Becoming a Therapist
Decades of interest in all things psychology, neuroscience and therapy means I’ve always been fascinated by how experiences in life shape our beliefs about ourselves, other people and the world around us.
From working within the NHS to my own private practice, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of people from all walks of life overcome difficulties such as;
PTSD, Trauma and addictions, anxiety, worry, panic, relationship difficulties and therapy for low self-esteem and low confidence
My professional journey, natural empathetic temperament and experience of overcoming people-pleasing equips me with the expertise and skill of effectively tuning into your needs.
I’m able to connect the relevant dots to make sense of your experience and the associated unhelpful habits of self-sacrifice.
I know what questions to ask you and what areas to explore to help us really uncover and understand the root cause of your difficulties.
I strongly believe we can all benefit from therapy!
I know first-hand, learning what makes us tick or feel ‘triggered’ and gaining the tools to overcome what holds us back, is life changing.
I used to feel responsible for everyone, sacrificing myself by putting everyone else’s needs before my own to try and keep everyone happy, feeling anxious, always striving to achieve and to seek approval from others, often running on empty at times and feeling resentful because I was unable to assert myself.
But through professional and personal experiences of therapy and practicing what I preach, I’ve learnt to manage the unhelpful aspects of people-pleasing, identify things that really matter in life, be more present and self-accepting and live life more authentically.
How Do You Know If You’ll Like Your Therapist?
People often find the prospect of therapy daunting and have certain ideas or images about what to expect from a therapy session and meeting a therapist. Here’s a bit more about me, the person behind the therapist.
My clients often say they’re relieved and reassured to find me professional yet not overly formal in my approach and I’m often described as ‘normal’ & consistently get told how much it helps that I ‘get it’.
My focus is putting you at ease, guiding the conversation when necessary (limiting those awkward silences!) and managing your expectations for therapy whilst emphasising my jargon-free, down to earth, genuine nature.
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I have always valued authenticity and more so since working through my own difficulties and practicing what I preach. It feels so liberating and more real to live life authentically - accepting & presenting our true self to the world and connecting to like-minded people makes life special. I have a strong opinion therapists should only be practicing if they themselves have experience of receiving therapy and working through their own difficulties/learning about who they are and how to manage situations that leave them feeling ‘triggered’. I am on a mission to normalise therapy and show a more human side to therapists.
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I’m very much all about us working together - I have had my own experience of people-pleasing and helping lots of people overcome their difficulties. I want to learn about yours, so we can combine our areas of expertise to understand your difficulties and effectively address them. This is your therapy journey and I’m passionate about supporting you through it. I won’t dictate what you need to do but I will gently encourage you and be your cheerleader throughout.
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There is power in talking and knowing you are being seen and heard, especially when you are used to being the one that looks out for everyone else! We will combine and harness this power with actually doing something about the difficulties you are experiencing. We will explore and pinpoint exactly what we need to do to manage the unhelpful parts attached to people-pleasing - so you feel empowered by the positive outcomes to start living life in a way that is most helpful for you.
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I’m Mum to a 4 year old and a rescue Cockerpoo called Max (he often features on my insta stories) - being a therapist has come in handy as he had A LOT of separation anxiety when we first got him! Being a Mum has made me even more determined to live life authentically and say yes to me and to set the best example to my little girl.
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Although my passion is psychotherapy, I’m not always so serious and I do love a laugh. When appropriate it can be helpful to inject some humour into therapy. I’m a massive Alan Partridge fan but I promise I’ll try not to quote him in session.
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I love all sorts of music, interestingly emerging from my own people-pleasing revealed some of my past tastes in music were influenced by those around me rather than what I actually liked! I love going out to gigs but now I’m a Mum and have less opportunity I’ll settle for a dance in kitchen, even if it is to the frozen soundtrack.
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Being more present and enjoying a slower pace of life where I am more able to say ‘yes’ to me means I have much more time to appreciate our wonderful countryside. I love to hike and make time to take in the views or spend time exploring tracks and trails in woodland.
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As a psychology & therapy geek I often have my head in a book but when I’m not reading factual texts you can find me reading chick lit or crime thrillers (I like to think I would have been a detective if I hadn’t become a psychotherapist!)
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Before I did my own work on my people-pleasing I used to dress for other people’s expectations rather than knowing what clothes I actually liked! I am now the owner of an ever-growing Lucy & Yak collection and embrace the freedom and liberating feeling of dressing for ME.
You can break free from cycles of anxiety and overwhelm to increase your self-esteem and confidence & start asking for what you want in relationships.
Therapy Training & Experience
BABCP Accredited therapist since 2017
15 years+ supporting people through their difficulties
20 years + studying Psychology
NHS & private insurance and private therapy practice experience
The Open University; Understanding ADHD
Working with Complex PTSD (Kerry Young)
Creatively Combining Schema Therapy and EMDR (Nadene Van Der Linden)
Janina Fisher’s Shame Certification Training (PESI)
EMDR & Parts work for treating Complex Trauma: Somatic work (PESI)
Compassion Focused Therapy CPD
Attachment Theory
Postgraduate Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy
EMDR Levels 1,2,3
ISST approved Schema Therapy (Adults) training
CPCAB Approved ISAT Diploma in Sex & Porn Addiction Therapy
Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies
Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Care Low Intensity Therapy Interventions - Distinction
BSc Hons Psychology
Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals Award
Motivational Interviewing
Transactional Analysis 101 Certificate
NHS Supervisor & Leadership training
Various continued professional development module
