About me

I believe that in providing a confidential, comfortable, respectful talking and listening space we can work together on things that may be troubling you, things you may be wondering about, things that are painful or keeping you stuck where you are. I can support you and we can discuss approaches and possible changes and notice together the progress you make.

I have a private therapy practice but have also counselled in a service taking NHS referrals for complex issues, in a bereavement counselling service and am an associate of services which provide workplace counselling for their employees in challenging circumstances either at home or in the workplace. Before retraining as a therapist I worked to support people experiencing a very stressful set of circumstances; this experience led me to see how valuable counselling can be as a vital outlet, giving people hope and choices so that circumstances are much less likely to be repeated.

Ways of Working

People often wait a long while before beginning the therapy that can greatly benefit them.  It can feel stressful to consider talking to someone that you don’t know. That is why I can offer you a free, short online or telephone chat or a single paid appointment with no obligation to continue afterwards. You can see how you feel. I offer short and long term therapy to suit you and a combination of Face to Face, Online therapy, Telephone therapy and Walk and Talk Therapy. You can choose the therapy setting that suits you.

I trained in Relational Integrative Therapy. This means that we would be working very much together, informed by different psychological approaches to individually suit you. You may be experiencing over-anxiety, depression, stress, anger, bereavement, having trouble with relationships or social situations. I have helped many people with these issues and I can help you too so that you can feel happier, more positive and lead a more fulfilled life.

We would take time to settle into our working relationship so that you can feel the trust that you need in order to speak about whatever is bringing you to counselling. I have completed a wide variety of training and can offer you different therapeutic ways to look at your life past and present in order to find a better way forward which you can maintain.

Over the last few years I have successfully supported many clients, diagnosed or self-identifying  neurodivergent Autism /or  ADHD with a range of issues. I feel passionate about this work professionally and I can relate to this via personal experience in my own family.

I can provide the type of safe, non-judgemental, gentle, therapeutic space where we can take time to understand you and how you feel, perhaps about this as a newly discovered part of yourself or something you have been aware of for a long time but you have not yet fully explored.

I offer face to face appointments and also Zoom appointments; some clients like being in their own homes/places of work where they can choose how they sit, choose light and sound levels, maybe move around, use something to fidget with to aid concentration etc. Others appreciate the walk and talk therapy that can I offer locally for some of their sessions. This type of therapy is known to decrease anxiety for many, being in a green, relaxing space and with the reduced level of eye contact which can enable the ability to focus better on what is being discussed.

I work with a very broad variety of adult clients of all ages where an awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion will be apparent during therapy. I have previously worked with more clients identifying as men but have noticed in the last two or three years that the number of my neurodiverse women clients is growing. For many people, blending in with others by masking can sometimes be a positive choice but often this can create anxiety, be exhausting and overwhelming and lead to burn out at some point.  I offer this therapeutic time where you can safely explore what has been happening for you.

Neurodivergent Couples Therapy:

I have neurodivergent family members in my own family and understand the frustrations of trying to understand one another that can arise This experience and knowledge can enable me to understand different people’s perspectives.

Sometimes couples arrive feeling that they might just have to put up with things the way they are if they are to remain together but may feel like they are not understood individually, feel abandoned, feel exhausted from trying to get through, unsuccessfully, to the other. This can result in shut down, feeling stuck.  We can work together on better ways to communicate, more understanding of each other and seeing differences as a potentially good thing.

The Types of Issues I Support Neurodivergent Clients With

• Considering a diagnosis or post diagnosis support
• Supporting partners and partners to understand Autism /ADHD
• Understanding self and other people
• Self-esteem
• Identity and gender
• Forming relationships
• Separation, loss of relationship, divorce
• Trauma – specific events and day to day trauma building over time
• Anxiety, stress, depression
• Masking, overwhelm and burnout
• Decision making and inertia
• OCD
• Disordered eating
• Bereavement

Qualifications

I have completed a wide variety of training and relevant reading; Please see my website.

Additional CPD Specific to Neurodiversity

• Attended Aspire Consultancy’s Monthly CPD Group focusing on Neurodiversity and now take part in monthly supervision discussion with Ruth Williams, Aspire Autism Consultancy
• Best Practice when Supporting Autistic Clients Course – Aspire Autism Consultancy
• ADHD in The Therapy Room – Aspire Autism Consultancy
• Neurodiverse Couples Counselling Course – Aspire Autism Consultancy
• Understanding ADHD – Futurelearn                                                         
• Different together : Autism Spectrum and Neurotypical Partnerships conference – Tony Attwood delivering
• Autism and Eating Disorders Training Conference (National Autistic Society)
• Counselling Clients with ADHD Certificate
• Understanding Autism, Futurelearn Course, University of Kent
• Certificate in Autism Masking
• Working with Autism Certificate