Counselling and Psychotherapy

Welcome!

What kind of therapist am I?

I am an integrative counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) . In brief this means that I trained in a wide range of therapeutic methods and theories, and that I try to think about each client and each problem from several points of view. I abide by the BACP's code of ethics.


How do I work?

I've worked with clients for a short number of sessions and for extended periods, and I'm comfortable with whichever duration a client prefers. Broadly speaking I tend to view therapy as being as natural and dynamic as any human relationship: we may rub along well very quickly, or find it takes a while to get into a stride.

I may work quite differently with one person from how I work with another, because the relationship will be different. You might have a firm idea about how you want to think about your life, and I may have another, and between us we'll gradually work out a middle ground.

There's no great mystery to therapy; it's just a conversation between two people, and generally it follows the same rules as any other conversation does. The important difference is that in this conversation you are the focus. We're sitting together to think about your life, your worries, your history. I'm there as an aide to that, but I'm not the centre of it. That kind of opportunity for unbroken care and attention is rare in day-to-day life. I believe that's what makes therapy unique.


What are my areas of expertise?

I'm comfortable working with just about anything, but the broadest area of expertise I have is around academia and young people. I've supported many people in high pressure environments where the difference between success and failure feels paper thin.

Perhaps because of this I've tended to work with a lot of people experiencing what is sometimes called a quarter-life crisis: a sense of not knowing what's next, of fearing being left behind, or of feeling that you're struggling to live up to expectations.

There are a great many pressures around achievement, whether because you have come from a high-achieving family and feel dwarfed by it, or because you have worked your way into a high-achieving environment and feel overwhelmed. I'm currently working on a paper dealing with some of these issues and the ways we may compensate for our feelings of inferiority, and consider this a particular area of interest.

I've worked with issues around pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and abortion. I have an interest in eating disorders and self image, especially bulimia. I have experience working with many people in the creative industries, including music and acting. I have also worked around addiction and am familiar with the 12 step programme.


Anything else you're curious about? Email me.