Individual & Couple Therapy, Clinical Supervision
‘Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it’s your responsibility to love it, or change it.’
C. Palahniuk
Age Range of Clients
I work with Adults (over 18’s)
Equality and diversity
I’m committed to equality in practice and recognition of diversity, including: disability, gender, class, ethnicity and sexual orientation amongst others.
I’m not a member of any religion.
I provide solely ONLINE VIDEO CONSULTATIONS from 2023 onwards
Video Conferencing Consultations
Online counselling/psychotherapy is quite similar to Face to Face sessions. I have facilitated very good therapeutic relationships with my clients via video consultations, even though they are not physically in the same room with me.
Many individuals prefer this way of engaging in therapy as it allows much more flexibility with regard to time and location of the therapy work. I provide individual, couple therapy and supervision via video conferencing.
I offer a free 25 minutes video session for those unsure about having video sessions.
For video conference sessions to be possible, it is vital that you have a safe, comfortable and quiet room where you can talk with me privately without worrying about being overheard or interrupted. Obviously, you also need a reliable internet connection and a computer/phone!
Individual Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Psychotherapy
My therapeutic approach is Integrative and Humanistic, allowing me to draw on a variety of therapeutic approaches and skills providing bespoke therapy – we are all unique. The quality of our therapeutic relationship is key to the success of our work together.
Short Term Counselling
(6-10 weeks), which may be extended
This is often focused on a particular challenge, crisis/transition or important life decisions. My Counselling work with you aims to help you gain clarity and develop necessary understanding around the issues you are struggling with; particularly with regards to your options and choices, in order to enable you to take positive action where possible.
Sometimes, counselling may focus on helping you to develop greater awareness and acceptance around the aspects of your life you currently would like to, but cannot, change e.g. a difficult relationship with a member of your original family.
I have found that, almost always, helpful change is possible, if only on the level of your perspective or attitude.
‘We must decide if we want to stay where we are or if we want to get to the other side of pain and live a full and purposeful life. That’s how you find the joy.’
G Aldred
Open ended Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Psychotherapy
(months-years)
You may decide to continue in therapy to work in greater emotional depth in order to make fundamental changes in your life and how you relate to yourself and others.
People sometimes enter therapy during a life crisis/transition and go on to create more fulfilling and expansive lives in the longer term, as a result of the personal development work they engage in with me.
Therapeutic work may involve looking at attachment patterns in childhood which can set up unhelpful patterns of relating, that then greatly impacts your relationships and life experience in the present.
The therapeutic relationship often brings up unconscious processes, difficult emotional experiences or memories which are contained, examined and resolved in the therapy. Good therapy facilitates more attunement to your emotional responses (mind-body) in a life-enhancing, dynamic way, resulting in emotional growth and positive change.
The aim is to move from surviving to thriving!
What does thriving look like?
Feeling at peace and at ease living in your own skin; trusting yourself, your responses and decisions.
No longer being plagued by nagging self doubt and shame which erodes your quality of life.
Living with greater authenticity and genuineness and enjoying positive, healthy, fulfilling relationships with others.
Feeling strong and principled, able to set and maintain healthy and appropriate boundaries with others.
Couple Counselling
I provide therapeutic help in order for you and your partner:
to complete and resolve unfinished disputes and conflicts in a healthy and respectful way
to fully express your unmet needs, dreams and desires to each other
to develop greater emotional/relational literacy
to gain deeper awareness around the fundamental dynamics within
your relationship which is potentially life changing for both of you and your family.
Clinical supervision
I have 16 years experience in private practice, that has included the provision of clinical supervision to qualified/trainee counsellors and psychotherapists.
I previously facilitated a supervision group for counsellors working at the University of Bath. I also provided clinical supervision to Mental Health Occupational Therapists for a number of years.
I currently offer one-to-one supervision for psychotherapists and counsellors. I adhere to UKCP, Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute and BACP Ethical Frameworks.
I use Integrative/Humanistic models of supervision. I aim to provide both support and challenge to enable you to reflect on your practice, explore clinical challenges, and increase your therapeutic competence and effectiveness.
I endeavour to offer a clinical safety net to provide protection for clients, promoting ethical clinical practice. Additionally, helping you to avoid burnout by keeping an eye on the balance of your caseload and your own self care.
I work alongside you to maintain a focus in supervision which is purposeful and relevant to your clinical practice.
Please see the Practicalities section of this website for more information and also note that I do not supervise practitioners who themselves specialise in any of the clinical areas mentioned below.
Note for prospective clients and supervisees
Therapeutic issues I do not currently work with:
I have considerable experience in working with clients over a very wide range of issues. However I’m not currently accepting new referrals from clients whose are primarily wanting help with:
Domestic violence
Alcohol and/or drug addiction
Severe self harm / persistent suicidal thoughts
Adoption (In the UK only counsellors and psychotherapists registered as an adoption support agency (ASA) with Ofsted are legally permitted to help people when the main focus of the therapy concerns: any aspect of adoption).
I consider these clinical issues require specialist and, in some cases, clinical team interventions, which I do not currently provide.
Contact me
All communications with me will be treated as confidential. I aim to get back to you within 24 hours.