Here you'll find out a bit more about who I am and why I do this job. There's a school of thought that therapists shouldn't reveal any personal information. And, while I understand that, I think it's more important that you know that I have benefited from therapy myself. I have experienced it from the client's perspective and witnessed my own change and growth as a result. Not only do I understand theoretically how counselling can help, I know it to the core of my being.
I studied Philosophy as an undergrad which still informs the way that I think and work. I'm particularly interested in aspects of Buddhist thinking around attachment, suffering and impermanence. I bring mindfulness into my practice when it might help.
As a counsellor, I've worked with a wide range of people including those experiencing (or experiences of): anxiety, depression, addiction, childhood sexual abuse, low self-esteem, depression, obsessive thinking, self-harm, abusive relationships, personal boundary issues, social anxiety, insomnia, work-stress. I had the privilege of working as a long-term counsellor at The Swan Project in Bristol for three years, where I met some truly inspiring people - clients and colleagues alike.
My core training at BCPC was genuinely a life-changing experience. Theory aside, it's four years of intense self-exploration always keeping in mind that, the more we understand ourselves, the better placed we will be to help others in our work. Sharing the journey with so many wonderful, talented, committed individuals is something that will always stay in my heart. During the training I had three and a half years of personal therapy in which I had many light bulb moments and formed the most amazing bond with my therapist (thank you Kim!).
I then went on to train in couples therapy as often in my individual work it became apparent that the main problem is arising in the context of a person's relationship or marriage and I wanted to offer a space to tackle things relationally in this way.
The next stage of my journey is taking me into the field of (legal) psychedelic therapy. Having had a lifelong interest in the experience and philosophy of psychedelics and given the current global psychedelic renaissance - the rapidly (re)emerging field of psychedelic therapy - it was a natural step for me to follow this path and train with Tim Read and Maria Papaspyrou at The Institute of Psychedelic Therapy. Given how psychedelics open a gateway into the unconscious, revealing the fundamental underlying dynamics of the psyche, this work feeds into my standard counselling practice in numerous ways. With any luck, as is happening across the globe, the UK government may eventually revise its illogical and harmful drug laws to allow this beautiful work to happen here. Until then, it can be legally accessed in places like the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Looking back, I feel like I was always going to do something like this with my life. I've always been someone friends would come to to talk about their personal issues, maybe because I'm a good listener and am a non-judgemental person.
I deeply value meeting people at depth: the fascinating and frequently moving process of getting to know someone intimately. If you choose to work with me, my promise is to treat those parts of you that seem shameful or best-hidden with curiosity and compassion in the hope that, by being truly accepted as you are, you can in turn increase your level of self-acceptance.
Do drop me a line if you think I might be a good fit for you.