Practitioners

Whether you are considering counselling for the first time or returning to it I will provide a space that is holding and non-judgemental.

In my own experience of personal therapy and offering counselling to others, this is a space that allows you to feel listened to but also to hear your own voice. By gently following and understanding your own particular process and pace, my role is to then support you in enabling feelings and thoughts which you may struggle to express alone. Where feelings are unclear, hurtful or distressing we may work together with other felt senses in the body to notice how thoughts impact the whole self.

Understanding and listening to where you find yourself in the present and becoming attuned to uncertainties and strengths not yet explored allows us to build together from where you are. Feeling valued while being creative and learning about yourself can allow you to continue to want to explore and shape your own new experiences.

We are continually passing through new challenges in life and changing our connections with those around us as we do so. I believe we each develop our own ways to navigate difficulties and it is useful to think about how they may have both helped and protected us and what is still useful for us now. I encourage compassion and self-care as you do this.

I am a qualified counsellor and member of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I have of experience of working with people suffering from anxiety, bereavement including complicated grief, work related stress, long term health conditions, trauma in particular from domestic violence, family relationships and navigating life transitions.

My original degree from Greenwich University was in Sociology which taught me the value of seeking to understand how our diverse cultural and social backgrounds affect our lives. Working in Industry in the private sector since 1998 I continued to work with these values in supporting and mentoring and training teams. Empowering individuals and acknowledging the impact our mental health has on working and private lives then led me to retrain as a counsellor at Edinburgh University.

I am originally from the south of England but have now lived in Edinburgh for half of my life, I have been married for the past 20 years and a stepmother. I enjoy walking this beautiful city which grounds me and brings me back to myself.