Hello and welcome

When life feels difficult and complicated, the prospect of finding the right therapist can feel like yet another overwhelming problem that has to be faced.  I hope taking a few minutes to look around my website will give you an understanding of who I am, and how I think psychotherapy & counselling can be helpful.

The next few pages tell you about how I work; my training, accreditation and background; and practical information about the sessions, fees and location. 

Finally, should you decide I'm not the right therapist for you, I've provided links to other trusted organizations and individual therapists whom I feel happy to recommend.

When to think about therapy

People often consider counselling & psychotherapy when they are in crisis.  At times, we can all feel 'stuck', as if there are no options left anymore.  Others come to therapy when they are not so much in crisis, but are perhaps beginning to notice negative patterns in their relationships, behaviour, feelings or thinking that they feel ready to explore. At times like this the talking therapies can be very helpful.

 "A human lifespan is less than a thousand months long.  You need to make some time to think how to live it."  AC Grayling, philosopher 

I am trained to Master Degree level in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling to work with a range of issues and problems including :

• Depression and anxiety
• Abuse - sexual, emotional, physical
• Family & relationship problems
• Transitions & loss - eg entering adulthood; mid-life; becoming a parent; relocation; bereavement; loss of health; loss of status
• Crisis in identity - eg low self-esteem; poor body image; gender role conflict

I am particularly interested in how our media-defined, time-poor, competitive, technologically driven world appears to be contributing to increased feelings of stress, which can become depression, anxiety, as well as physical illness if left untreated.

Human beings find ingenious ways to cope with stress and pressure; not surprisingly exercise, yoga and meditation have boomed over recent years. But other ways that provide temporary relief, for example alcohol, recreational drugs, gambling, and newer behaviours such as sex addiction and internet addiction, ultimately add to our problems.

Therapy can't change the past; but it can be helpful to think about your life with a trained therapist, working together to identify ways to move forward and ultimately, find a more satisfying and valuable way to live.