‘The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.’
Carl R Rogers On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy.
(1967, London: Constable)
I am a fully qualified London-based relational integrative psychotherapist, with an MA in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy from Roehampton University, and registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
I offer open-ended or short-term face-to-face psychotherapy for adults in Clapham (SW4) on Tuesdays, and in Battersea (SW11) or on-line at other times.
Alongside my private practice, I work as a Bereavement Volunteer for Cruse, Lambeth. I also undertake assessment sessions for a low-cost counselling service in southwest London and have experience of working as part of a team of NHS counsellors based at GP surgeries in Wandsworth.
I have an up-to-date enhanced DBS and professional insurance.
About me
How counselling can help you
Naturally, life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes when things don’t go according to plan it can be difficult navigate the best way forward.
You might be feeling stuck in one or more aspects of your life, unfulfilled, held back by a lack of self-confidence or past experiences, or at a crossroads and unsure which path to take. Or you may be facing big life changes that you weren’t anticipating, such as the end of a relationship, a bereavement, illness or redundancy, so it feels as if your whole world has been turned upside-down.
At such times, things can seem so overwhelming that it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. It can be hard to talk openly to loved ones, and often, well-intentioned advice from friends or family only muddies the waters and adds to the confusion.
Taking a step back and giving yourself the space to talk through your hopes, fears and feelings with an impartial professional can allow you to see things more clearly and give you a fresh perspective. Exploring difficult feelings or key issues in such a way and reflecting on the complex and often conflicting emotions that may surface increases self-awareness and helps you understand your thought processes and recognize patterns in your behaviour and ways of relating. This can enable you to adopt healthier ways of communicating and relating with those around you, and identify what matters most to you, empowering you to move forward in your life in the way that is right for you now.
‘We cannot change, we cannot move away from what we are, until we thoroughly accept what we are. Then change seems to come about almost unnoticed.’
Carl R Rogers On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy.
(1967, London: Constable)
How many sessions will I need?
This depends on you and the issue(s) you would like to work through. Short-term therapy could be 6–12 weeks, or we can work in an open-ended way, reviewing progress on a regular basis and working towards an ending when you feel ready.
My therapeutic approach
As a relational integrative counsellor and psychotherapist, I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship, built on mutual trust and respect, is key to bringing about a deeper understanding of the self and ultimately achieving lasting positive change. I understand that the prospect of therapy can seem daunting, so it is my aim to make it a positive, nurturing experience, by providing a compassionate, non-judgemental, empathic and confidential space, where it feels safe to talk about difficult issues and explore painful feelings.
My integrative approach has its foundations in person-centred therapy, which holds a core belief that every person, deep down, knows what is right for them – you are the only expert on your life. My role, with compassion and curiosity, is to help you explore your sense of self and the values you hold at your own pace. Together we will try to discover and understand any obstacles to that natural inner process, allowing you to reconnect with that intrinsic part of yourself and empowering you to have greater self-confidence and conviction in your life choices moving forward.
My practice is also enriched by psychodynamic thinking, particularly Attachment Theory, which gives me an understanding of how unconscious processes and patterns of relating and behaving that have their foundations in early life and childhood experiences can influence the way we approach life and interact with others, in both a personal and professional capacity.
Code of practice and confidentiality
As a registered member of the BACP, I work in accordance with its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018) and am bound by its code of confidentiality. As required, I attend regular one-to-one supervision with an accredited supervisor, during which I might discuss aspects of our work but would never reveal your name or any other identifiable details. The only time I might need to break this confidentiality is if I were concerned for your safety or the safety of another person. In such instances, I would be ethically bound to contact your GP, but I would always aim to discuss this with you beforehand. I am also committed to enriching my practice with Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Contact me
Please contact me by email to arrange an informal conversation to see how I might be able to help you.
We can then book in an initial consultation so we can discuss in more depth the main issues you are facing, the areas on which you would like to focus, and your overall goals and expectations from the sessions. The assessment session typically lasts for an hour, during which I will ask some questions about your history, lifestyle and previous experience of counselling, if any. We can then decide whether we would like to work together.
For face-to-face sessions, my private counselling room is about 15 minutes walk from Queenstown Road and Clapham Junction mainline stations and 5–10 minutes walk to bus stops on Lavender Hill, Battersea Park Road and Queenstown Road. There is plenty of pay-and-display parking Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 5.30.