Services

Please note I work with adults from 18 onwards, I do not provide couples counselling. I am not available for evening or weekend sessions.

I can help you flesh out any problem that is causing unhappiness in your life. I have experience of working with clients who are presenting with the following issues:

Anger

Anger is a human emotion that everybody feels. However, our ability to express our anger in a safe and useful way is not a resource that everybody has access to. I can help you to understand your anger better; what triggers it, where its roots lie and most importantly how to channel it in a way that doesn’t disrupt your relationships and your life. Throughout our lives we may have silenced our true voice in order to adapt and keep the peace and this self-sacrifice can lead to anger. So often anger is a flipside of a hurt that hasn’t been tended to and therapy can help you to soothe that hurt and move on from it.

Anxiety and stress including Generalised Anxiety Disorder and panic attacks

Anxiety presents itself in many different ways; a churning in your stomach, tingling in your body, a racing heart, shortness of breath, a busy mind that won’t stop. The common thread among these examples is they are your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. Working with me you will become more aware of what makes you anxious and stressed and what you do with these emotions when you feel them. The goal is that you learn to control the anxiety, rather than it controlling you.

Depression

Depression is like a black hole that you get stuck down and can see no way out of. Somewhere you know you should be able to function like other people; that small tasks shouldn’t be so daunting and difficult but it can feel like you’ve lost the key to unlock the person you were without the depression hanging over you. I have worked extensively with clients suffering from mild to severe depression and have found that the depression kicks in when the person becomes overwhelmed. Therapy can enable you to build the resources that allow you to fight your depression as well as give you the space to explore the life experiences that have contributed to you struggling to feel good in the world. I am happy to work alongside your GP and/or Psychiatrist to ensure you have access to a community-based support network. This in no way compromises the confidentiality of our sessions.

I have a particular interest in working with Mums who have postnatal depression. My clinical experience in this area has shown me that at a time when you are feeling low, stretched to your limits, sleep deprived and trying to make a huge life adjustment having an hour in the week that is just about you and how you are feeling is a great support when you need it most.

Mental health issues including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Therapy provides you with a safe place to talk about what goes on in your head. If you feel you are struggling with your mental health we can work together to help you connect to your inner voice and allow you to hear what it is you need to free yourself. I have worked with clients struggling with OCD and PTSD and aim for the balance between discussing the manifestations of the condition in detail in order to provide useful coping mechanisms and travelling back to the origins of the condition with a view to unravelling its power.

The emotional impact of a physical illness or condition

Living life with a physical illness is exhausting. You may be taking medication to help with the illness, you may have had or need surgery, you may be attending a centre or hospital for treatment. When we’re physically unwell we, and those supporting us, can focus so much on becoming well again that we lose sight of the harsh impact a physical illness can have on our emotional well being. In our work together you can find a place to rest, connect back into the person you were before you became unwell and process your emotions to allow a clearer path for healing to occur.

Loss and bereavement

So much of what hurts us in life is loss. Our loss of innocence, our loss of wonderment at the world, the loss of our true voice and identity. Therapy provides a space for you to safely experience the pain and grief of your loss and to allow you to explore the different feelings that you are coping with all the while working towards healing the wounds that you have been left with.

When someone significant in our life dies the emotions that inhabit us can be overwhelming. It can feel like nothing will ever make sense or feel right again. If you have lost someone through suicide, thoughts of what you could or should have done to help can fill your head. It can be difficult to express or share your grief with those around you as they may be grieving too or you may feel they do not understand what you are going through. In our work together we will journey safely through the feelings you are surrounded by and give you a dedicated space to work towards coping with life after the death of a loved one.

Victims of physical, sexual or emotional abuse and bullying

When we have suffered at the hands of another human being we are left scarred by the experience. The scars we carry are as individual as we are and in my work with people who have been abused or bullied I carry an intrinsic respect for each personal and unique story. Abuse that is unprocessed and unresolved plays in the background of a person’s life like a broken record; waiting to attach itself to the next trauma that is just similar enough to evoke the fear, humiliation, anger, hurt and pain that the person has experienced. In my work I have found that building a solid, trusting, safe relationship with a client who has been abused is the most important element of our journey together. It is through experiencing a respectful, boundaried relationship with me that my client becomes empowered to work towards healing themselves in their own unique way.

Low self-esteem and confidence

It is a wonderful thing to believe strongly in your own self-worth. That you deserve to be happy, that you deserve to loved, that you deserve for things to work out well for you. Not everybody has the ability to feel this way. I believe when our self-esteem is on the floor we attract more hardship into our lives and thus begins a cycle that can be hard to break away from. Therapy honours you as an individual; your uniqueness, what makes you special. We can work towards connecting you to the part of yourself that champions you, believes in your ability and can set you free to be all that you already are.

Difficulty in relationships, at home or at work

Meaningful relationships can be so rewarding; they can be the very reason we find contentment in our lives. When our relationships are difficult, strained, broken or imbalanced it can have a knock-on effect in all areas of our existence. Therapy can give you the space to flesh out your personal and/or professional relationships with a view to understanding your role in the relationships you have and what elements of this role serve you or hinder you. Our work together will also encompass what your needs in your relationships are and how you communicate to get these needs met.

Issues surrounding gender identity and sexual orientation

When the way you choose to live your romantic and sexual life or how you identify your gender causes unease within you or those closest to you therapy can provide you with a non-judgemental space to explore the adult inside you, free from pressure and expectations. Hearing this adult speak openly can give you the resources you need to figure out and be true to who you are, in all areas of your ‘one wild and precious life’ (Mary Oliver).

Suicidal thoughts or plans and self-harming

In my work with suicidal clients I have witnessed the deep level of pain a person has to be experiencing to consider ending their life. When I am working with a client who is self-harming or having suicidal thoughts my first priority is ensuring their safety. Through the relationship I build with clients who are at risk I aim to give them a reliable, supportive, regular place where they can come weekly and feel connected to another human being and following on from that to re-connect with the world. I am happy to work alongside your GP and/or Psychiatrist to ensure you have access to a community-based support network that keeps you safe and helps to alleviate feelings of isolation. This in no way compromises the confidentiality of our sessions.

“The human heart yearns for contact….each of us secretly and desperately yearns to be ‘met’ – to be recognised in our uniqueness, our fullness, and our vulnerability”

Hycner and Jacobs