My Approach

I use a relational attachment phased approach where individual therapeutic sessions are followed by joined family sessions which gives everyone the chance to feel heard and to be given the opportunity to communicate openly. This affords the possibility for safer non conflictual more connected conversations to take place.
I specialize in working with family conflict which can be triggered by transition milestones within the family such as a young person’s search for autonomy and identity as they enter adolescence. As part of the therapeutic service for young people across the age spectrum (both primary and secondary school children) concurrent to the therapeutic process with the family, I will work in partnership with the respective schools inclusive of pupil referral units and any other educational provision. This provides a joined approach for therapeutic repair.

I also offer family therapy for both families and couples in relation to themes of loss. It is my experience that any family or couple at any given time can experience both predictable and unpredictable lifecycle change as stressful such as bereavement, job loss, and infertility. It is often during this period of change that respective family members can sometimes struggle and feel emotionally neglected and unsupported feeling that they are not listened to and that subsequently their needs are not being met. Respective family members can subsequently experience high levels of anxiety and low mood as communication becomes more difficult and toxic.
A systemic therapeutic approach can help place a “pause button” on the escalated emotion and provide a safe contained space where expressed pain can be verbalised with a view to joint consideration being given to a collaborative process of change. As a therapist I employ a flexible timely emotionally attuned approach sitting alongside family members to support them through this process.

About Me

As a systemic family psychotherapist and social worker with over 32 years of working with families within a number of diverse and challenging settings (including the criminal justice system, social services, fostering and CAMHS). I have consolidated my experience within my family therapy practice to work relationally alongside families irrespective of their circumstances. My aim is to harness and facilitate both individuals and family’s resilience to embrace and become their own agents of change.

Within this context I am experienced in working with the symptomatic behaviour that relational trauma can bring. This can manifest in anxiety, low mood, self-harming, challenges with emotional regulation, aggressive behaviour and impulsive risk-taking behaviours. My systemic interventions use strength-based attachment relational interventions. I am influenced specifically by Emotion Focused Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Therapy, Theraplay, Attachment Narrative Therapy, Functional Family Therapy and None Violent Resistance (NVR) models.

I am aware that the family system has the potential to offer mediation and repair for emotional and behaviour difficulties, but that equally it can contribute to existing challenges through toxic behaviour often triggered by shaming and blaming narratives.

I work with

• Children and young people
• Couples
• Families

Special Interests

Like all UKCP registered psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors I can work with a wide range of issues, but here are some areas in which I have a special interest or additional experience.

Types of Therapies Offered

• Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
• Family Therapist
• Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapist
• Systemic Psychotherapist