Counselling
Where we begin
Taking the first step can feel unfamiliar. You may already know what has brought you here, or perhaps you have a sense that life no longer feels as it once did.
Whatever your starting point, counselling & psychotherapy gives you the space to pause, reflect and explore what's brought you here without having to carry it all on your own.
Counselling & psychotherapy aren't about being given advice or told how to live your life.
It's a professional relationship built on trust, compassion and understanding, where we work together to make sense of what's happening in your life.
How I work
No two people make sense of their lives in quite the same way.
For that reason, I work integratively. My practice draws on psychodynamic, attachment, trauma-informed, existential and psychoanalytic theories, allowing me to understand each person's experiences through different perspectives rather than relying on a single approach.
Together, we'll take time to understand not only what is happening in your life, but also the experiences, relationships and patterns that may have shaped how things feel today.
Some of those patterns may once have helped you cope. Over time, however, they can begin to hold us back, leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves or others, or make it difficult to respond to life in the ways we'd like.
As we begin to understand those patterns, new possibilities often emerge. People frequently find themselves relating to their experiences, their relationships and themselves with greater awareness, compassion and choice.
My role isn't to tell you who you are or what to do.
It's to work alongside you, offering a safe therapeutic relationship where we can make sense of your experiences together, and discover what they might mean for you.
Therapy offers
space to make
sense of
what you're
living through
What counselling
can help with
People find their way to counselling for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's because something has happened, and sometimes it's much harder to put into words. There's simply a quiet sense that something no longer feels quite right.
Anxiety and emotional overwhelm
Depression and low mood
Trauma and difficult experiences
Stress and burnout
Self-worth and identity
Addiction and recovery
Bereavement and grief
Relationship and family difficulties
Life transitions and change
Living with long-term illness
Supporting others with a long-term illness
Whatever brings you here, our starting
point is always the same, understanding
what matters most to you.
What you can expect
Beginning therapy can feel uncertain, and it's natural to wonder what those first sessions might be like.
You don't need to arrive with everything figured out. Many people come unsure where to begin, or wondering whether what they're experiencing is "important enough" to bring into the room.
Our first session is simply a chance to get to know one another. We'll begin to explore what's brought you here, what's feeling difficult, and what feels most important to you.
There is no expectation that you'll know what to say, or that you'll share more than feels possible. Therapy isn't something to get right, and there's no rush to find answers. We'll work at a pace that feels right for you, allowing understanding to develop over time.
As therapy unfolds, people often begin to make more sense of their experiences, recognise familiar patterns, and discover new ways of responding to life's challenges.
Professional practice
An ethical and professionally held therapeutic relationship is at the heart of my work.
Over many years of practice, I've supported people through a wide range of life experiences and challenges. My work is informed by an MA in Psychoanalytic Dynamics, an MSc in Psychology, a Diploma in Integrative Counselling, and a postgraduate in Trauma Studies.
I'm a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and the British Psychological Society (BPS). Alongside regular clinical supervision and ongoing professional development, my practice remains reflective, ethical and informed by current research.