Working with adults (18+).

With a focus on early childhood attachments with caregivers, our sense of safety and how we relate to ourselves, others and the world. Traumatic experience and the impact on mind, body and nervous system. A psychoanalytic lens to untangle complex, unconscious patterns of relating; and a relational, unbiased and compassionate approach to establishing an authentic, safe and collaborative therapeutic relationship.

About Me

I have completed a rigorous four-year training at The Bowlby Centre, London.

I work with individual adults (18+) at Stortford Therapy, in person, and offer online therapy on Zoom, once or twice weekly or more often if appropriate; with sessions being 50 minutes.

I offer an initial 50-minute telephone consultation free of charge. Followed by two initial 50 minute sessions to provide an opportunity for us to get a sense of what it feels like to work together and to explore if I am the right therapist for you.

As an attachment-based therapist I usually work on a long-term, open-ended basis, in therapy that may last for months or years, depending on how long you wish to continue.

This enables us to establish a collaborative therapeutic relationship, work in depth and create a foundation for positive change.

I see each client as their own person, meeting them where they are currently, in their own, individual, lived experience. I aim to approach each client with openness, respect and sensitivity and an unbiased approach when engaging in areas of difference such as race, nationality, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ability and religion.

As well as my private practice, I also have experience working within the NHS Hertfordshire Partnership Trust as part of The Forensic and Learning Disability Service.

My Approach

Attachment

As human beings, we have an innate biological and emotional need for long-term, safe, secure emotional connection which builds the foundations of how we navigate our relationships and the world around us.

Attachment theory focuses on the primary relationships we develop with our caregivers, that informs the internal models of relationships we develop with ourselves and with others throughout life. It also pays attention to the social, political and economic environment we find ourselves born into.

Sometimes, we discover that these experiences and models of relationship either help or hinder us in establishing fulfilling, emotional connections; we may enter repeated and unhelpful patterns, ways of self-protecting ourselves, or power dynamics in relationship that cause us pain.

As an attachment-based psychotherapist it is a fundamental part of my work to seek and establish a new attachment relationship as a foundation of positive change; where experiences can be worked through collaboratively and compassionately with the aim of creating more fulfilling connections with oneself and with others.

Trauma

Trauma is an emotional and physical response to a single event, such as a life-threatening experience or bereavement; or when repeated experiences such as emotional neglect, abuse or violence occur.

When these experiences are too painful to process, this undermines the person’s sense of safety in the world and can cause our sense of self and nervous system to feel overwhelmed; manifesting in PTSD, flashbacks, feeling numb, dissociation, rage, shame, anxiety, depression, addiction, disordered eating, self-harm and suicidality.

A trauma informed approach, understands the impact of traumatic single events or painful complex, repeated experiences, that are at the root of emotional and physical distress; and how these past experiences can impact a person’s current life, mind and body.

Supporting clients in processing these experiences carefully and sensitively and working to change how this impacts on their present and future, within a safe, secure, compassionate attachment environment is central to my work.

A Psychoanalytic Lens

Working through a psychoanalytic lens helps us to uncover feelings, thoughts, conflicts, desires and ways of relating that have been repressed, out of our conscious mind and bring them into awareness.

Sometimes, we might have unconsciously kept parts of ourselves hidden to protect us from painful experiences or ways of relating. This can happen in early life and continue throughout.

In working to uncover these parts of ourselves, gaining understanding of our unconscious feelings and repeated patterns of relating; and learning to hold compassion for the parts of ourselves and experience we may have kept hidden; we can move forward towards self- acceptance, the liberation to make new choices and the freedom to release ourselves from

the past.

A part of this work, can focus on the subject matter and feelings we experience in our dreams, and how we can find meaning and understanding within them.

Traditional psychoanalysis can sometimes position the therapist as detached and as a distant observer. As a relational psychotherapist, who works in a relational and psycho- dynamic tradition, and as a human-being, it is the fundamental to my work to approach each client with sensitivity, kindness, authenticity, openness and respect.

Memberships and Code of Ethics

I am an individual member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and abide by their code of ethics.

I am a member of The Bowlby Centre, a member organisation of the UKCP, and abide by their code of ethics.

I hold full professional indemnity insurance.

I am committed to my practice and continued professional development.