About me:

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I'm a qualified Integrative Therapist with experience of working with children, young people, families and adults, including couples. I have worked with children and young people for the past 25 years, firstly in a teaching role and in latter years as a therapist. Whilst working in education I worked in an SEMH role for individuals with social and emotional difficulties which was the first role of its kind to be incorporated into schools as well as working in an alternative provision for individuals who struggled to access mainstream education. My current work involves working as a school counsellor as well as working in private practice.

 

Specialist interest and/or experience:

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I have a specialism in early life experiences including early attachments and how they impact on later adulthood, believing that our early relationships form parallels with adolescence and adulthood. Issues arising in adulthood are often linked to our earlier childhood experiences. In addition to this I also have a special interest in working with children and young people with attachment issues as well as barriers in education.

 

Clinical experience:

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I have six years of counselling experience; working in a primary school as a school counsellor as well as working in our private practices. A large part of my work has and continues to involve working systemically with children, young people and families supporting them in overcoming significant barriers within education and at home. I also have experience of working with OCD, trauma, family issues, attachment issues, personality disorders and neurodivergence. In the two years I have also undertaken a more senior role within NextStep supporting across a range of clinical areas including clinical assessments.

 

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Clinical approaches:

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Working integratively involves a client-led approach, where the focus in every session are the clients’ needs. This approach involves using a range of therapeutic modalities, tailoring therapy sessions according to the person’s presenting and emerging needs. Modalities I work with are Transactional Analysis (TA), Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Sand Tray, Imagery and Metaphor work and two chair work.

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In conjunction with working integratively and relationally my approach involves a psycho-educative approach which involves sharing theories or ideas from eminent researchers relevant to the clients’ narrative. Using psychoeducation with clients helps clients to understand the basis of their feelings and emotions to build emotional literacy, self regulation and develop a personalised toolkit of interventions which can be used beyond the therapeutic process. Work with younger children predominantly involves play therapy which naturally engages the child's inner world allowing expression and articulation of difficulties which can be further explored. Work with older children involves a self reflective scaffolded approach to build greater autonomy and to develop a toolkit of coping strategies for beyond the counselling process. I also use sand tray work with both children and young people as a non-verbal symbolic approach enabling exploration of unconscious processes, gently bringing them into conscious awareness. I work as collaboratively as possible with parents/carers of the young people I work with.

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Work with adults focuses on a holistic approach in identifying links between current situations and earlier experiences through exploring a person’s life scripts. In having greater awareness of our own life scripts we are better able to move forward to our more authentic self.

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Couples therapy involves a solution focused approach, often shorter term, which looks at parallels between earlier relationship patterns and current relationships as well as exploring communication patterns and awareness of our own and our partners needs.

 

Qualifications and Training (dates etc):

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Currently studying for Advanced Diploma in Supervision

​BSC (hons) Psychology

Post Graduate Certificate in Education

Advanced Diploma (Level 6) in Integrative Counselling

Certificate in Couples Counselling

Thrive Trained

Enhanced DBS Certificate for working with Children and Adults

 

What are you passionate about:

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I view my client work as an absolute privilege and never tiring of stepping into my clients’ world. I am incredibly passionate about people being able to access support when they are struggling and work hard with clients to develop lifelong strategies to support them beyond the counselling process.