I have a degree in Modern Languages and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. After starting my teaching career in schools, I then worked in a large Sixth Form College for many years where I had a number of roles including a 4-year period as Assistant Principal.

​

My real passion though was working with individual students struggling to stay in education and in my final few years there I was responsible for safeguarding students, managing the counselling service and then I created the innovative post of Mental Health Officer, focussing on students whose mental health difficulties threatened their progress in education. I have had much experience working alongside mental health services (CAMHS), GPs and other organisations such as MIND. Much of my early psychotherapeutic experience was with adolescents before working primarily with adults.

​

I completed a Foundation in Counselling & Psychotherapy at Regent’s College and then completed a master’s degree (MA) in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy at Roehampton University. I have since undertaken further training, e.g. Relational CBT. I am a registered member of the BACP and adhere to their Ethical Framework.

​

My approach to counselling/psychotherapy is integrative; my training covered a number of therapeutic modalities; person-centred, existential & psychodynamic. My whole approach to my work is also influenced by some eastern philosophies and I meditate regularly. My life experiences have helped develop a deep interest in issues around identity and difference. I have much experience of working with LGBT issues. I speak German and French and, whilst I do not offer therapy in these languages, I do find it helps those clients whose first languages are French or German to encourage them to express themselves in their first language when they are having difficulty getting across a word or idea in English.