About Me
I am a BACP-qualified and Relate trained therapist with excellent listening and communication skills and a high level of emotional intelligence.
I use this emotional intelligence to draw on my own experiences from life and the work I have done in my own personal therapy to put myself in the shoes of the client.
I grew up in an alcoholic household, where there was lots of chaos and instability. I struggled to develop a sense of self due to the co-dependency within the family unit.
This led to many years of my own addictions and struggles with mental health. Finally at age 30, when all my other friends were getting married and having kids, I reached a point where I knew I needed help. I walked through the doors of a rehabilitation centre in 2005 and have been clean and sober ever since.
It has been the most challenging journey, as drugs and alcohol were my escape from feelings.
However, with the help of both group and individual therapy, I was able to process feelings from the past and address the underlying reasons for my addictions.
I now have a strong passion and commitment to helping others overcome trauma and addictions, whether they are to substances, gambling or pornography.
Individuals who grew up in a family where addiction was present often develop co-dependency issues as adults, where they feel responsible for the feelings and needs of others and neglect their own.
My Qualifications
My style of working is integrative, I am a person-centred counsellor who draws on therapeutic tools and theories from other fields such as psychodynamic and solution-focused. I meet the needs of each client with a personalised approach.
I work with the healing influence of taking time out of our lives to hear our own voices and communicate our emotions and feelings in a safe and holding environment.