Background
Qualifications
I am trained as a Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Psychotherapist gaining a Master of Clinical Sciences Degree (MClinSci) from the University of Kent. I am registered with the UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapists) and abide by their Ethics and Codes of Practice (see Ethical Framework below).
Experience
I have experience working both within the NHS and in private practice with people who are experiencing a wide variety of issues including anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, relationship issues, problems at work and within the family. In addition to these I am also qualified to work with specific mental health issues including depression, bipolar disorder and personality disorders. My practice includes people who have experienced sexual abuse and are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Personal therapy
In order to work effectively psychotherapists undergo their own in-depth personal therapy. This means that I am aware of how it feels to be a client and this experience helps me build a strong therapeutic relationship with the people who come to me for psychotherapy.
The Process
Appointments
When you contact me for the first time I will offer you a 15 minute telephone consultation at the end of which there is the option to organise an assessment session. During this 90 minute appointment we will think together about the issues you are facing and what you are looking for from psychotherapy sessions.
There is no obligation for you to continue meeting with me after the assessment but if having met me for the first time you decide you would like to continue with therapy we will arrange a day and time on which to meet for an initial 6 weekly sessions. Each weekly session is for 50 minutes.
I can offer session times during the day or in the evening.
Ethical Framework
Ethical Framework
‘Psychoanalytic ethics, as we understand it, implies a deep respect for the individuality of the client and their right to determine the course of their own lives. This holds true across all aspects of diversity. This entails, on the part of the therapist, a suspension of any notions of what might be right for their clients, ruling out the pursuit of any preconceived notion of a successful outcome to the therapeutic work.’
Taken from the UKCP Statement of Psychoanalytic Ethics.
