About me

I have been working as a therapist for over a decade and have extensive training and experience with both couples and individuals utilising integrative, psychodynamic psychotherapy / counselling.

My Training:

I trained for 4 years at the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, graduating with a qualification in Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

As well as my private practice I hold a position within a multidisciplinary specialist NHS clinic working broadly and supportively with gender identity. I studied Psychosexual Couple and Individual Therapy at the Centre for Psychosexual Health in London along with training in integrative CBT.

Over time I have continued to develop my practice and increase and update my learning with courses, conferences, seminars, lectures and reading. I have also amassed rich rewarding experience being in conversations with the remarkable people who come into therapy seeking support to examine and explore themselves.

The fundamental aspect of my psychodynamic training was founded at the Tavistock clinic which offers comprehensive training in London: involving a three-year clinical and academic training course that provides a professional qualification to practice as a couple and individual psychotherapist/counsellor. The Tavistock Centre for Couples Relationships founded in 1948 is recognised in its field as a centre of advanced practice and study, both nationally and internationally. It is a practice-based organisation committed to studying the nature of couple relationships and a valuable centre for research.

Along with my training pathways I have continued to develop my learning and my practice has become far more integrative as a result of years of utilising various modalities. I work with a high regard for a person centred focus and always aim to meet the experience of the individuals or couples respectfully.

I encourage people to direct their own therapeutic experience and see myself as facilitating a process towards understanding the complex ways we think, feel and behave.

Focused themes of treatment I offer

• Taking control of your life if anxious or lacking confidence and self esteem 

• Dealing with conflict by becoming more assertive and having more agency 

• Overcoming depression by working with core beliefs and finding alternative solutions to pressing concerns 

• Finding renewed purpose in life 

• Overcoming anxiety and panic attacks 

• Raising awareness of repetitive patterns

• Increasing the quality of relationships

• Dealing with grief and loss given time and understanding 

• Managing self limiting and destructive beliefs and behaviours

• Dealing with stress

• Increasing self-esteem and confidence 

• Approaching sensitive experiences of abuse with support 

• Overcoming sexual difficulties and relearning more fulfilling intimacy 

• Gain agency over work related problems

• Managing depression and low mood 

• Exploring issues of identity and life changes 

Psychosexual Therapy:

My psychosexual expertise promotes working with people who are having difficulties with sexual intimacy: couples and individuals who may be experiencing problems or restrictions.

Various types of inhibition/expression inherent to establishing ideas of sexual identity often take place during early development. Difficulties may arise for various reasons: perhaps from cultural pressures or expectations, sometimes from trauma or stress; either from the past or being experienced in an ongoing way from deep rooted beliefs. These themes are some of the sources of enquiry which can provide important focus for understanding and altering unhelpful patterns.

I work comfortably with delicate exploration of sexuality, identity, sexual difficulties, inhibition and expression, cultural expectations, life changing context, loss of libido, and sensitive sexual abuse experiences.

As well as psychosexual therapy and concerns relating to those people focusing on the themes of intimate relationships I work with those having difficulty maintaining intimacy, or people wanting to enter into relationships after some time or hesitation, or those wishing to explore time alone freely.

I appreciate there is an impressive spectrum of intimacy that people might choose from: polyamory/polygamy to those who are A-sexual, fetish and kink lifestyles or those people who are unable to share their sexual desires to others for specific reasons.

There can also be times where for some reason or another, people feel the need to review and reassess their lives in a more whole or concentrated way. I can offer a useful non judgemental open minded space for this giving time, thoughtfulness and support for this to happen.

If there is something that has resonated for you here and you would like to have an initial meeting to see if you feel comfortable with how I work please contact me and I will look forward to meeting with you.

I offer psychotherapy/counselling sessions from a small private practice located in Alma Vale Road, Bristol, which allows for calm, quiet focus and reflection.

Integrative Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: 

My model of working integrates a psychodynamic, psychotherapeutic underpinning with a cognitive and behavioural focus.

Many people struggle trying to make sense of themselves within changing life stages, or perhaps face environmental or cultural changes and challenges. Talking therapy and counselling can provide much needed time and focus to examine troubling concerns with the hope of developing a greater understanding of oneself in order to achieve a more rewarding engagement with others and more fulfilment in general. 

When considering early influences affecting behaviour, one might concentrate on family, or culture, of origin, developmental learnings, conflicting experiences and struggles with internalised messages. We would try to focus on informed or emotionally adapted behaviour to get a clearer understanding of repeating patterns. This can prove invaluable because with awareness one begins to utilise choice and choice means taking charge to change. 

Here are some of the multi-various difficulties bringing people into therapeutic conversations I have worked with extensively: 

Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, loss (bereavement, relationships, self belief), stress, loss of control of emotions, avoidance, illness, communication difficulties, cultural conflicts, mental health concerns, trauma, abuse (in childhood and adulthood), and issues affecting intimacy, and/or affecting more general well-being are some of the concerns people might experience before coming into therapy/counselling. 

Issues which can feel overwhelming such as compulsive addictions and difficulties with mood regulation, especially anger, are some such difficulties that seem intractable but can usually be worked through successfully.

Suicidal thoughts and feelings are considered some of the most threatening and difficult. Because of social stressors and/or taboos these feelings are often experienced in isolation causing an exacerbation of symptoms.  It can be helpful to talk openly without judgement so that through concern and support, solutions might be sought to manage distressing times.