approaches and specialist areas, creating lasting, meaningful change
What it's like to work with me
Finding the Way together
I believe that the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of meaningful change. When we feel genuinely understood, accepted and emotionally safe, we become more able to explore ourselves with curiosity and compassion. Together, we build a shared understanding of you. Alongside what you already know about yourself, part of my role is to hold in mind aspects of your experience that may not yet feel clear to you. I pay attention to these patterns and parts that have helped you cope, holding these gently within our work, we can begin to make sense of them together. Discovering new ways of relating to yourself, others and the world around you. My role is to offer a safe relationship alongside psychological knowledge, evidence informed tools and guidance, supporting you as we find the way together.
Compassion focussed
Although criticism, shame and self-punishment can sometimes bring about short-term change, they can also reinforce the very patterns we're trying to move beyond. Compassion offers something different. Compassion isn't about lowering expectations, making excuses or simply being kind to yourself. It's about responding to yourself with the same understanding, courage and wisdom you would offer someone you care about. It creates enough emotional safety to explore ourselves honestly, recognise our needs, take responsibility where needed and make meaningful, lasting changes.
Informed approaches
My clinical experience has reinforced the idea that no single therapeutic approach can fully capture the complexity of being human. This has led me to undertake professional development in areas that resonate with the clients I work with, including Person-Centred Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I use these counseling and psychotherapy approaches flexibly, guided by what is most helpful for you.
I particularly resonate with the work of Gabor Maté, Paul Gilbert and Richard Schwartz, whose ideas continue to inform my practice. Their work shares a belief that our difficulties often make sense in the context of our experiences and that lasting change comes through exploration, sense making, curiosity and compassion.
Areas in work in
I am a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming counsellor and psychotherapist supporting those who identify as autistic/have autism and/or ADHD. Specialising in low mood and depression, worries and anxiety, grief and loss, self harm, suicidal thoughts, self esteem and self image, stress, phobias, infertility, intrusive thoughts and compulsive responses and OCD, life transitions, relationships, parenting, adverse life experiences and trauma.
Trauma-informed
When working with clients who have experienced trauma, I am guided by a phased trauma-informed approach. Together, we first focus on developing safety, stability and a shared understanding of how your experiences have shaped your life and the ways you've learned to cope. This stage often takes time, laying the foundations for deeper therapeutic work. As safety grows, there may be opportunities to process and integrate traumatic experiences, supporting reconnection and growth. Although this approach provides a clear clinical framework, trauma therapy is rarely a linear process. We move at your pace, returning to safety whenever needed and allowing therapy to unfold in a way that feels manageable and meaningful to you.
Whether you're clinically diagnosed, self-identify or are exploring whether you may be neurodivergent, I work collaboratively to help you better understand yourself, your relationships and your needs. Our work may be guided by a neurodivergent-affirming lens. Together, we can explore burnout, communication and the impact of living in a predominantly neurotypical world. This may include understanding your unique sensory profile through sensory mapping, identifying and meeting your physical, mental and emotional needs, recognising the impact of masking and supporting safe unmasking where helpful. We can also develop practical strategies and evidence-informed tools that help you live in ways that feel authentic and sustainable.
Where helpful, I draw on energy-pacing concepts such as Spoon Theory and use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (a type of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) in a neurodivergent-informed way to support psychological flexibility, values-led living and self-acceptance.
Lasting change
Whatever brings you to therapy, whether it's a particular diagnosis, a life experience or simply a feeling that something doesn't feel quite right, my clinical experience has reinforced the idea that no single therapeutic approach can fully capture the complexity of being human. I seek to understand you as a whole person, making sense of your experiences, relationships, strengths and the protective ways you've learned to cope. From that shared understanding, we can develop an approach that is tailored to your individual needs, creating the conditions for lasting change and helping you move towards a life that feels more authentic, connected and meaningful.
