About me

I want to give you a sense of me, beyond the professional - while knowing that's important too. So, here are a few things I can share…

- I started my private practice in 2020 after working for Mid-Kent Mind's Low Cost Counselling Service from 2018-2020.

- I’m based in Brighton and Hove and work online via Zoom and by phone. I always wanted to offer online sessions to make therapy more accessible. 2020 saw me, like many, move fully online in a way I didn’t expect but I’m really glad I did - it works well for both me and my clients.

- I trained at InterPsyche Training Institute - Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies (BACP accredited; via the NHS) completing a Certificate and then a Level 6 Diploma in Integrative Counselling. Since then I have continued to learn via further training, online courses and books. This is necessary for all therapists, but I genuinely love and am passionate about the subjects I train and work in.

- You can laugh and swear with me. Therapy doesn't always have to be serious. There can be moments of laughter and lightness, and that's ok. I also wanted to include this as I remember the experience of a therapist wincing when I'd swear in therapy, and so often clients apologise for it. It's really fine - I swear too. And if you don't, that's also ok.

- I have chronic illnesses/disability. I feel this is important to share for those of you who are looking for a therapist with lived experience. I first became an unwilling member of the chronic illness club around 15 years ago and I now navigate a couple of different conditions. My own therapy over the years has been helpful in processing this. Our experiences might be different but I have understanding around the challenges that both the body and society can bring around this, from my own experiences but also my learning and the many disabled clients I have worked with.

- I've had my own struggles with mental health. I really struggled with depression, anxiety and low self-worth in my teens and early 20s. When I think back to that time it's hard to feel that I was the same person - but I was. That's an indicator of how much I've changed, and the fact that change is possible.

- Before becoming a therapist I worked in theatres and libraries, and did a degree in English Literature & Drama Studies. I've always loved stories and continue to get so much out of reading - whether for escapism or therapy books. I created The Therapy Bookshop in 2020 as a way of sharing my recommendations and supporting independent bookshops.

- I care about inclusion and diversity. Inclusion, representation and social justice matter to me. Part of my ongoing learning is expanding my understanding on various, intersecting identities and what it is to live in an unequal society, experiencing traumatic discrimination and erasure. And also - the beauty of difference and diversity. All clients are welcome in my practice, as are any experiences related to these areas.