My approach to therapy is to establish the focus that is most important for you, and a way of working collaboratively together for you to feel enabled and strengthened. I work to help you develop understanding and insight into your difficulties and concerns, of how you relate to yourself (your inner world ), and with others. These might include beliefs about how you must/ought to be and act or ways of resolving and responding to life s challenges.
Often the therapeutic work involves developing new coping skills and experimenting with new ways of relating and being in the world , adding to those you already have. I am an active therapist, which means I will offer my thoughts and observations of what you present and how I experience you within our relationship (it s a mirror for how you are in other relationships). Because I am offering a safe and trusting space for you to be your natural self, we can be curious together about your experience of how you live in the world.
I bring my professional knowledge and experience of working with many different issues, choosing what I hope will be most useful and relevant to you. This may include my knowledge of anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, identity, attachment or shame, or how we develop self-esteem, self-worth or create meaning in our lives, that enables us to connect to purpose. Your therapy experience will be unique to you. By internalising your therapy experience, I hope you will become your own therapist (with new ways to think about your life), so you no longer need me.
If you have particular questions of how I could assist you with your current concerns that are not answered here, please do get in touch by email or phone call. I welcome all enquiries. If I don t think I am the right therapist for you, I can refer you to a more appropriate service or colleague.
About me:
Pronouns: him/his
Born in New Zealand, I have lived in the UK for almost 30 years. I trained at the Central School for Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Gestalt Centre (London), The Pellin Institute and CPPD. I am currently working towards my Doctorate in Psychotherapy by Professional Studies at the Metanoia Institute, researching the area of therapeutic mentoring in Higher Education. I also have a degree in education and my Master's focused on Queer adolescent sexual identity development.
I have worked extensively in the voluntary sector developing counselling services across London, specialising in young peoples' services and the issues they face, and in the substance use and visual impairment fields. I am also a Mental Health Advisor and Student Mentor at a London University.
More recently I have trained and/or developed interests in the experience of infant loss, trauma, positive psychology, the skills of resilience, coercive relationships, and experiences of gender (trans, non-binary etc).