Therapy improves emotional wellbeing
Psychotherapy and counselling are widely recognised to enhance emotional wellbeing by alleviating a broad range of mental health issues and life challenges - see here for some evidence that backs this up. You don't need a diagnosis, to be in crisis, or even to have a clear understanding of your problem in order to benefit from therapy.
Seeking therapy is a personal choice, and people come for a variety of reasons. It might be to address a longstanding psychological difficulty, manage issues like anxiety or depression, or navigate challenging relationships. At other times, therapy can provide support in response to significant life events, such as the death of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship, or the loss of a job.
Many people seek therapy because something feels off, even if they can’t pinpoint exactly what that is. Alternatively, past experiences or ingrained patterns might be affecting how you relate to others or respond to life's challenges. Others come to therapy for personal growth, seeking to explore and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
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​Whatever brings you to therapy, it can be a meaningful step toward improving your emotional wellbeing and helping you lead a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Therapy helps you get more out of life
Therapy is for anyone who wants to get more out of life by taking responsibility, increasing self-awareness, and working towards meaningful change. Deciding to come to therapy can be a difficult decision, especially if you have never experienced it before. The thought of sharing your feelings with a stranger can feel daunting. You may worry that your issues aren’t significant enough or fear that you might be seen as “making a fuss about nothing.” On the other hand, you might be concerned that your problems are too overwhelming for anyone to handle. Regardless of the reason for reaching out, you will be met with compassion, curiosity, and professionalism.
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Whether your challenges stem from your life circumstances, relationships, past experiences, or something within yourself, therapy can offer relief and new perspectives. If you feel like you’ve been living on ‘automatic pilot,’ find it increasingly difficult to live the life you want, or are seeking to unpick and understand what’s going on, therapy can help you gain clarity, support you in navigating difficult transitions, and empower you to move forward with a renewed sense of purpose.​
Therapy provides a supportive space to express yourself
​​Therapy offers a supportive space where you can express and process your emotions, reflect on yourself and your life, and gain a deeper understanding of who you are. It’s a place to explore how you relate to yourself and how you connect with others around you. Together, we can work at a pace that suits you, focusing on what truly matters to you.
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Friends and family can be a great support, but sometimes they’re too close to offer the help you need; you may worry about burdening them or find that they’re part of the problem. Perhaps everything you've tried so far hasn’t worked as you’d hoped, and you’re feeling out of options. Maybe you haven’t had a safe and accepting environment to truly work through your issues, or the people you’ve turned to haven’t quite given you the support you need. This is where working with a therapist can help.
The therapeutic relationship is unique. It provides a warm, secure space with clearly defined boundaries where you can feel heard, seen, and acknowledged for who you are. This much-needed space allows you to express how you really feel and to speak about your situation as it truly is. You can read more about what therapy is like with me and my approach by following the links.
Therapy uncovers what's holding you back
As we work together, you may uncover underlying thoughts, beliefs and ways of being that have been limiting your potential or keeping you stuck. By bringing these into awareness, therapy can help you challenge and reframe these patterns, understand their origins, and explore what drives us to continue them - empowering you to move beyond them should you choose. This newfound awareness can lead to a deeper understanding of yourself and a greater sense of freedom, enabling you to approach life with renewed energy and direction, unburdened by the constraints of old habits and fears.
The relationship we build together is crucial in helping you understand and work through patterns and behaviours that may be unhelpful or destructive. Through our work, you can gain fresh perspectives on difficult problems, develop new ways of relating to others, and unearth your potential, empowering you to live with greater ease and confidence.​​​
Therapy fosters self-discovery and personal growth
Working with a therapist can help you uncover previously unknown or unacknowledged aspects of yourself, allowing you to become more authentically who you are. This process enables you to face each moment openly and freshly, with fewer constraints from pre-formed opinions, positions, attitudes, or expectations. Therapy isn’t about me telling you what to do; it’s about supporting and empowering you to find your own solutions, giving you the choice to make meaningful and lasting changes in your life.
As we work together, you may begin to recognise and appreciate your strengths and resilience in ways you hadn’t before. This newfound awareness can foster a deeper sense of self-compassion and acceptance, helping you approach life’s challenges with greater confidence and calm. Our work together can provide valuable insights and support, helping you build up your internal resources to manage all types of life challenges, including interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the daily hassles of life.
By understanding yourself, your own capabilities and resources, you can make more informed choices that align with your values and goals, ultimately freeing you to live more in alignment with who you truly are.
