I have been practising as a Person-Centred Counsellor-Psychotherapist for 14 years. I’ve worked in in public, private, academic and voluntary settings.
I am a registered Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Pyschotherapists (MBACP), Registration No. 053370, and abide by their Ethical Framework for Good Practice. I gained my Post-Graduate Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling at the University of East Anglia (UEA) School of Counselling whilst nursing before transitioning fully to Counselling.
I have worked as a volunteer psychotherapist at St. Barnabus Counselling Centre in Norwich and at the UEA, where I co-facilitated the Post-Graduate Certificate in Counselling Skills and also worked as a Wellbeing Mentor for several years.
Qualifications and training:
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling, UEA
- Advanced Post-Diploma Certificate in Person-Centred Couples Counselling
- Introductory Certificate in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
- Diploma of Higher Education in Adult Nursing Suffolk College
- BA (Hons.) French & Music Goldsmiths College London
My story
My path towards counselling has been rich and varied. I started out many years ago as an English Language Teacher in Paris and later Khartoum, Sudan.
Unexpected tragedy and subsequent shock led me to train as a nurse with a focus and particular interest in Palliative Care. During this time, grief began to show up in such a way that I couldn’t ignore it, which led me to seek help. Somewhat reluctantly I followed my doctor’s advice to have some counselling and to this day am deeply grateful to her for suggesting it, and to the Person-Centred Therapist who helped me work through the deep and chronic grief that I was experiencing at the time. It was life-changing and transformative.
I was enchanted by the possibilities of the Person-Centred Approach, and its potential for healing, restoration and inspiration and transformation. I continued to work as a nurse, both in community and hospital settings, most recently supporting individuals living with diabetes in my role as Diabetes Specialist Nurse at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in the UK.
Throughout my nursing career I was fascinated and curious about the interplay between physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health, intuiting their interdependence and it was a natural step for me to train as a counsellor.
I wanted to focus my resources and skills into supporting people as a counsellor, knowing that this could help to alleviate suffering, enhance well-being, and support self-discovery and exploration towards living a more satisfying, fulfilling and authentic life.
These days, a creative and contemplative life sustains, enlivens, centres and supports me to live my life guided by authenticity, wonder and beauty, as does spending time with my family. I make all manner of things, and particularly enjoy the alchemy of crafting words into poems, ingredients into cakes, threads and fibres into stitches.
I like writing and using art materials as a means of personal exploration and communication. You are welcome to use these ways of communicating and exploring in our work together should you wish to.
Alongside my core trainings, I am ever curious to know more about healing and human experiencing. My consistent and constant reading, dream journaling, art-making and meditation practices nourish and enrich me, bringing insight and freshness to my work. I regularly participate in Personal and Professional Development (CPD) days and courses that support my interests.
I work and play with dreams and the potency they hold for guidance, revelation and self-understanding and growth. If you would like to work with your dreams, I’d be delighted to help you explore together.
I believe we hold emotion and experiences energetically in our physical bodies and my work is informed and infused with how we may unwind these places and bring release to ourselves at all levels – physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, energetic. (*Please note I am not a body worker).