| Certified By: | BACP |
| From: | Kent, United Kingdom (UK) |
| Type of session: | Via Skype, Via Phone, In-Person |
| Also speaks: | English |
| Specialty: | Abuse, Affairs, Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Development disorders, Family, Grief, Identity, Mood, Relationships, Self - Esteem, Stress |
| Target Age Group: | Child, Teenager, Adult, Me and my partner |
| Therapist Since: | 05/11/2014 |
I am a qualified Counselling Psychotherapist and an accredited member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). As an accredited member I am recognise as having achieved a high standard of knowledge, experience and development in counselling and psychotherapy. I keep myself informed of up to date research and continue to develop my own skills and understanding through CPD courses and further training.
With a deep curiosity and desire to understand my own mind and experiences I have undertaken many processes of personal and academic development. I am interested in the variety of ways in which to understand how we function, interact and adapt as human beings.
Through my natural analytic way of thinking I have sought (and continue to seek) to understand the different ways we perceive, understand and manage life experiences, both those of our mind and that of the external world. This understanding is derived from intense and thorough vocational training; obtaining broad academic qualifications in psychotherapy, counselling and psychology; and from my own therapy and analysis. I believe in the importance of relational work and see the foundation of any therapeutic healing to be grounded in the relationship with have with ourselves and with others. This is complexly combined with our neurological, biological, cognitive and psychological composition, which all intertwine with our environmental experiences.
In every individual there is the capacity to adapt, develop and evolve and I believe we all have the ability to create an environment which enables us to manage life’s challenges and continue to develop in the face of them. We work within the boundaries of our unique psychological make-up using the resources we naturally have and obtaining those we don’t in order to function and grow. This process begins with recognising that every individual has a choice and in every choice there is a consequence. Ultimately, one’s choices will determine how one lives life. Investing in yourself, believing that you are worth the same as another, and creating an internal and external environment which supports you in times of crisis or injury as well as those of development and growth is key to the therapeutic process.
As a Child and Adult Psychotherapist I have extensive experience working with a variety of different issues and presentations in short and long term therapy, from 1 month to 3 years. I have been working as a counselling psychotherapist for 8 years both in private practice, in schools and within the community alongside various multidisciplinary teams. I work with adults, adolescents and children, experiencing a variety of difficulties in psychological and emotional health. In particular issues of depression, anxiety, life stresses and management, relationship and family dysfunctions, abuse, divorce, bereavement, self-esteem and identity issues. In addition, alongside child therapy, I often work with parents separately and in conjunction, in order to support the therapeutic process.
My work also includes academic and therapeutic support of theory and relational work for trainee counsellors in achieving their diploma qualification.
For the last four years my work is predominantly in private practice seeing adolescents and adults, parents and new mothers.
Therapy is a time to think, process and decompress in a safe, supportive and understanding environment. It can benefit many; those who seek support in times of struggle, those who need help in processing their experiences, or for those who wish to further understand themselves; their thoughts, behaviour and relationships; past, present and future.
I work privately with Adults offering Counselling and Therapy depending on what is sought and how deep the client wishes to explore. I am analytical in my thinking and integrative in my approach. I adapt to the person as they are presented to me and adjust the work in the room depending on their needs to ensure the time offered is safe and effective. The length of the therapy depends on the individual, the reason they seek therapy and how ready they feel to commit to the time.
As a therapist I work both integratively, combining elements of different therapies and at times within one therapeutic framework depending on the most effective approach for the client’s needs.
Elements of Therapy I Work with:
Counselling: fosters a congruent, accepting, and empathic environment in which one feels safe and able share and process experiences and life stresses. It works to help the individual cope better with their emotions and feelings
Psychodynamic psychotherapy: focuses on underlying emotions and relationships, this type of therapy works towards internal change which occurs beyond a conscious level. Psychodynamic therapy works by exploring unconscious thinking and behavioural patterns stemming from past experiences and up-bringing which continue to impact present-day behaviours and ways of thinking. This primarily involves exploration of one’s internal world bringing awareness to the unconscious elements of our being.
Present Focus therapy (CBT): looks at negative thought patterns and behaviours and works to reframe how one consciously thinks about issues and events, such as converting negative thoughts into positive ones. It involves challenging one’s current understandings to bring about self-awareness and encourage a more balanced perceptive.