​Some more benefits of therapy can include:
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​Gaining deeper self-awareness and clarity about your goals and values
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Enhancing relationship skills and building healthier connections
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Resolving the issues or concerns that brought you to therapy
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Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
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Better management of intense emotions like anger, grief, and depression
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Strengthening communications and listening skills
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Breaking old habits and adopting healthier, new behaviors
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Discovering new ways to address challenges within your family or marriage
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Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence​
What therapy can help with
Areas in which I can help
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Addiction and substance misuse
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Affairs and betrayal
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Career and employment issues
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Chronic illness
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Codependence
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Complex PTSD
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Cultural issues
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Domestic violence
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Eating disorders
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Envy and jealousy
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Gender-related issues
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Guilt and shame
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Infertility
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Lack of life purpose and meaning
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Life transitions, change or feeling stuck
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Loneliness
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Low or unstable mood
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Obsessions and compulsions
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Panic attacks and phobias
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Personal development
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Prejudice, discrimination and oppression
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Psychedelic Integration
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Self-harm
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Sexuality
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Sexual abuse
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Sexual issues
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Social anxiety
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Spirituality
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Suicidality
Whilst I have provided a list of areas in which I can help, I do not believe that the feelings and challenges we face fit neatly into discrete categories. Instead, I recognise each person’s experience as unique, with different aspects of our lives deeply interconnected, often in ways we might not expect. As such, the list above is by no means exhaustive, so please feel free to contact me even if your issue doesn’t fit neatly into the categories mentioned.
Therapy is not just about addressing isolated issues; it’s about understanding your experience and you as a whole person, with therapy individually tailored to meet your specific needs. The strong therapeutic relationship we build together will serve as the foundation for exploring, navigating, and resolving the complexities of your experience, allowing for meaningful and lasting healing and change.
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My special interests
As a UKCP-registered psychotherapist, I am trained to work with a wide range of issues. That said, here are some areas in which I have a special interest:
Anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed
Anxiety is a normal response to various situations, often manifesting as worry, fear, or a general sense of unease. It can be triggered by traumatic events, social or workplace pressures, or life transitions such as divorce, bereavement, or sudden changes. Whilst experiencing some anxiety is normal, excessive or uncontrollable anxiety can have a significant affect on your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life. Prolonged anxiety can result in the constant release of cortisol, a stress hormone that, over time, can weaken your immune system and contribute to other health issues. Therapy offers a space to explore the underlying causes of your anxiety, which is an essential first step in managing it effectively. By understanding its roots, you can develop healthier ways to cope, improving both your mental wellbeing and overall health.
Feelings of depression, sadness,
grief or emptiness
Feelings of depression, sadness, grief, or emptiness are common emotional experiences that can significantly impact one’s quality of life. Depression, in particular, can manifest as persistent low mood, a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness or worthlessness. It can affect your body, behaviour, and thoughts, leading to feelings of loneliness, fear, or guilt. These feelings may be triggered by specific life events such as loss, trauma, or significant change, but they can also emerge gradually, sometimes without an obvious cause. Grief, too, can lead to deep sadness and a sense of emptiness, particularly after the loss of a loved one or a significant life transition. Sadly, many people struggle with these feelings on their own for months, or even years, before getting professional help. Therapy provides the space and time to explore and navigate these complex emotions, helping you understand their origins and how they affect your day-to-day life. By addressing these feelings in therapy, you can begin to find relief and work towards regaining a sense of balance and purpose and feel more yourself again.
Coping with the effects of abuse & trauma
Abuse is when the way others treat you becomes harmful to you. Trauma is when stressful events that you experience shatter your sense of security and make you feel unsafe, helpless or vulnerable. Immediately after a traumatic event, feelings of shock and denial are common. In the long term, reactions may include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea leaving some people with difficulty moving on with their lives. Therapy can provide a compassionate space to process the effects of trauma and abuse. Rather than focusing on diagnosing what is 'wrong' with you, therapy involves working with you to reflect on what has happened and how it continues to affect your life today. Through sensitive listening and understanding, therapy helps you process these experiences, reducing the emotional and physical toll they may be having on your mind and body. In time, this can help you feel better about yourself and regain a sense of control and well-being.
Struggling to come to terms with losses such as bereavement, divorce or unemployment
Coming to terms with significant losses like bereavement, divorce, or unemployment can be deeply challenging. These experiences often bring profound changes to one’s life, disrupting a sense of stability and security. Bereavement can lead to intense feelings of sadness, loneliness, guilt and anger. Divorce, similarly, can bring about a deep sense of loss, not only of a relationship but also of a shared future, leaving individuals to grapple with feelings of rejection, guilt, or failure. Unemployment can shake one’s sense of identity and self-worth, leading to anxiety, stress, and a sense of purposelessness. These types of losses can be difficult to navigate alone, as they often evoke complex emotions that are hard to process. Therapy offers a space to explore these feelings, helping you understand and work through the impact of loss on your life. Through therapy, you can begin to process your grief, rebuild your sense of self, and find new meaning and purpose in life. While the journey through loss is never easy, working with a therapist can make it more manageable, helping you move forward with greater resilience and hope.
