Qualifications

Master of Community Counselling, BA Social Work

Therapeutic Approach

Integrative, Person-centred, CBT (General)

Membership body

BACP

Years practicing

26 years

Issues worked with

Learning difficulties (general), Autism spectrum disorder, ADHD/ADD, Bereavement, Childhood abuse, Abuse (unspecified), Bipolar Disorder, Personal growth/wellbeing, Stress, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Anxiety (Worries, Fears, Panic), Depression, Anger, Parenting, Grief/Loss, OCD, Attachment issues, Mood instability, Work-related issues, Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Academic Stress, Adjustment/Changes, Divorce, Low/Depressed Mood, Marriage, University Pressures (non-academic).

Special interest areas

My experience includes working with children and teens with behavioural and emotional difficulties, leading drug court and community sentencing programs for those referred by the courts, facilitating a program for domestic violence perpetrators. I also have experience working with adolescents in a hospital setting, and with adults in an intensive outpatient day treatment.

Personal Statement

Each individual is unique and in counselling we will explore your needs and your goals. I do like to explore with you what you can do differently, how you can think differently to improve your current situation and then explore the whys, why are you struggling at this time, this is looking at what may be deeper core issues that need to be addressed to move toward healing and wholeness.

I  believe each counselling session should include a Person-Centered approach which emphasizes the vital importance of unconditional acceptance and deep empathy as the foundation in creating a safe and open environment for you to explore your concerns and struggles.  I also am a strong believer in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which will help you to identify and challenge unproductive patterns of behaviour and unhelpful thinking that can perpetuate your struggles and stressors and then assist you in learning and applying practical skills and techniques that will enable you to move toward healing and wholeness.   

I also like to use Schema Based Therapy which will explore sources of your unhealthy core beliefs that may have affected how you define yourself and how this may be affecting the various relationships in your life.