I trained as a psychodynamic psychotherapist at the Tavistock and Portman Clinic in London and School of Infant Mental Health in London and so I provide psychotherapy services with psychodynamic principles at their heart. This means that I place a strong focus on figuring out where your thought patterns and behaviours come from. These are deeply rooted in our earliest experiences - so deeply rooted, in fact, that we may not even have considered them but taken them as read.
I have many years' experience of providing therapy face to face on a one to one basis with adults, young people and adolescents. With the limitations the Covid pandemic brought in terms of meeting in person, I supported many people over the phone and through video calls, and am confident that this way of working brings positive results, too.
Having worked in both primary and secondary school settings, I also provide therapy for school aged children, teenagers and their families. It is extremely beneficial to the work when the parent/s can be part of a high proportion of the sessions as this often results in more rapid improvement, so parents are included wherever possible.
I have worked with couples for over 25 years, particularly around pregnancy and parenthood and the issues that can arise at that point in life. However, I work with couples at other stages of their relationship, whether they're embarking on a new relationship, or they've been together for many years.
More recently, I have completed training in supporting individuals suffering from Birth Trauma. This might be the person who has given birth or the birth partner who supported them on the day. I have listened to thousands of birth stories and have a very good understanding of the birth process, the recovery and the effects a difficult birth can have on mental health.
In addition to my psychotherapy qualification, I have a Masters degree in Infant Mental Health (now renamed Early Relational Health) from the Tavistock and Portman in London. Having worked extensively with new parents and their under fives, I am convinced that it is never too early to seek help if you, as parent, are experiencing difficulties in your relationship with your baby, toddler or pre-school aged child. In fact, the younger the child, the sooner we see positive changes between you . As you might expect, in these cases I always see the parent and baby/toddler/school-aged child together.
My consulting room is large and so I can accommodate several people at once!
With my degree in educational studies, I trained perinatal practitioners for more than a decade to work with people preparing for parenthood. Furthermore, I trained these practitioners to support new parents in the early months of parenthood and also lectured on brain development from conception to age 3 and on Attachment Theory.