About...
My therapeutic approach
My integrative approach combines evidence-based therapies tailored specifically to your needs and goals.As an integrative psychotherapist, I draw from multiple evidence-based modalities to create a treatment plan that’s uniquely yours. I mainly deliver Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapy and EMDR therapy, but I also draw on broader person-centred and trauma-informed approaches including IFS (internal family systems)/parts therapy, somatic techniques for nervous system regulation, attachment and inner-child work; alongside elements of psychodynamic therapy, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), ACT (acceptance & commitment therapy) and DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy) when appropriate.
I take a biopsychosocial approach, considering how your mind, body, and environment all contribute to your wellbeing. Wherever I’m able/qualified to do so, I provide basic psychoeducation relating to both what you’re experiencing and our treatment approach, empowering you with understanding alongside healing.
My specialisms are outlined below, but whether or not your specific concern fits into any of these categories – a free consultation would help us both to establish whether or not I’m a good fit for you. I won’t be best placed for everyone with a trauma (no single therapist is!), and I might be a great fit for someone with an issue not covered by the common categories below. Research has shown time and time again that alignment between therapist and client matters as much as the therapeutic approach being used. So if you’ve tried therapy before with limited success, it doesn’t mean you’re unable to heal or experience change for the better – you likely just haven’t yet found the right therapist for you. Whilst I hope to be the right person to help, I would encourage anyone to take advantage of any/all therapists who offers free initial consultations, as you’ve nothing to lose, and potentially life-changing gains awaiting if you’re ready to commit to the work with your best therapeutic match.
- Trauma, PTSD/C-PTSD and intrusive memories
- Anxiety, panic, worry and nerves
- Phobias and specific fears
- Shame, self-worth and self-esteem issues
- Weight management
- Non-suicidal self-harm
- Grief
- Life transitions and personal growth
My qualifications, experience & core values
I have a BPS-accredited degree and postgraduate diploma in Clinical and Health Psychology, with particular focus on applied psychotherapy and neuropsychology. I am dual-qualified with a National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) accredited award (Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma), and Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapy Diploma, during which time I also became a certified EMDR therapist, and have since obtained ICF-accredited certification as an Insight Coach Practitioner. I am incredibly passionate about ongoing informal study and professional development, and so continue to dedicate a lot of personal time into broadening my knowledgebase and developing my therapeutic skillsets to ensure I continue to grow and provide the best possible evidence-based practices to my clients.
My practical experience began as a volunteer throughout my university studies, when I joined, and later co-led a student project, providing weekly befriending/activity sessions for inpatients at Bangor hospital’s mental health unit.
After graduating I worked for a charity as a (predominantly lone-working) mental health support worker in a residential for homeless LGBTQ+ adolescents dealing with complex trauma, mental health challenges (psychiatric diagnoses, self-harming behaviours &/or impulses) and neurodivergences (ASD, ADD). My role here included responsibility for one-to-one support sessions as well as providing day-to-day safeguarding and pastoral care, to whatever degree each person needed.
I valued this role (and the young people I worked with) deeply, and it particularly taught me the value of continuously nurturing the therapeutic relationship in order for a person to feel safe and supported enough to achieve positive change (and was truly honoured to be a part of this). That said, the role often left me wishing I had more impactful tools than talking therapy alone, so that I might help others achieve a greater sense of healing, inner change and/or peace of mind, in addition to improving self-awareness, compassion and coping skills. Having been lucky enough to start experiencing this profound change for myself around this time, thanks to my own EMDR therapy and integrated clinical hypnotherapy – I was spurred on to focus on concluding my own therapeutic journey, and to then train in these additional modalities which helped me to change my own state of mind beyond recognition, so that I could help others do the same, with my own practice founded on holistic healing and post-traumatic growth.
Within my practice, my approach draws from numerous evidence-based methods as no single technique is right for every person – what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. I regard every client as my teacher, approaching our work together with creativity, adaptability, collaboration and respect for your unique journey – as you are the expert on your own experience. As your therapist, it’s my job to ensure you feel supported enough to explore and address the most difficult/troublesome aspects of your lived experience, so that together we can work to reduce your suffering and overcome limitations that hold you back from contentment and thriving.
Ready to invest in your wellbeing?
It’s important that you find the right therapist to support you along your journey, so I provide a free consultation to help ensure we’re a good fit before you commit to any treatment with me.