About me
Who I am as a counsellor
I'm a person-centred counsellor at heart, meaning I see you, the client, as the expert in your own life. I listen to understand what life is like for you and I value and accept you as a person, removing judgements from the process. I hold the belief that with the right therapeutic relationship and environment, you can build self-awareness, increase resilience and grow.
As well as my person-centred core approach, I'm trained in a range of counselling modalities, meaning I integrate parts of other approaches into my work to suit you as the client.
I have experience working with clients at various stages in their life. For example I've worked with people who have long-term health conditions and helped them gain acceptance and enjoyment of life. I've also worked with people experiencing things such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, helping them explore their experiences, thoughts and emotions, and better manage their mental health. My work with clients has ranged from just a single session to focus on a particular problem, to longer term therapy, enabling deeper exploration.
Therapeutic work doesn't always have to mean talking. If you're finding it hard to put into words how you feel, we can find some creative ways to help move things forward.
Who I am outside of counselling
I've spent most of my working life in housing associations and charities and work with a variety of people from different backgrounds and in different circumstances. I now work part time for a charity alongside my own business. In my spare time I enjoy the gym, crochet and spending time with my cats.
Who I was as a client
Us counsellors have also been a client at some point!
When I had counselling myself, it helped me better understand who I was, the messages I'd grown up with and how they were influencing my feelings, thoughts and behaviours. I learned to trust myself, my values and my decision-making. Experiencing this means I understand the process of personal growth. I appreciate it can be hard at times, but I also know the benefits it can bring.
My qualifications and training
I'm a qualified counsellor and have completed the following training:
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
Level 3 certificate in psychodynamic counselling skills
Transactional Analysis 101
Level 2 Award in Safeguarding for Counsellors
I'm committed to my own continuous professional development (cpd), meaning I read, listen, watch and train to keep up to date, enhance my knowledge and help me think about things from a different perspective. I also regularly engage with other counsellors to share best practice and gain from other people's experiences.
I’m a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), membership number: 990201.
