GEP COUNSELLING

I am a fully qualified, registered, and BACP accredited Integrative Counsellor with lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent and disabled person. I adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions, ensuring I meet the highest standards of competence, integrity, and transparency. For over ten years I’ve had the privilege of supporting people through all sorts of life challenges and changes. My practice is built on compassion, curiosity and working together.

My Approach to Therapy

I genuinely believe that therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. Everyone is different, and effective support needs to honour your unique story. What matters most to me is creating a secure, non-judgemental environment where you feel able to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours openly and honestly. My practice is founded on the core ethical principles of ‘do no harm’ and acting in your best interest.

Together, we can look at the underlying patterns and past experiences that might be shaping your current difficulties. This understanding helps us uncover meaningful pathways towards positive change and a greater sense of wellbeing. A big part of this journey can be learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions, rather than spending huge amounts of energy trying to push them away – maybe through overworking, isolating yourself, or other coping strategies that, in the end, just leave you feeling drained. Therapy offers a supportive space to gradually build acceptance, to understand that difficult feelings are a natural part of being human and to find kinder, more constructive ways to move through life’s ups and downs.

My Training & How I Integrate Different Approaches

My formal qualifications include a Level 5 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling from Milton Keynes College and a degree from the University of Northampton. I’m committed to continuous learning and regularly undertake further professional development, exploring different therapeutic theories and specific areas of practice.

Being an Integrative Counsellor means I draw upon several well-established, evidence-based approaches, always tailoring our work to your specific needs:

• Person-Centred Counselling: This is at the very heart of my practice. It’s about building a genuine, empathetic relationship where you feel truly valued and understood. This helps to foster your self-awareness and personal growth.
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) helps you understand the powerful connections between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We can explore these links, identify and challenge unhelpful patterns, empowering you to develop new, more effective ways of responding to situations and coping with challenges.
• Psychodynamic Thinking: This approach helps us understand how past experiences and perhaps unconscious patterns might be influencing your current challenges and relationships.
• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Skills: I often bring in DBT principles to help you develop practical skills for accepting and managing difficult emotions. We’d focus on things like emotional regulation, improving relationships, handling distress, and mindfulness – the aim is to help you move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more empowered.
• Brief Solution-Focused Therapy: This approach focuses on your existing strengths and resources, helping us work towards meaningful, positive change in a focused way.
• Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) Affirming Practice: My work is fundamentally identity-affirming. This means I actively support you in exploring who you are, addressing the impact of minority stress, and nurturing self-acceptance.

Areas of Specialised Experience

While I work with a wide range of issues, I also have specialised training and particular experience in supporting individuals with:

• Autism and ADHD (I work in a Neurodiversity Affirming way)
• Exploring identity and sexuality
• Understanding and working with internalised shame
• Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity (including ethical non-monogamy and polyamory)

Professional Accountability

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This membership requires me to:

• Be ready to articulate an ethical rationale for any clinical or ethical decisions I make in our work, upholding the principles of accountability and candour.
• Maintain regular clinical supervision with a BACP-registered supervisor to reflect on all aspects of my practice and ensure the highest standard of care is provided.

My Professional Journey

Before focusing fully on my private practice, I spent a good deal of time supporting young people’s mental health, which included leading a city-wide mental health service. My experience also includes working in different community-based settings, offering support to a wide range of people, including services aimed at LGBTQ+ people and groups. My time in the charity sector gave me a deep appreciation for broader social issues and community needs. These experiences have helped me connect with and effectively support individuals from all walks of life.

Beyond Therapy

My own lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent and disabled person has deeply shaped my values of empathy, inclusivity and resilience. These aren’t just words to me; they genuinely inform my approach to therapy every single day and strengthen my commitment to creating a truly accepting and understanding space for everyone I work with.

Outside of therapy, I love pop culture, music, and lots of American reality TV! I’m a big believer in the power of kindness, both in and out of the therapy room.