Qualifications and Experience
Professional Qualifications
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Level 4 Higher Education Bridging Unit in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Level 5 Higher Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Level 4 Certificate in Approaches to Counselling Children and Young People
Foundation Course: Awareness in Bereavement Care-Cruse
CPD Certificate in CBT
BA(Hons) English
PGCE Secondary English/Drama
Experience
My teaching background gives me an insight into the pressures and stresses placed upon young people in a school environment and the various issues which young people experience. I have built up good experience and empathy in relating to children and young people in particular, but also an understanding of the difficulties of children, families and adults in general. I have completed further specialist training in counselling children and young people and am currently employed as a counsellor at King's College in Taunton where I work with a range of ages from 6-20 year olds.
In addition to my work in schools I run a successful counselling private practice in Tiverton working with adults, children and young people presenting with a wide range of issues. I also have five years experience as a bereavement counsellor for Cruse Bereavement Care in Exeter after completing specialist training in bereavement support. I have also attended many additional workshops and training including bereavement by suicide and other sudden and traumatic death, working with trauma, a child's grief and supporting bereaved clients in their relationships.
Areas of Specialism
Bereavement and loss, relationship issues, counselling children and young people, anxiety, depression.
Personal Approach
I work mainly from a humanistic integrative approach. This means that the central aim of my counselling is about empowering the client through the development of a trusting relationship where you can feel safe enough to get in touch with emotions and inner feelings. My belief is that each person is expert in their own lives and knows what works and doesn't work for them. How we work together is very much about you as an individual and what you need from me as your counsellor. I adapt my counselling according to the needs of the client. As an integrative counsellor I also draw from my knowledge of other approaches such as relaxation, the use of creativity in therapy and CBT to help you reach your desired goal.