About me

Qualifications & work experience

HCPC Registered Counselling Psychologist based in Manchester.

Research suggests that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most important aspect of therapy, so that is my main focus, but here is also a list of my main therapy modalities:

• Person-centred therapy
• Emotion-focused therapy
• Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Compassion-focused therapy (CFT)

I am also informed by polyvagal theory, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices, as well as mindfulness-based practices.

Prior to embarking on my professional doctorate in counselling psychology at University of Manchester, I completed:

• Levels 2 & 3 Diplomas in Counselling Skills accredited by the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB)
• Level 3 Diploma in Life Coaching accredited by the Complementary Medical Association (CMA)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health Practice from the University of Sussex
• Undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Sussex
• Level 3 Diploma in Massage Therapy accredited by ITEC

Interests & specialisation

Over 10 years of working in healthcare and therapeutic work means I feel confident I can work with most people and expressions of distress. However, if I don’t think I am best suited to help you, I will let you know and I can help signpost you to an alternative source of support.

I am LGBTQ+, sex positive and non-normative relationship friendly, and want to extend an especially warm welcome to anyone holding these identities, for whom I know it can be all the more challenging to find a therapist.

I’m particularly interested in working with relational difficulties, whether that be with self (as in low self-esteem), intimate partners, family, friends, work or community relationships. I believe that love, connection and community are ultimately the most meaningful aspects of life. Yet, in our society we typically get very little support around authentic and healthy relating. Therapy can play a significant part in helping you shift out of unhelpful relationship patterns and dynamics.

I feel I have a strength in supporting people with adjusting to changes and life transitions. I’ve been through many big changes myself – changing schools, moving countries, changing sexual orientation, life-altering and identity-shifting losses, and so on. I understand the uncertainty and emotional turmoil that can come with transitions and change.

I really love working with anxiety-related problems, including social anxiety and OCD. These can often be incredibly responsive to therapy, and it’s wonderful to see how much people’s lives can open up.

I have experience of working with drug & alcohol problems – whatever your goals are around this (no judgment). If you want to stop, reduce or just want to feel less reliant on substances, I can help. I will work with people actively using (after assessing risk and appropriateness of therapy), even if the focus is on mental health and you have no particular goals around your substance use.

My values

I live and work in line with my values and believe this is key to leading a meaningful life and working with integrity.

Love. I have a deep love for people – with our imperfections, our differences and diversity – and the world in which we live. I aim to practice from a place of love and gratefulness. Humanistic theory defines therapy as a relationship grounded in presence, authenticity, non-judgmental acceptance and empathy; conditions necessary for positive growth and self-fulfilment. I believe these are crucial in any meaningful and helpful relationship and I endeavour to embody authentic presence and connection all aspects of my life. As a minimum, my aim as a therapist is to be present for you, to give you my full attention, to listen, to witness you whole-heartedly and non-judgmentally, whatever comes up. For me, this is also the basis of my professional ethical duty to alleviate distress and do no harm.

Curiosity. I am endlessly curious and never stop learning. As a therapist, this means I will take the time to get to know you and understand your experiences and perspectives, how you understand and interpret things. I will invite you to be gently curious about yourself and help you to deepen your understanding of yourself and make informed decisions about how you want to live your life. I am also constantly learning more about psychology, keeping up to date with the latest research and seeking out training to add new tools to my toolbox.

Creativity. To me, therapy is an inherently creative process: My clients bring their story, their feelings, beliefs, identities… and I bring my expertise grounded in psychological theory, research, clinical practice and life experience. Together we co-create deeper understanding and meaning. I believe creativity – in the form of writing, music, drawing, movement and other artforms – is also key for self-expression and communication, and is therefore something I invite and encourage when working with people.

Nature. I’ve felt close to plants and critters since I was a small child. I believe connection to nature is a fundamental (but somewhat lost) aspect of human wellbeing. I am inspired by nature and believe we can learn so much about life from it… The seasons can teach us that things come and go in cycles. Trees can teach us that we can be flexible and strong. Mushrooms can teach us that new growth comes after endings. Mountains can teach us that even when we are unmoving, stubborn, stuck, we may be shifting deep down, parts of us crumbling away, moving, changing.

Community. I believe that feeling connected, included, a sense of belonging are key to wellbeing. We all need community, whatever that looks like for you. Yet, so many people in our society struggle to find the people they can truly feel safe to be themselves with. This is something I am passionate about helping people with. In addition to my work as a therapist, I also enjoy facilitating community events (find out more about Barefoot Beats here).

Social justice. I believe social and political injustice is often at the root of psychological distress, and contributing to creating a fair and equitable society is one of my core values. I aim for my practice to be anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory. It is deeply important to me to work with diverse people and I welcome those with non-normative and marginalised identities.

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