Difficulty making or sustaining healthy relationships or navigating current relationships
Relationships are a fundamental part of our lives. Whilst they can bring us a great deal of happiness and support, they can also be the source of psychological and emotional distress. Therapy offers a supportive and non-judgemental environment where you can explore and address problems within relationships, helping you find a way through these difficulties. It also provides an opportunity to explore and understand how your past experiences may be influencing your relationships and shaping the dynamics and patterns you encounter today. Therapy can be especially valuable during breakups or separations, assisting in the process of healing and rebuilding relationships. By working to strengthen your sense of self, therapy can reduce the confusion and pain often associated with the relationships and behaviours we choose throughout our lives. Ultimately, this process can lead to a greater understanding of yourself, a deeper comprehension of your relationships, and a more grounded sense of your place in the world.
Identity issues and understanding who you are
Developing a sense of self, or identity, refers to the process of understanding and defining who you are as an individual. This involves exploring who we are, what we value, and how we relate to the world around us. It’s a process that begins in childhood and continues throughout life, shaped by our experiences, relationships, and the challenges we face. However, for some, this process can be fraught with difficulty, leading to feelings of confusion, anxiety, and insecurity. Struggles with identity can manifest in various ways,such as uncertainty about one’s values, difficulty making decisions, or a sense of disconnection from oneself and others, all of which can contribute to emotional difficulties. Therapy offers a supportive environment where you can explore issues related to identity, gain clarity, and develop a stronger sense of self. As people do this they often find greater confidence, purpose, and the ability to navigate life’s complexities with resilience. Ultimately, a well-developed sense of self provides a solid foundation for personal growth and fulfilling relationships.
People-pleasing, prioritising others' needs and struggling to say no
People-pleasing is when individuals prioritise others’ needs and expectations over their own, often at the expense of their well-being. This tendency can stem from various roots, including childhood experiences and social conditioning, where praise and validation were given for being helpful or compliant. It may also arise from growing up in environments where meeting others’ needs was a way to avoid conflict or where individuals had to take on caregiving or mediating roles, leading them to habitually put others' needs before their own. Although often seen as a positive trait, over time, people-pleasing and over-giving to others can lead to challenges such as emotional exhaustion and difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships. Therapy offers a supportive space where your needs will come first, allowing you to explore the underlying causes of this tendency, gain insight into how it affects your life, and develop healthier ways to set boundaries and prioritise yourself. By working with a therapist, you can learn to assert yourself more effectively, build self-worth independent of others' approval, create more balanced, fulfilling relationships and embrace a more authentic, empowered way of living.
Navigating the challenges of parenting and breaking generational patterns
Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience that often brings a unique set of challenges. Whilst parenting naturally involves striving to provide the best for one’s children, the pressures can sometimes lead to stress and feelings of overwhelm. It can also cause a loss or questioning of identity, a resurgence of old insecurities or the surfacing of unresolved issues from childhood. These challenges may also highlight generational patterns that you might wish to address—not only to improve your own wellbeing but also to prevent passing them on to your children. Therapy offers a space to explore these challenges in a supportive environment, helping you to navigate them effectively. By gaining insight into your experiences as a parent, you can break the cycle and develop healthier, more intentional ways of interacting with your children. This process not only models positive behaviours for their development but also empowers you and enhances your wellbeing and confidence along the way. Whether you’re looking to improve communication, regulate emotions more effectively, or gain deeper self-understanding, therapy can support you in becoming the parent you aspire to be, fostering a nurturing environment where both you and your child can thrive.
Recovering from harmful therapy
Most therapy experiences are beneficial, offering a supportive space for healing and growth. Thankfully, instances of harm in therapy are rare. However, when therapy does become harmful, it can lead to significant emotional distress and a loss of trust in the therapeutic process. Harmful therapy might involve breaches of confidentiality, inappropriate boundaries, or an approach that feels invalidating or dismissive. These experiences can feel particularly distressing, especially since they happen in a space meant to be supportive and safe. In my practice, I am dedicated to providing a safe, empathetic, and supportive environment where you can process what happened, understand its impact, and work through the emotions it has stirred. My approach, informed by my own ongoing academic research into this topic, is grounded in empathy and sensitivity, ensuring that your past experiences are fully acknowledged and understood.