“Until you make
the unconscious conscious,
it will direct your life
and you will call it fate.”
C. G. Jung
About Me
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My path to qualifying as a counsellor and psychotherapist began with my own experience as a client. As I worked through deep emotional wounds and past trauma, I realised just how life changing therapy can be. This first hand experience of my own growth and recovery with the healing power of a trusting therapeutic relationship inspired me to train as a therapist. In learning to love and respect myself, I realised that my life experiences, even the very dark times, have helped me to become the therapist and person I am today. In the years since, I have worked with clients in youth services, addiction treatment clinics as well as in private practice, bringing an extremely deep level of empathy and true understanding of how difficult it can be to reach out and ask for support.
I have dedicated the last decade of my life to understanding and applying a relational/neurobiological approach to healing. I have extensive clinical training and experience treating a diverse range of issues that have required both long and short-term therapy. This experience includes working with , trauma, sexual abuse, addictions, dual diagnosis, eating disorders, self-harming behavior, relationship problems, bereavement and loss, depression, and anxiety.
Qualifications and selected professional development that has influenced my theraputic approch
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EMDR Psychotherapy levels 1, 2 & 3
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Advanced Clinical Training - Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy
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FdSc Counselling/Psychotherapy - University of Bath
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Advanced Specialist Training - Eating Disorders: Brain, Body and Mind
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Attachment-Focused EMDR: A clinician’s guide to healing developmental trauma- Dr Laurel Parnell
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Diploma working with children and young people
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The Body Remembers: Integrating Body and Mind for Trauma Recovery - Babette Rothschild
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Complex PTSD Clinical Workshop - Arielle Schwartz, PhD
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Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems - Dr. Frank Anderson
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Putting the Pieces Together: Trauma and Dissociation - Janina Fisher
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Applied treatment for trauma victims – Pieter Rossouw (UQ)
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Addiction, Trauma, & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): The Neuroscience behind Developmental/Attachment Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
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Attachment in Psychotherapy - David J. Wallin
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Self-esteem Enhancement – The Neuropsychotherapy Institute
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Panic & The Brain – The Neuropsychotherapy Institute
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Harnessing Mindfulness in Clinical Practice - Prof. Ronald D. Siegal (Harvard Medical School)
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Relational Psychotherapy - Helena Harden MSc., DPsych
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An Integrative Approach to Stabilisation with Dissociative Clients - Kathy Steele, MN. CS
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Trauma & Neurofeedback – Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
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Integrating the Developing Mind in Psychotherapy – Prof. Daniel Siegel (UCLA School of Medicine)
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How Neuroscience Informs Psychotherapy – QCA/Dr. Pieter Rossouw
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The Neuroscience of Talking Therapies – The Neuropsychotherapy Institute
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Social Anxiety – The Neuropsychotherapy Institute
Mind, Brain & Body
a relational/neurobiological approach to healing
From surviving to thriving
Many of us form unconscious habits or patterns of behaviour and relationships, as a way of surviving and making sense of childhood challenges and other traumas.As an adult and in everyday life these survival strategies can become increasingly unhelpful, and can hinder our progress.Therapy can help us become more aware of these habits, and help us in making different choices in life, which can lead to the possibility of positive change.
I am passionate about the emerging field of neuropsychotherapy which is a multidisciplinary perspective on mental well-being that looks to neuroscience and other related fields of human biology and psychology to enhance the clinical practice of talking therapies. Scientists have been able to provide unprecedented explanations of brain functioning through recent and rapid advances in medical imaging technology. By integrating the findings of the relatively young discipline of neuroscience with the more traditional emotional, cognitive, behavioural and social knowledge of psychology, neuropsychotherapy provides a framework for understanding the human condition from a holistic perspective.
Professional
I am registered and accredited with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society which means I have been vetted and approved by the National Standards Agency (set up by the Department of Health to guarantee a level of competency). As part of my professional accreditation, I adhere to an ethical framework, keep up-to-date with new research and practice, undergo regular continued professional development and attend fortnightly clinical supervision. I have an enhanced DBS certificate and my practice is covered by comprehensive indemnity insurance.
Confidential
Therapy is an experience where things may be shared for the first time. All contact within sessions, via email or by phone, is confidential.
