in Clinical Supervision – Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute (SPTI)
• Certified Online & Telephone Counsellor
• MA by Independent Study – with a focus on relationality, embodiment and kinaesthetic empathy
• Ongoing continuing professional development (CPD)
I am fully insured and work within the ethical principles and professional standards of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). I undertake regular clinical supervision and ongoing professional development as part of my professional practice.
Like all UKCP registered psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors I can work with a wide range of issues, but here are some areas in which I have a special interest or additional experience.