Background

My journey into therapeutic practice started over fifteen years ago when I started volunteering as a helpline worker. My own quest for understanding my experiences and the world around me led me to this place, although I may not have understood this to be the case at the time.  I found the work surprising, challenging at times and humbling.  The imprint left by listening to the many stories of others’ lives caused shifts and ripples in my own experiencing and I decided to move into a career in mental health.  I have since managed a range of voluntary mental health services, including those providing emotional support online, youth mentoring projects, school based mental health awareness programmes, community outreach projects and a low cost community counselling service.  During my time in the sector I completed my therapy training, which has enabled me to work in a different way with clients, often at greater depth or with a particular focus.  I have worked therapeutically online and face to face with adults, young adults and young people offering both brief and longer term therapy.

I continue to learn, be challenged and grow along with clients as we enter into therapeutic relationships together.  There is always more we can learn about ourselves and most often I think this is when we are in relationship with others. I have worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds, who have brought wide ranging issues to therapy.  These have included loss and grief, low confidence and self-esteem, relationship issues and endings, issues concerning sexuality, anxiety and anxiety attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts, relationship with food, body image, trauma and obsessive and compulsive behaviours and thoughts.  This is not an exhaustive list, but examples of issues individuals may bring to therapy.  As we are all unique and complex so are the causes and shape of our discomfort and distress.  Not all issues can be worked with using email, IM, audio-visual or telephone formats, so this is something we would discuss more fully during initial contact.

Both within and outside my practice I have a strong interest in the natural environment and continue to explore ways to bring this in to the therapeutic relationship, or to take the relationship outside. I practice meditation and mindfulness, elements of which may also be brought into the relationship if we feel it would support our work together.

Training

In addition to my therapeutic work I am a trained to deliver ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), which is a standardised suicide intervention programme.  Further information is available here https://www.livingworks.net/programs/asist/. I have worked for many years as a trainer and facilitator and would be happy to discuss with interested organisations the provision of bespoke mental health and well-being workshops.  Recently developed workshops include Mental Health Awareness and Resilience in the Workplace, Addressing Stress, Body Image and Self-Esteem, Assertiveness and Managing Change.