COUNSELLING BASED IN WOKINGHAM
About Me
My professional journey started after graduating from King's College, University of London, when I began my career as a Cardiovascular Scientist at St Thomas' Hospital. Over the next 25 years, my career path underwent significant transformation as I pursued my deepening passion for human psychology and the intricacies of human connection. Motivated by a desire to help individuals and families enhance their lives and find balance amidst life’s challenges, my career took a new direction. I have found great satisfaction in working with adults, children, and families in various capacities including, as a Science Teacher, Family Group Conference Coordinator, Restorative Justice Facilitator, Family Mediator, and Counsellor for children, young people, and adults.
My professional experiences, coupled with my education and training, have greatly deepened my appreciation for the complex ways in which relationships, life-changing events, environmental contexts, and childhood development impact self-perception, self-worth, how we relate to others, and the mind-body connection. I acknowledge life's complexities, including the losses, traumas, and challenges it presents, as well as the joy, happiness, and achievements it offers.
I am committed to creating an inclusive and safe therapeutic environment where I support each individual in their journey toward healing and self-empowerment, as they identify and pursue their unique path to well-being.
Harnessing the Power of Therapy for Deep Personal Insights and Growth
I believe that cultivating a nurturing relationship with yourself is fundamental throughout all phases of life. Dedicating time to deeply understand and appreciate your true self can lead to a clearer and more genuine understanding of who you are, resulting in a more authentic and rewarding life and deeper, more meaningful relationships.
Counselling offers the opportunity not just for adults but for children and adolescents too, addressing a spectrum of emotional, social, and behavioural issues at each life stage. For young individuals, counselling can play a pivotal role in their development by offering guidance through difficult emotions or situations, aiding in the formation of a strong and healthy sense of self. For adults, the benefits of counselling extend to improving mental health, resolving past traumas, and fostering personal and professional growth. This path isn’t always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding, and it’s a journey I’m here to support you on, every step of the way.
Person-Centred and Psychodynamic Integration: A Path to Self-Discovery and Healing
In my practice, I integrate person-centred and psychodynamic approaches.
Person-centred counselling emphasises human potential and self-discovery, focusing on how individuals consciously view themselves rather than on unconscious thoughts. It asserts that everyone can find their own answers, making the client the expert of their own life. The approach promotes self-actualisation, encouraging individuals to become who they choose to be, not who others or society dictates. With the client's autonomy at its core, this approach supports clients in accepting and affirming themselves, facilitating personal growth and empowerment.
Psychodynamic counselling is an approach that explores an individual's past to understand current behaviours and emotional issues. It's based on the understanding that unconscious influences, rooted in childhood experiences, shape our feelings, relationships, and behaviours. This approach aims to bring these unconscious processes into the conscious mind, allowing individuals to see the connections between their past and present. This helps to facilitate self-understanding, emotional healing and mental health improvement.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
I invite you to consider trauma as a wound that has disconnected us from our true selves - a wound that can be healed. Trauma isn't just about the events that happened to us, which we cannot change; it's about the internal wound resulting from these events. We don't have to let it define how we see ourselves, the world, our relationships, or our potential for personal transformation.
After working for many years with clients who have experienced trauma in childhood or adulthood, I trained to be a trauma-informed therapist to better support those impacted by traumatic events. This specialised training involves recognising the profound effects trauma can have on emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.
Understanding that trauma affects everyone differently, I use a range of therapeutic approaches tailored to your specific needs. I incorporate psychoeducation into our sessions to help you understand how trauma affects the brain and body, which can demystify your symptoms and reduce feelings of isolation or shame. The pace of therapy is guided by your safety and preferences, allowing for long-term work if needed. Moving slowly and surely rather than rushing often leads to a more thorough and lasting healing journey.
My goal is to create a warm and trusting therapeutic relationship where you feel empowered, supported, and capable on your journey toward healing. Our sessions offer a safe space to enhance your resilience and coping mechanisms by identifying and strengthening these inner resources. Therapy offers you a space for gaining self-awareness, emotional healing, and personal growth, helping you build a stronger sense of self and healthier relationships. Together, we'll work towards a brighter, more empowered future for you.
“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner." I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”
Carl Rogers
Building a Compassionate Connection with Yourself
I believe in the transformative power of counselling, which serves not only to navigate life's challenges but also as a proactive tool for self-discovery. Therapy often reveals our patterns of thinking, feeling, relating, and behaving. When we engage with these discoveries openly and with the support of a trusted therapist, they become powerful opportunities for gaining deep personal insights. This understanding ignites curiosity, leading to significant and sometimes unexpected transformations. Such gentle challenges and supported explorations are crucial pathways to personal growth. Furthermore, therapy is not merely for moments of crisis; it's a means to engage with and understand your identity, purpose, and direction. It provides a space to address challenges before they become overwhelming, facilitating a journey of self-discovery that enriches our entire life experience.
Abuse
Anger
Anxiety
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD)
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Bereavement
Birth trauma
Bullying
Childhood bereavement
Child related issues
Chronic pain
Depression
Disability
Domestic Abuse
Emotional distress
Grief
Health issues
Life transitions
Loneliness
Loss
Menopause
Narcissism
Neurodiversity
Parenting
Relationships
Self-esteem
Self-harm
Sexuality
Stress
Suicide/suicidal feelings
Shame
Trauma
Work related issues
"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."
Carl Jung
Training and Qualifications
- Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People - SPC Online Training Academy
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (BACP accredited) - The Counselling and Psychotherapy Training Academy (CPTA) awarded by The Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB)
- Certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice, Counselling Tutor
- Certificate in Online & Telephone Counselling, Counselling Tutor
- Restorative Justice and School responder training – Thames Valley Partnership
- Mediation Foundation training - Resolutions partnership (approved by The College of Mediators)
- Family Group Conference Coordinator training - Daybreak
- Cardiovascular Research Scientist/British Heart Foundation PhD studentship, St Thomas' Hospital, London
- Post Graduate Certificate of Education - King’s College, University of London
- BSc (Hons) - King’s College, University of London
- Erasmus Programme Student - Instituto di Patologia Generale, Perugia, Italy
- ICO registration
- Member of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Enhanced DBS
- Professional indemnity insurance
My professional growth is underpinned by a strong commitment to continuous education, including undertaking short courses in specialised areas to fulfill the annual requirement of at least 30 hours of continuing professional development.