About Me
Life Experience
I am a BACP accredited psychotherapist and counsellor providing counselling and psychotherapy in Poynton, Stockport and online for those further afield.
Before qualifying I spent many years working in the voluntary/ charity sector. During this time I gained experience of working with people with a range of difficulties through my involvement, amongst other things, with the rehabilitation of offenders in the community and the Stroke Association. I originally trained as a solicitor and worked in private practice and for a large insurance company for over 20 years.
Experience & Interests
Private Practice
I have experience of working with clients with a wide variety of problems including eating disorders, relationship issues, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, perfectionism and low self esteem as well as historic childhood issues which impact on wellbeing.
I have a particular interest in helping my clients to understand why they think, feel and behave as they do in response to certain people and situations. This understanding, along with other interventions, enables change to be made.
Stockport NHS Community Eating Disorder Service
I was employed as a senior psychological therapist with the Stockport NHS Community Eating Disorder Clinic for 8 years and have extensive experience in working with and treating anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. I have completed extensive training in CBT-E from the Oxford Centre for Research into Eating Disorders (CREDO), an evidence based enhanced CBT programme, developed specifically for the treatment of eating disorders. To find out more on CBT-E please click here. I have also undertaken a year long supervised training in the NICE approved MANTRA interpersonal treatment programme for anorexia.
Stockport Women's Centre
I worked for several years as a volunteer at Stockport Women’s Centre where I helped clients with problems such as depression, anxiety, low self esteem, family and relationship problems and historic family issues. I also gained extensive experience of working with trauma including domestic abuse and childhood issues including sexual, physical and emotional abuse and neglect.
The Counselling and Psychotherapy services operated by both Oakwood Psychology Services and Stockport Women’s Centre are accredited by the BACP.
Prison Service
I have previously worked in a prison, where I worked with male prisoners presenting with a wide range of issues.
Qualifications, Memberships & Compliance
- Accredited member British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (MBACP Regd. No. 152349)
- PG Dip. Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy (UKCP accredited course) Manchester Institute for Psychotherapy
- Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Up to date Enhanced DBS check for working both as a volunteer and for payment (formerly CRB, Criminal Records Bureau)
- Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office for processing of data (Reference no. A8455376)
Additional training & development
- Certificate of training in CBT-E (Enhanced CBT for Eating Disorders) Oxford CREDO (Centre for Research into Eating Disorders)
- MANTRA (Maudsley and Kings London (MANTRA4NHS))
- Certificate of training in CBT (BPS approved introductory skills based course)
- CBT for working with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Working with self harm (BPS Approved course)
- Working with domestic abuse
- Level 3 Safeguarding Adults at Risk (October 2020)
- Level 3 Safeguarding Children (August 2021)
- Safeguarding children and adults (updated July 2019)
- Grounding techniques in trauma therapy
- Working with shame
- Working with Childhood Sexual Abuse
Interests
As well as playing a significant part in the development of many of the issues listed above I also have a particular interest in, and experience of working with, the relational and behavioural problems that arise in people’s lives as a result of their past. Some examples of the problems that might arise include:
- current family and relationship issues
- domestic abuse and domestic violence (perpetrator and victim)
- offending behaviour
Get in touch
I offer a initial session without charge to explore the possibility of working together. This will give us both the opportunity to ask any questions we may have about each other and for us to decide if we feel we can work together.
Please use the contact form below or call or text me on 07958 020372.