I came to counselling training in 2014, following a varied career supporting people’s emotional and personal development. This began at Victim Support, where I supported victims of all types of crime, including serious crime. I also qualified as a shiatsu practitioner and worked with people recovering from substance misuse.
Following this, I taught Religious Education and Philosophy in London secondary schools for 10 years. In this role, I valued supporting young people to explore life’s deeper questions and in developing personal meaning.
With this background, I bring a range of personal qualities and values to my counselling practice. These include sensitivity, nurturing, open-minded curiosity, an appreciation of life’s complexity and an ability to integrate the wealth of approaches found within psychotherapy today. I value working with people with backgrounds different to my own and aim for openness, humility and inclusivity around gender, race, class, physical ability, mental health and sexuality. Before beginning private practice in 2020, I worked as a counsellor in an NHS medical practice. Here I gained experience of working with bereavement and trauma. I have a particular interest in working with relationship issues, and have trained to work with couples and other pairs experiencing conflict. From 2021 - 2022, I volunteered as a counsellor for a charity that supports survivors of rape and sexual abuse.
Qualifications
BA (Hons) in Integrative-Relational Counselling (first class) awarded by Middlesex University Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills awarded by CPCAB MA in Teaching (UCL Institute of Education) BA (Hons) Women’s Studies and Religious Studies (first class) Lancaster University
Training
Facilitating Therapeutic Groups with Creative Counsellors (3 days) BACP Professional Development - Working with Groups (1 day) Neurodiversity 101 with Saffron Sheffield (1 day) Couples Counselling with Complete Couples (8 days) Counselling for People with MS with MS-UK (1 day) Talking about Sex in the Therapy Room with Dr Meg-John Barker (1 day) Shrinks love talking about sex - or perhaps not? with Anne Power (1 day) Supporting People Experiencing Domestic Violence at Victim Support London (4 days) Supporting Female Victims of Rape and Sexual Assault at Victim Support London (4 days)
Membership
As a registered, accredited member of the BACP, I am committed to abiding by their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and Professional Conduct Procedure. This includes their comprehensive guidelines on confidentiality. I also engage in regular supervision, peer supervision and counsellor networking groups to keep my knowledge and skills up-to-date. BACP registration number: 382959 ICO registration number: ZA753827