I trained at the Minster Centre in London, from where I qualified with an MA and Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy & Counselling and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling. Further training has led to an Advanced Diploma in Embodied Relational Therapy and a Diploma in Ecotherapy. I am also a trained practitioner of AIT (Advanced Integrative Therapy), a gentle but effective way of working with the originating causes of current difficulties and promoting recovery and a feeling of well-being, using the body's energy system.
My integrative training means that I can adapt my way of working to suit each client's unique needs, which may change as we work together. I am interested in how our experiences from the past shape our present, in terms of relationships, self-image and self-beliefs. I work empathically with my clients, with an awareness of both what has happened and what is happening in the here-and-now. I pay attention to what is happening between us as well as what you are experiencing with your breath and body, and may use mindfulness exercises to help you to stay in the present. I am interested in different communication styles and the different ways in which we frame our experiences. I aim to help you to discover more about your self and to facilitate your growth in self-awareness and authenticity. I believe that as this happens, and you become more self-aware, you naturally begin to make better choices. I am experienced in working with adults of all ages, from students to post-retirement. I have previously worked as a counsellor at One in Four, a charity supporting survivors of sexual abuse in childhood, at the Minster Centre's low-cost therapy service and at a low-cost therapy service in south London. I have previously volunteered as a group facilitator at a psychiatric hospital, running reading and gardening groups with patients. I am a member of both the UK Council for Psychotherapy and the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and abide by their codes of professional ethics. I am committed to regular continuing professional development to keep me up to date with current practice. I recently trained in ecopsychology (or 'wild therapy'), which encourages us to consider our relationship with the natural world and challenges our polarisation of wildness and domesticity, and am currently training in shamanic healing practices. |