How May I Help You?
Almost everyone needs someone to turn to at difficult times.
Counselling and Psychotherapy can help you come to terms with emotional problems or troubling aspects of your life, and gives you an opportunity to share your concerns with someone skilled at listening. Finding a psychotherapist or counsellor that you feel comfortable with is paramount and clearly not everyone is an ideal match. You may even need to visit more than one to find someone you feel at ease with.
So why should you select me….
Firstly, I am very mindful of how difficult taking this step can be, and I offer a calm and compassionate approach, while we gain an understanding of your concerns. Although my primary model is ‘psychodynamic’ which simply means that I try to explore and interpret the underlying causes underpinning what you are telling me, it is my view that no one technique suits all, and I draw on a variety of ‘models’ to help you in whichever way is appropriate: These may include CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). Once we have revealed, talked-through and understood these root causes we can examine ways of dealing with the issues and moving forward. This is a very much a joint effort where we work together to help you through the troublesome episode and out the other side.
Secondly, my experience ranges from working with in-patients presenting severe psychotic disorders during my time at Basildon Hospital, through to self-referred ‘patients’ with anxieties and issues which simply affect their quality of life. Anxiety, in its various forms, can be distressing and is often self-managed by denial or pretence – unlikely to be successful. Let me help you deal with it effectively.
Frequently, when I introduce myself to someone as a Psychotherapist, their initial reaction is to suggest that I will identify them as mad and have them locked up. All they hear from me is the word ‘psycho’, the stigma associated with the word and its suggestion of some sort of lunacy. This is of course miles away from the reality: We are all both physical and emotional. If you break a bone you get help and have it mended – There is no reason not to do the same if circumstances or events have upset you so much that your head feels like it’s about to burst and your quality of life is impaired.
To paraphrase an old proverb: The longest journey starts with a single step. Because you are reading this, you have now taken that first step. But it is not unusual to feel nervous or even ashamed to seek help or guidance, and these feelings can become magnified
when circumstances seem to be conspiring against you.
You may even fear that you will be judged or admonished but this is not what therapy or counselling is about. It is about helping you gain perspective on the troublesome aspects of your life and regain control so that you can work through the issues, manage and deal with them. There is no doubt that if you feel the need, then you should seek out the help, and turn that first step into a journey of resolution.
I achieved my Masters in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Psychoses under Diane LeFevre at Basildon Hospital and have been in clinical practice for over 20 years, both in the NHS and privately.
I am BACP Accredited, fully insured and Authorised by BUPA, Aviva and AXA-PPP as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Therapist.
Anxiety
Burn-Out
Workplace Issues
Phobias
OCD
Sexual Identity
Self-Worth
Social Anxiety
Gender Dysphoria
Borderline Conditions
Bereavement
Panic Attacks
Body Dysmorphia
Relationship concerns
Emotional Disturbance
Health Anxiety
Trauma and PTSD
Generalised Anxiety
Life Coaching
