How I Can Help You.

It all begins with you making that first step to carve out time and space to work on something that is effecting you or the way you live. Talking to someone outside of your everyday life can be incredibly helpful and healing. I work with my clients to bring about lasting changes; through understanding and exploring what matters to you, who you are and where you came from.

Evidence shows that 80% of clients are better off after therapy and 65% of clients improve after 7 sessions (Therapy Today Nov 2014)

How I work

My style is relational and I have an integrative approach. This simply means I am able to blend different ideas to benefit my clients; working with both the unconscious and what is happening in the here and now ( In the room between us) . I lean in predominantly to psychodynamic and attachment theory in our work together. It’s my job to access my intuitive wisdom to both hear what you say and understand and interpret what is communicated on many levels.

My aim is to help you to reach a deeper understanding of your issues allowing you with time, to make changes and move forward. My approach is direct and supportive. I’m not the kind of therapist who sits, stares and says nothing! I will listen with curiosity and care, but I am also here to gently challenge you and offer you insights to help guide you to your own realizations. Therapy is about slowing down, not speeding up. It’s in slowing down that we can begin to develop a connection and be curious about what might be going on for you.

The Working Therapeutic Relationship

Psychotherapy, as well as being helpful, can also be challenging and uncomfortable at times – this is completely normal as you begin to unpack things and we will work our way through these feelings together.

Sharing parts of ourselves is a vulnerable experience so it’s important that you choose someone you feel comfortable talking to as the quality of the relationship between client and counsellor is key to good therapy outcomes.

For this reason I suggest a short phone call before our first session for you to get a sense of what it might be like to talk to me each week and to suss out if we are a good fit for one another.

The working therapy relationship is more than being able to get along. In a solid therapeutic alliance what we are aiming to build is enough security and connection (which takes time) that we can work through any tough feelings we may have towards each other in the process. That we can talk about it without threat of the relationship breaking down.

‘ The test of the working alliance, isn’t that the therapist and patient always feel good about each other, the test of the alliance is, can the patient be furious with the therapist, hate them even, and come back and talk about it, explore it and work through it together. That’s the test. Jonathan Shedler

The way we show up in therapy offers a window on the world of how we are in all our relationships. A significant part of the work of therapy is to explore, better understand and help you shift if needs be your relational patterns. This is achieved not through tools and techniques for your to take away, but through being in a meaningful therapeutic relationship week on week, and in time, us exploring what that’s like and what comes up in the relational experience.

Some of my work with clients is focused and structured around agreed goals or outcomes while the majority of my practice is dedicated to clients who need longer term approaches that are explorative; particularly if their needs are complex.

We Collaborate.

You bring something to the table and so do I. Our work is a collaboration. Together we co-create new ways of being, hopefully moving towards making life more manageable and meaningful for you.

Mutual Respectful.

We agree a baseline of mutual respect. As human beings we are often scared of being judged or shamed for the things we do or think. Psychotherapy is place to learn to be open in time; talking through problems in a confidential and caring environment. I want to hear your truth and you don’t have to pretend for me. I do my upmost to run a culturally sensitive and inclusive practice. I also recognise that I haven’t got it all figured out, have blind spots and I’m dedicated to continuous learning. I welcome feedback and encourage my clients to advocate for their needs.

If I don’t sound like the right kind of therapist for you, that’s ok, I want you to find a good fit! Here are reputable places to explore other options:

Counselling Directory is a comprehensive general directory for qualified therapists where you can search for specialisms and different kinds of therapy.

If you are looking for a non-white therapist take a look at the following directories for qualified practitioners.

The Black African and Asian Therapy Network

South Asian Therapists

If you would like to work with someone dedicated to working specifically with LGBTQ+ gender issues you might want to explore your options on this directory:

Pink Therapy

If you are looking for someone who specialises in Kink Aware Therapy or GSRT ( Gender, sex and relationship therapy) in the UK try here:

Kink Aware Professionals