About Me

I began my training in 2002 at Central Sussex College and qualified as an Integratively trained Psychotherapeutic Counsellor in 2005. Since then I have gained a wealth of experience working in agency, charity, school (both Primary and Secondary) and further education settings as well building a robust private practice. Currently in Private Practice I work mostly as a counsellor with adult individuals although at times couples too. Alongside that I work as a school counsellor in a local Primary School. I am also a qualified Supervisor who is able to work with counsellors, psychotherapist and allied health professionals: all of which I do.

As a Supervisor I work for an agency in West Sussed offering both group and individual supervision to qualified counsellors as well as those in training. These counsellors work with adults and children, teenagers and young adults. The agency offers both long term and short term work. I also work one to one with counsellors themselves working in Private Practice; again both working with adults as well as children, teenagers and young adults.

Since 2019 I have worked with the University of Sussex offering clinical supervision to their Student experience teams covering the mental, physical emotional health of students and the impact this support has on these staff.

My work in schools has offered me a vast array of experience from working in a one-form Primary School to working in a residential Secondary Secondary school for pupils excluded from the mainstream due to educational, social and emotional challenges.

As mentioned above my experience also included working with counsellors in training both as a counsellor and as a supervisor.

In the main I would describe my ‘style’ as Humanstic. This means that I believe strongly in the power and therapeutic quality of being in relationship with another and of the ability this gives to the other to change and flourish given the right conditions. I am also very creative and believe that there are many different ways to work with an individual, meaning that I am very happy to work with my clients to find out which way of working fits them the best. Creativity in itself is extremely helpful because it bypasses our cognitive, (thinking), defenses to allow us to find out what it is that is keeping you stuck.

My integrity is very important to me and impacts my work in every way. I can be gentle, fun and humorous as well as being ‘strong enough’ to hold anger and hopelessness as well as despair. When in relationship with me you are considered in all of your self: on an emotional, cognitive, behavioural, spiritual and physiological level. At the same time I will also be respecting and taking into context your social and cultural backgrounds.

People are often curious about what it’s like to be a counsellor? For me I can only describe my sense of humility as I am allowed into that other person’s world. I appreciate and cherish greatly their journey but am able to empathise with their courage as I, too, know how it is to open yourself up to another and share the secrets of your soul.

The following quotation describes how I aspire to be as a counsellor.

It is taken from Elizabeth Goran a New York City psychoanalyst in her book Beyond the Reach of Ladders.