I aim to take a simple and transparent approach about how we might work together and what you can expect from a therapy relationship with me, with as little therapy jargon as possible. You know yourself best, and I would like to work collaboratively with you. From a spectrum of training I work integratively from evidence-based approaches such as CBT (cognitive-behavioural therapy), used by the National Health Service, as well as humanistically, most importantly, treating you as a human individual, with kindness and compassion from my own place of humanity, and adapting what we do to what will work for you.

Counselling and Psychological Therapy:

If you have a specific issue I see my main job with you is to make myself redundant: my time and skills cost your money and your time and commitment, so l am always holding in mind that our time together to be as efficient and effective as possible to begin to alleviate the symptoms of your distress so that you can get closer to the life too wish to lead; after which you will hopefully no longer need to see me.

Coming from a medical science background, I am keen to use evidence-based approaches and ensure I stay up to date and informed of recent research literature and NICE guidelines. If I make a suggestion or give information during our time together I will explain my reasoning from this background and go into as much depth that you are interested in so that you can feel assured that our time is being well spent.

I use therapy modalities such as Solution-Focused, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills training frameworks to work actively with you. If you are open to the idea of using psychometric tests such as those implemented by the NHS we can use these to see more objectively how you feel you are progressing at regular intervals. But if you don’t like the traditional formats of these such as ‘homework’ or filling in paperwork that comes with these approaches, there are lots of other ways we can work that are more creative and I am keen to adapt these approaches to make them as accessible as possible.

If you then choose to continue working in a more long term framework we can use more exploratory and relational approach which can help to understand your journey of how you have come to where you are in your life, which can be a preventative of issues re-emerging in different ways.

If your issue is relational or attachment related we may begin in this manner and I will always be honest if I think I believe a longer therapeutic journey might be necessary, or if I feel I cannot help you I will refer you to a colleague who is more specialist in your concerns.

Psychotherapy:

Sometimes a therapeutic relationship can spring the opportunity of deeper and more long term work, where we can explore how you experience yourself in the world and in relationship with others in your life.

What does this look like in practice?
Not so different from counselling except we would spend more time together to build a relationship: psychotherapy generally requires a longer commitment than counselling; perhaps a year or two or more and we make use of the relationship we build over time as a vehicle to explore change beyond than the more active doing of shorter counselling or psychotherapy. We may also speak more generally rather than focusing on a specific issue, with the aim being exploratory to observe what emerges, and might speak more about your past experiences and history than the more present focus on psychological therapy.

Experience

I began my journey as a therapist co-facilitating support group work with the mental health charity ‘Mind’ 15 years ago. After completing further training, I then worked as a counsellor for other charities such as As You Are, Cruse Bereavement Care, and Sussex Communities Development Association. I have worked with adults, groups, couples and young people (aged 13+). I currently work for the NHS in Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust as a Psychological Therapist in their Crisis resolution and home treatment (CRHT) team, providing intensive support at home for individuals experiencing an acute mental health crisis

I have a broad range of experience working with a number of issues but some of my specialisms include:

Acute crisis
Anxiety
Stress
Loss
Life Transition
Pre and Post Natal
Depression
Neurodiversity
Relationship
Psychosexual Issues
Adult Industry workers
Personality Disorder
Sexual Identity
Sexual Issues
Alternative relationship and lifestyle BDSM/Kink/Fetish
Polyamoury
Addiction (Drugs and Alcohol)
Process Addiction
Trauma
Understanding Mental Health Diagnosis

I have worked with many issues beyond those included above but these are some areas where I have had a lot of experience and some where there are fewer therapists aware and educated on these issues able to offer therapy around them

Training

My initial background is in medical science and I gained an MA in Psychology,Philosophy and Physiology at the University of Oxford.
Later I completed a humanistic Postgraduate Diploma in Therapeutic Counseling which was more holistic and person centred, followed by a masters degree in Psychotherapy which was integrative with psychodynamic and some systemic ideas. I have worked for charities such as As You Are (Southwick) and Cruse Bereavement Care settings as a therapist for group, couples and individual work and for Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust NHS Trust as a Psychological Therapist in a crisis team. I have worked face to face, over the phone and over video call.
I further have an interest in body psychotherapy, embodiment and yoga therapy and have completed and massage training and yoga teacher training. I use body focused therapy for clients who are interested in this in a non-esoteric way.
I am a registered member of the BACP, BPS, UPCA and UKCP.
And I am recognised under The UK Government Professional Standards Authority

My most recent processional development I have taken a mindfulness based interventions training and I use this alongside a compassion focused approach when indicated
I am currently taking a doctoral level training with the BPS in order to achieve counselling psychologist HCPC registration.

I keep up to date with continued professional development advancing in areas such as mindfulness-based interventions, DBT skills group training, embodied yoga principles, introduction to body psychotherapy which are courses I’ve completed in the last few years and I am currently in the process of qualifying with the British psychological society as a counselling psychologist on their doctoral equivalent program.

I am also a human person who has had their own life experiences and will be human alongside you, I am an open to share my experiences if asked and I deem them appropriate and beneficial: I am also a parent, in an ethically non-monogamous relationship, identify as a female, attended a boarding school, have a sibling on the autistic spectrum, and have been diagnosed at various times in my life with, anxiety and depression and post partum depression and have taken medication for these. I believe there is no shame in having mental health issues but also have felt the shame and understand the stigma of experiencing mental health issues and the challenges of navigating the mental health services. I have experienced how hard it can be to ask for support and how elusive change can seem: but also how possible it is.

“Before every session, I take a moment to remember my humanity. There is no experience that this man has that I cannot share with him, no fear that I cannot understand, no suffering that I cannot care about, because I too am human.
No matter how deep his wound, he does not need to be ashamed in front of me. I too am vulnerable. And because of this, I am enough. Whatever his story, he no longer needs to be alone with it. This is what will allow his healing to begin.”

Carl Rogers