I have always enjoyed working with young people and feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity. I taught in secondary schools and further education before qualifying as a counsellor in 2005, and have since worked as a counsellor in secondary schools and higher education. As a result I have gained considerable experience of working with young people of varied abilities and cultures, as well as experience of Child Protection procedures and making referrals to external agencies including the NHS.
I call myself an integrative counsellor and my practice is informed by different counselling approaches. I believe that one of the most important aspects of counselling is the relationship between the counsellor and client. In order to establish and develop that relationship, I try to be non-judgemental, empathic and genuine. I aim to see the client’s feelings, circumstances and issues from their point of view and feel it is extremely important to carefully listen to the young person. I have found that we rarely fully listen to one another and the affirmation of having been listened to cannot be underestimated. I work collaboratively with whatever the client wishes to talk about. I try to help the client gain an understanding of their feelings, the reasons they came to see me and explore possible ways forward.
I appreciate that not all young people find it easy to express themselves using words and I believe in working flexibly to meet the needs of my clients. I have a degree in Fine Art and believe that creative forms of communication such as drawing, music, writing, photography can help people to express their feelings.
Qualifications:
BA (Hons) Fine Art
PGCE
Advanced Diploma in Humanistic/Existential Counselling
MBACP
Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
I am a registered member of the BACP I work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. I regularly attend supervision and Continuing Professional Development events and training. Before committing to a counselling session I am happy to do a half hours telephone consultation to discuss your child’s and your needs.
As a registered member of the BACP I have monthly supervision and I regularly attend Continuing Professional Development events and training.
I have professional liability & indemnity insurance and a DBS certificate.
