Find Out A Little More About Me…
A Trauma-Informed, Integrative, Therapeutic Counsellor
I appreciate that is a wordy title. What does it even mean? Let me explain. I call myself trauma-informed as since qualifying I have increased my knowledge by studying trauma. This is ongoing for me and I have a certificate as a trauma-informed coach. In practical terms this means that I can work with trauma in a way that puts people at ease and will not retraumatise them. It is a very delicate and client-led way of working. As an integrative therapist, I am versed in several counselling modalities as opposed to just one. This means I have a variety of skills and approaches I can adopt to tailor my work very specifically to each individual. And as a therapeutic counsellor I have trained to work at depth and to look at underlying, long term issues. Other counsellors may just focus on practical solutions for the here and now.
Admitting to yourself that you need help, & then reaching out to ask for it can be 2 of the hardest things you’ll ever do. I know because I’ve done it. Some think it’s a sign of weakness or failure. I did 24 years ago when I first asked for help. But now I know the courage and strength it takes to be vulnerable & look at who you really are.
My journey won’t give you the answers, but it allows me to support you through yours. I can draw on my own experience, & it has been proven to help clients feel I can relate to them – even though our experiences have been very different.
I’m not just someone who has learnt the theory of therapy, I have lived it, made the changes, and come out the other side.
These are my hopes for all of my clients. Whether you’d like to work through a big life trauma(s) or daily events and behaviours that are troubling you, I am committed to hearing you without judgement and fostering a space where you feel able to share and work through whatever you choose.
I believe we all have the potential to shine, but our thoughts, beliefs, emotions & circumstances can stop us from even trying to reach our potential. We can get stuck in a routine wondering why we feel so dissatisfied. For me, it was a series of big losses which immobilised me for well over a decade, impacting relationships and fundamentally changing me as a person. But therapy eventually revealed a way forward, a way that left me with a new sense of purpose – providing therapy.
So I’ve had a journey through therapy myself and now I’m a practitioner and a counselling tutor. I’ve lived in seasonal coastal towns, sleepy, leafy suburbs & buzzing cities, like London. I love all equally for different reasons. I have experienced different cultures & ways of life, opening my eyes. I studied as an actor, pushing myself way out of my comfort zone to put myself out there in a very competitive industry. I’ve worked in tiny, independent, seasonal businesses and I’ve photographed celebrities. My life has been nothing if not varied! I’ve learnt to overcome many hurdles, including several mental health conditions, and I sit here now using all that I have learnt to assist others in making the changes they desire so that they may live the life that brings them more joy and contentment.
See my blogs for more on my journey and how I may be able to help you with yours.
