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BACP Accred Counsellor & Psychotherapist

I work with adults and adolescents, and have a particular interest in trauma; PTSD and C-PTSD, addictive behaviours and coping mechanisms and their link to developmental/realtional/childhood trauma; ‘ACE’s’ (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and how these affect survivors as adults.

Trauma comes in many forms; obvious, overt ones such as physical or sexual abuse, car accidents, war, disasters etc, and also less obvious or covert forms like emotional abuse or neglect, bullying, or just ‘not getting what we need’ on an emotional level. If you have experienced trauma (defined here simply as anything that ‘overwhelms’ your nervous system’s ability to adapt healthily) then it’s likely that some emotions connected with the trauma are either unavailable to you or intermittently or relentlessly disturbing to you. I can help you with that.

I have completed the CRM basic training, and also Somatic Experiencing Beginning 1, Integral Somatic Psychology Level 1, and Internal Family Systems Level 1 trainings. I am in the submission stage of a Masters degree in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy and have been running a successful private practice for 6 years. I believe in ongoing updating and learning. I am a member of UKCP and BCPC and abide by their code of ethics. I am also a member of ISST-D (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation); Trauma Research Foundation; European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and ACE’s Connection.

During my training I completed a placement with Barnardo’s Sure-start programme providing therapy for young Mums, and a mental health placement with Avon and Wiltshire Assessment and Recovery team.

I am a volunteer psychotherapist with ‘Help! Counselling’, a charity supporting 9-25 year olds.

At the heart of my work is a belief in the deep value of simply being in a calm, confidential and safe space where you can explore what’s troubling you at your own pace. You may be looking for therapy because you know that you have experienced some form of trauma or you may simply be feeling a bit down and that things are ‘not quite right’, or something in-between. I will offer you good humoured warmth and acceptance, that will support you to express what is going on for you, and together we can try to make sense of things. Through being heard, allowing feeling and being genuinely ‘seen’, things get better…

I am a qualified and experienced counsellor who has worked in the mental health sector since 2008. In addition to my private practice I also work as a volunteer counsellor at a community health project in Edinburgh.

I work with adults who experience depression, anxiety, stress, low self-confidence, relationship issues, suicidal feelings, anger issues, borderline issues, problems arising from interpersonal trauma, or a stuckness or a sense of something not right that is beginning to affect their quality of life.

A significant proportion of the clients I see have experienced adverse experiences in childhood including neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse, leading to a range of presenting symptoms and issues as adults (some of which were outlined above).

I have a core, four year post-graduate diploma training in Transactional Analysis Counselling and Psychotherapy, MSc in Counselling, certificate level training in both Group Analysis and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, along with significant continuous professional development training.

I also have specialist training in working with developmental and interpersonal trauma (complex PTSD) in adults, and have recently trained in the Comprehensive Resource Model and “Becoming Safely Embodied” approach.

I am a Practitioner Member with the Scottish Confederation of Counselling Agencies (COSCA), am in regular supervision and abide by the COSCA code of ethics.