I am a qualified and experienced, Integrative Counsellor and hold a Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling, recognised and accredited by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). I am also a member of the BACP.

Training, Qualifications and Experience

The impact of my professional training and my own life experiences, have meant that I do not offer any one, single approach to counselling and instead choose to integrate a variety of approaches within the counselling work that I do with you. I hold the belief that all individuals are unique and therefore do not consider there to be any one, single approach or model of counselling which helps everyone.

By using an integrative approach to counselling, I integrate ideas and insights drawn from different counselling models, in order to respond appropriately to the needs of individual clients. It is for this reason that I refer to myself as an Integrative Counsellor.

I have received extensive, further training as part of my commitment to continuous, professional development, which includes training within the areas of:

• Brief Solution Focused Therapy
• Health and Well-Being at Work
• Creative Approaches to working with Trauma
• Abusive and Co-Dependent Relationships
• Self-Harm and Sexual Abuse
• Suicide Awareness & Prevention Training with 'Papyrus' 
• Intensive Training in issues of Female Rape, Sexual Abuse, Domestic Violence & Childhood Sexual Abuse
• Drug Awareness Training
• Child Protection
• Cruse Bereavement Training
• Identifying Risk & Resilience in Children and Young People
• Eating Disorders Training with the 'Eating Disorders Association' and 'LifeWorks' 

           

As a counsellor, I have worked in a range of community settings; as a counsellor at a women's centre, for the national organisation of Rape Crisis and for a charity which works with male and female survivors of physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse.

I have also worked for the national, mental health charity 'Mind' where I worked with people on an individual basis, concerning a variety of issues, and devised and delivered OCN accredited confidence building and assertiveness training.

An extensive period of my counselling work has involved me working alongside young people, including looked after, asylum-seeking children, from which experience I have been enormously privileged.