about me
My route into counselling was a very personal one, having had my own mental health struggles over a number of years. I thought all counselling and therapists were much the same, and I repeatedly tried various modalities and counsellors which didn't make much difference to the suffering I experienced. These poor therapeutic experiences reinforced how "unfixable" my life was (although in my head, this was because the problem was me). I didn't understand at the time that I hadn't found the right person to really work with therapeutically, until circumstances conspired where I could choose a counsellor that I really aligned with. With her support, I changed my life. Without disclosing too much about my own history, in so many ways my life is completely unrecognisable now, and my own experiences as a client, both negative and positive, hugely informs my practice. I know what it can feel like to be sitting on the other side of the room; how challenging it can be to talk to a stranger, and how rewarding.
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As I began to feel safe to explore who I was, I found a deeply rooted passion for mental health and wellbeing and decided to retrain as a counsellor, as well as gaining a degree in psychology. I have a strong interest in understanding 'how we work' and I continue to study, not so that I can become an 'expert' and tell you what to do, but so I can more fully hold space for your complex being, from your thoughts and feelings, to the stories you hold about yourself and your life, to the way your body experiences the world and the "unknown" going on in the room between us.​​
To possibly be the person that you may feel safe enough to start to explore your world with, feels like such a gift, and I always work with this in mind. It is an absolute privilege that you might choose to undertake this often vulnerable and risky process, with me alongside you.
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I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and hold a current DBS check.​
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As well as counselling individuals, I am currently undertaking further training in offering Contemplative Supervision to qualified practitioners. This is based on concepts of mindfulness, presence and is deeply relational, rather than following a strict theoretical approach to this complex work. Because I am in training, I am offering concessionary rates to qualified practitioners looking for supervision. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in discussing this further, or click here for more information.
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In addition to my private work, in 2024 I founded river counselling services, which offers a low-cost counselling agency in Langport and the surrounding areas, as well as room hire and networking opportunities for qualified practitioners. The agency supports trainee counsellors undertaking their practical client hours as part of their qualification, which allows us to offer an affordable, quality counselling service with no limitations on the number of sessions for clients. I manage this service around my own client work, honouring my own past experiences of poor mental health support, and bringing together a true blend of my past career in business and administration, with a holistic whole person approach to mental health and wellbeing for both clients and the counsellors I work with. I am so proud to facilitate this service, and of the incredible practitioners that work with us.
To find out more, please visit https://www.rivercounsellingservices.co.uk
qualifications
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Diploma Contemplative Supervision (current)
Level 5 Diploma Psychotherapeutic Counselling
Level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling
Level 3 Certificate Counselling Studies
Level 2 Certificate Counselling Skills
Level 2 Mental Health Awareness
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1st class degree - BSc (Hons) Psychology
2:1 - BA (Hons) Religious Studies
Post-Graduate Diploma - Religious Studies
additional training
Safeguarding awareness
Working with children and young people
Counselling online
Trauma in a time of trauma
Working with trauma
Relational trauma and disorganised attachment
Suicide and self-harm
Dissociation and DID
Working with shame
Therapeutic Group facilitation
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"everything you judge about yourself served a purpose at the time"