About me

Something beautiful can grow out of darkness if we allow it and give it a chance. I have realised that we have to make space in our life in order to heal from our hurt and we can begin to thrive and find our passions. When your head is so busy being unhappy, you just can’t get to that point. So, finding my passion and working to help others who find themselves in need of support, is something I am so grateful to be doing.

Before my training as a counsellor, I trained as a Chartered Management Accountant and embarked on a career as a management consultant, dealing with change. While I was always drawn to the benefits of taking a logical approach, there has always been a side of myself that’s passionate about engaging with people, their experiences and supporting them to be their best. My experience informs me that a suitable environment can help people thrive.

My career in the corporate world allowed me the opportunity to live and work abroad, which provided me with very good experience and exposure to a variety of people and cultures. I saw how other people struggled with challenges in their life. Coupled by the experience of my own challenges which allowed me the space that ignited my passion for helping and supporting others. I decided to embark on an introductory counselling course to explore if I'm suited to helping others with their emotional difficulties. At this stage I also engaged in personal therapy for myself. What better way to learn about therapy than to experience it myself? My own experience of talk therapy was transformative.

I progressed to a further few years of study and this course also included taking on placements to start to put some of my learning into practice. My training and experience further helped me with the understanding of people and their feelings; and a desire to help them work through issues to come to an understanding of themselves; and why they might act and react in certain ways.

I've been privileged to have been selected by clients from all walks of life to help them and I have gained over a thousand hours of supervised clinical practice. You can find some of their feedback on the "testimonial page".

I consider it a special privilege to walk alongside my counselling clients as they are working through difficult situations, changes, and personal challenges.

My Qualifications are:

• Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling/ Foundation Degree
• Certificate in CBT
• Certificate in Counselling Skills
• Certificate of Proficiency  - British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• Certificate in Transactional Analysis 101
• Certificate in online counselling and telephone counselling (approved by BACP and ACTO)
• Certificate in Counselling Children and Young People - I have training and experience in counselling young people and I hold an enhanced DBS certificate.
• Cruse bereavement care is the leading national charity for bereaved people. I have had Cruse training to work with issues relating to bereavement, loss and grief.
• Anxiety UK - I have undergone Anxiety UK's training and work as an Anxiety UK approved counsellor for adults and young people.
• I have had training and experience in various modalities which enables me to use various approaches, such as Person-centred approach, Transactional Analysis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Neuroscience for Effective Clinical Practice. I invite clients to work creatively to aid deeper exploration of their issues.
• I am passionate about about enhancing emotional wellbeing in workplaces and in 2018, I carried out primary research in this area.

MY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING includes:

• Trauma training - Babeth Rothchild
• Janina Fisher Trauma Treatment Certification Training The Latest Advances and Proven Techniques to Resolve Deeply Held Trauma 
• The Impact of Trauma at Different Developmental Stages A PCA Perspective
• Intensive Trauma Treatment Certification Workshop by Arielle Schwartz 
• Trauma Healing Through the Senses with Bessel van der Kolk
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in Action harness the wisdom of the body to treat trauma and relational wounds (Online Course) with PAT Ogden 
• Healing trauma with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model Jan Winhall 
• Internal Family Systems To Heal Trauma by Cece Sykes 28 Oct 23,
•  Graduate Certificate in Systemic Approaches to working with Individuals, Families and Organisations, Tavistock and Portman NHS training - ongoing
• Personalising psychotherapy
• Understanding and working with survivors of sexual abuse by Chrissie Sanderson
• Working with socially anxious clients
• Counselling Young People
• A Pluralistic Approach to Therapy
• Working using creative techniques
• Children & Young People Safeguarding
• Polyvagal Theory and Neuroscience in therapeutic practice
• Transactional Analysis and the Brain
• Certificate in CBT With Heart
• Procrastination and imposter syndrome
• Resilience Training, Philadelphia University – Ongoing
• Certification Course Integrate CBT and Exposure & Response Prevention for Treatment with Kimberley Morrow & Elizabeth DuPont Spencer 
• Science of Wellbeing, Yale university – Ongoing
• The Inner Critic
• The Psychotherapy of Shame
• Cultural Awareness, Human diversity and Power in the therapy room
• Our Experience of Transference in the Therapy Room
• Working with bullying
• Working with complex PTSD
• Working creatively with inner child
• Menopause matters
• Working with Co-dependency in Psychotherapeutic Practice
• 
  I'm a holder of Safeguarding Level 3 certificate - This training helps me assess and evaluate safeguarding concerns of young people and adults.
  
  My work experience:
• Link is a young people’s counselling service for ages 13 to 25, which is part of the Hillingdon Council's Social Care Directorate's Children and Young People's Services division. I worked here as a counsellor providing 1 to 1 counselling, facilitating groups and mental health workshops for teenagers and young people.
• Signpost - a charity in Hertfordshire which provides counselling, coaching and other support to help young people and families. I have provided parent support and coaching, helping to develop a plan to address any challenges they maybe facing, offering tools and guidance. I also work as a counsellor here, providing therapy to young people (13 - 25years of age).
• 6th Form Counsellor at a private school
• I've worked with Police, NHS staff, fire service and universities
  
  It can feel scary to take the first step to reach out but learning to cope in healthier ways can make doing so more than worthwhile.