A warm,
reflective space
for
you

SessionsI offer online and in-person counselling sessions.Sessions are 50 minutes and cost £60. There are reduced-fee sessions available for clients who may not be able to access counselling at the full rate. Ask and let's talk about this if cost is a barrier.I offer a free introductory phone call so that we can explore whether working together feels right for us.

A bit more about me...I know what it is to be lost, to hit low places, to wonder how to get to anywhere that makes sense again; to feel others have got things sorted in a way you haven't.I am a mother, grandmother and adoptive parent; I've been a teacher, a writer and a counsellor. I've married and divorced; cared for my mother with dementia and lost friends and relatives who have taken their own lives. I struggled with depression for years and have learned to manage the ups and downs of being a highly sensitive person in a very noisy world. I'm continually learning about what I don't yet know — how nature heals; what's precious in life; how to find joy in the simple acts of each day. I've learned to listen more closely to what the body tells us about our emotions, and meditation has helped me break habits that hold me down.I've studied in the UK and abroad and spend life exploring both inner and outer worlds. I have a first-class degree in English Literature and a Master's with distinction in Politics — but I am still learning. My shelves remain full of books on nature, meditation, travel, poetry, recipes and fiction.I share this because it's important that you know I'm on a journey myself - and maybe knowing that will help you feel less alone. And because, although there are many different types of therapy, what matters most is the relationship between you and your therapist. It is important that you feel accepted, respected and, above all, a sense of being understood. Very often, that feeling of truly being ‘got’ is what we are looking for and what can help us find our path again.A word on my approach....I've trained in a range of humanistic approaches and draw on whatever seems most helpful for each person. I've also found that many of the patterns we struggle with can be understood particularly well through Internal Family Systems (IFS).Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based, trauma-informed approach to therapy that views the mind as a system of different "parts," each with its own thoughts, feelings, and protective roles.If you’ve ever experienced one part of you longing for closeness while another wants distance; one part of you wanting to move forward while another is frightened and pulls back, you already understand how parts work. Instead of viewing your anxiety, self-doubt, or perfectionism as flaws to fix or push away, IFS helps us meet these experiences with curiosity and care.Thank you for taking the time to read through this. If you would like a free call to talk through whether we might work well together, click the link below. And above all, I wish you the very best for your journey ahead.

Books and other stuffHere's just some of the books, people, thoughts that have helped me find joy, peace, aventure and freedom. I can only jot a few here but feel free to send a message if you want a steer for something to read or watch that might help.Nature
Nature books - too many to mention - give me a sense of belonging and continuation - the sense of belonging to something infinitely vaster and wiser than me, has helped me put my life into context.Thanks to Simon Barnes
and Robert Macfarlane in particular, but also to poets who notice the details, artists who draw my eye to a moment of quiet beauty, musicians who capture emotions and feelings that it's hard to put into words.Soul growth
Thich Nhat Hanh; Ajahn Chah; Thomas Merton, the tales of Moses and all his fears; Joseph and his arrogance; David and his flawed leadership; the music of Philip Glass, Thomas Tallis, Vaughan Williams, Hildegaard of Bingen; the art of Giotto, of David Hockney.A poem for today
A thought
An image

The simple things...
a thought for the week ahead

There is nothing more freeing than to realise: you are not the voice in your head.