You’re here because you’re in distress and are ready to get support. I’m passionate about helping people live in ways that are authentic and fulfilling, whatever that means to you. This section will hopefully give you a decent feel for me and how I work, so you can decide if we’d make a good fit.
Why Work With Me?
I love, am inspired by and care deeply about people. I hope that you’ll quickly feel that I care about and respect you. That you’ll find it valuable to learn more about yourself, feel seen, understood, reassured and supported to move forward. We’ll dig into, sit with and process the challenging stuff; we’ll probably also have some fun – tears and laughter are part and parcel of working together.
Most coaches and therapists have a similar narrative in their profiles, in the vein of how “therapy is a safe, non-judgmental space for you to explore what’s troubling you”, or that “coaching will help you define your purpose and get you motivated to achieve your true potential”. So how do you know who to choose?!
Decades of research support and confirm that the “success” of therapy is largely down to the relationship between the people involved. Far more important than the approach, training or experience of the professional is the client feeling respected, accepted, cared for and understood by the practitioner.
My style is in turn curious, exploratory, gentle, direct and firm. I’m versatile and down to earth, with more than a decade and a half of experience.
I take a whole-person approach because of course the various aspects of your life and patterns interact. We’ll look at your relationships, work, communities, body and nervous system, sleep, family, identity, sex, diet and relationship with food, exercise, how you rest and recharge, self talk, dreams, ambitions, childhood, spirituality, beliefs, trauma, shame, habits, moods, impactful experiences and more.
What We’ll Do Together
Some of the things we’ll work on:
My Philosophy
The majority of us live life oscillating between the past and the future. We might think we’re living in the present, but our worry, stress, anxiety, depression, numbness, low self esteem and various other symptoms bely the truth. I can help!
After a decade of research and experience working therapeutically with all kinds of people, I keep coming back to the conviction that wellbeing and fulfillment depend massively on our narratives about ourselves, the world and other people. The stories we tell ourselves are crucial to how we feel and function. Many of us have stories that we’re never quite good enough and are very hard on ourselves – that’s low self esteem.
Self esteem reflects your evaluation of yourself and I see its healthy expression as a mindset with two elements:
self efficacy and self worth . Meaning you experience yourself as competent to cope and adapt as well as being worthy of happiness. Most people are lacking one or both elements, which, surprise surprise, makes contentment difficult. The vast majority of us are also battling shame – the feeling that something at our core is flawed and unacceptable.
My job is to give you the skills and resources to continue your path without me, at whatever pace works for you. I’m not here to fix you, because you’re not broken (as much as it might sometimes feel that way). Therapy with me is a continual dialogue – we talk about what’s working, what’s not working, what we can try and adapt. I’m not your teacher, nor do I have all the answers – this is a collaboration where we work together until you have what you need.
In my therapeutic work, I try to be totally transparent in sharing my instincts, ideas, and feelings with you. I also regularly invite feedback about any changes I can make to help you feel more satisfied with our work together.
My Training
I have a Master’s degree in Integrative Psychotherapy so I can tailor my approach to you. Different models include CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on how our thoughts and perceptions affect our feelings and behaviour), psychodynamic (views our functioning as based upon the interaction of conscious and unconscious drives/forces within us) and humanistic therapy (focus on acceptance, self-development and growth) as well as many branches within those three main approaches. I keep up to date with and integrate current neuroscience as well as Positive Psychology.
I’m a clinical hypnotherapist, have trained in EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) which is particularly useful for anxiety and trauma, lots of mindfulness and meditation work, and I’m also versed in another EFT – Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples which is based in attachment theory. I’m fully insured and accredited by the National Council of Psychotherapists.
I get such a kick out of seeing people go from feeling stuck and insecure to being able to build deeper, more satisfying relationships with themselves, their friends, family and partners. If it’s not yet clear, I’m intensely passionate about supporting people through the process that brings them calm, courage and clarity they didn’t think possible.
As for My Own Experience
I’ve wrestled with self esteem and sense of meaning like almost everyone else. And the struggle comes back around every so often, but it’s less struggley each time. I’ve had issues with perfectionism, people-pleasing, love and relationship addiction as well as tons of anxiety. I’m by no means “sorted” (whatever that means) but I don’t need to be, which is a profound relief.
Running my own businesses, travelling extensively, living all over the world and experimenting with a variety of ways of living has helped me develop an open mind. In the last decade I’ve experimented with countless techniques and strategies to work out how to feel balanced, confident, creative and motivated on a consistent basis. Almost a decade of meditation, journalling and conscious self care, along with my own therapy has softened some destructive edges and given me a sense of balance and clarity that I’m very grateful for. I’ve worked in challenging environments such as eating disorders clinics, hospices and with people living with severe psychiatric disorders. Through my own experiences and those with my incredible clients I’ve developed a network of knowledge and practices for developing consistent self esteem, powerful resilience, and strategies for finding happiness and fulfillment, which I’m excited to share with you.
Let’s catalyse a shift together
Schedule a free consultation and let’s begin