My approach
I attempt to provide a unique kind of professional, yet authentic, relationship, based in confidential, non-judgemental, empathic listening, where you can feel safe to explore whatever's troubling you. My goal is not to analyse, diagnose or guide you towards some idea I have about how you need to change. Instead, I try to understand things from your point of view, and I check with you to see if I have. I work in an open way, sharing my thoughts, responding to questions, and pointing out things I notice that seem relevant.
That might sound a bit like any good relationship, and in many ways it is. Any good relationship can be an environment for growth. However, there are a few important differences when it comes to therapy.
Therapy is more boundaried, confidential, informed by a knowledge of psychological principles and also governed by important professional and ethical standards. Moreover, unlike with family or friends, a therapeutic relationship is one completely focused on you. You do not have to worry about whether you're being interesting or charismatic, too dark or too shameful. In fact, quite the opposite. I would encourage you to see what it's like to try to be yourself in a private and non-judgemental setting, without the usual, deeply ingrained, social dressing-up we all do.
Starting therapy can be daunting, and whatever it is that you wish to talk about, we would explore at your own pace.
Ideally, sessions are weekly and last for one hour. If you think a different format may suit your needs, we can discuss it.
Specialisms
While I welcome clients with all kinds of experiences and goals, I have a particular affinity for working with people exploring bereavement, neurodivergence and creativity. These are all areas that are personally meaningful to me, as well as areas where I have a focus and depth of experience.
Bereavement & Loss
One of the first placements I had as a counsellor was with Cruse, a charity specialising in counselling for bereavement. That experience sparked an affinity for grief work that has remained with me ever since.
Those who have suffered a major loss often find their experience is responded to with avoidance, superficial attempts at comforting or hollow clichés. Instead, therapy can help by actually staying close to your experience, providing a safe, unhurried space to express complex emotions - like anger, guilt, relief, or deep sadness - without fear of judgement or feeling like a burden to loved ones.
Grief changes over time, but it doesn't simply disappear. Therapy isn't about 'fixing', it's about honouring your connection to who or what was lost and integrating those memories into your ongoing life rather than trying to push them away or leave them behind. It helps you feel the depth of what you've lost while supporting you as you explore what it means to continue living in a changed reality.
Neurodivergence
Neurodivergence is an area of great personal and professional importance to me. I find it fascinating to work alongside individuals who feel different in some fundamental way, exploring the unique ways they navigate and perceive the world.
As someone who identifies as neurodivergent myself, I have experienced firsthand how transformative therapy can be in developing greater self-understanding and confidence.
I also feel that exploring neurodiversity fits especially well with a fundamental aspect of the therapeutic process in the way that it aims to create a space away from external expectations and demands, discovering what genuinely works for you, and developing a deeper sense of self-trust.
Creativity
I have a lifelong interest in creativity and creative people. I have often found myself in the company of visual artists, composers, poets, photographers, musicians, dancers and choreographers, and my own creative practice has at various times involved composing and playing music, woodworking, film photography and creative writing.
I believe strongly that creativity is not something which is only for a particular type of person, and that without creativity life can feel narrow and routine. Creativity isn't just about what you produce, it’s about how you see the world and how you live within it. It doesn't even have to involve making things. At its essence, I think it’s about finding a new sense of freedom and aliveness. Whether that appears in your art, your relationships, or your spiritual life, the goal is to help you live more authentically on your own terms and find your way back to a sense of engagement and freedom in the world.
For this reason, I think creativity can have a vital place in therapy and I encourage making, bringing, and sharing of any kind in the therapeutic space. This could be a piece of writing, or music, or visual art, but it isn't limited to that. Creativity can appear in simply being open to experience and willing to experiment. It can mean a new way of relating or expressing yourself. It doesn't have to just be two people sitting in chairs talking for an hour.
However, I'm not going to make you draw a picture or write a poem if those things aren't for you. The form creative expression takes is different for everyone. So I bring the same attitude to creativity as I bring to the rest of my work - I am open, curious and inviting, but I won't tell you what to do or how to be.
