Counsellor profile

CBT is about giving you a toolkit to help you understand what is going on for you in all aspects of emotional disturbances. It helps you identify those feelings and work out why you are in a difficult place at the moment. This can include anxiety, sadness, depression, loss, relationship concerns, obsessive thoughts and behaviours, lack of motivation, addictive behaviours, anger, shame and self confidence issues.

It is very much about helping you to become your own therapist. You are encouraged to look at the 'here and now' and towards how you want to be in future relationships, work and family life. Of course your past experiences influence and impact on your thoughts and behaviours in the present, but the emphasis is on what you can do today to maximise your happiness now and in the future.

It is an investment in your self for life. The sessions help highlight your irrational thoughts and behaviours which are not in your own best interest. It is about maximising your chances of personal happiness. It is also about not just coming along when things get difficult and upsetting but also to consider having a 'personal development' session every now and then to re assess where you are in life. CBT helps you to enhance your everyday life, to reduce the possibility of future emotional disturbance by you changing the way you view events and people.

I have worked at corporate level doing Executive Coaching too. Taking time out in a safe and trusting environment in therapeutic interactions can help you to reflect, re-assess and move forward to more personally chosen and relevant goals in your life. Being pro-active in your life rather than responding always to others demands.

Training, Qualifications and experience
• MA (Psych) B.Ed (Hons)
• Registered Accredited CBT therapist
• U.K.C.P. Accredited Practitioner, membership number 07159068
• British Psychological Society member, Counselling Psychologist
• 12 years lecturing Psychology and training counsellors in Higher Education
• 10 years working with emotionally disturbed teenagers in U.K. and California, U.S.A.
• Counselling in H.M. Prisons Service
• 6 years working for Ceridian, International H.R. Company in the Employee Assistance Programme, as a telephone counsellor, Case Manager and Trainer for Change Management
• Currently an Associate Counsellor for Ceridian
• 3 years running 'Happiness Seminars' including Cunard on QM2, QE2, P&O, Saga and Travelscope Guest lecture programme on cruise ships
• Private Practice since 1994

Areas of Counselling
• Anxiety
• Relationships personal / professional
• Couples counselling
• Sadness / depression
• Loss – personal life / work related
• Change Management
• Motivation issues
• Addictive thoughts / behaviours
• Guilt, self confidence, social avoidance, shyness issues
• Anger / control issues
• Sleep / eating concerns

Do you wait until your car breaks down before you get it serviced? Half of us would probably answer 'yes'. The other half might well make sure their car had regular services. We pay out for our car mechanic hourly rate without much surprise, although these rates are fairly substantial.
So too with plumber's call out fees, dental bills etc. Our emotional well being does not always get the same consideration. Sometimes we might think it somewhat self indulgent to spend money on our 'problems'. The investment you make in looking into your difficulties will pay off greatly in your future emotional and physical well being. You can replace a car.
Do we value our emotional happiness as highly as inanimate possessions? Do we wait until things get really difficult before looking for help – sometimes we are not aware how upset we have become, or maybe dare not allow ourselves to start looking at what is happening, fear prevents us. CBT therapy can really help reduce the emotional disturbances, by giving you time to consider what is happening for you in a safe and confidential environment where you can give thought to what is happening in your life and start to make changes and decisions for the future in a calm and structured way. CBT therapy can then give you tools to watch out for signs of potential future disturbances before they impact greatly on our lives. Emotional disturbances can have deleterious effects on our physical health, our personal and professional relationships.
Value yourself, take care of yourself and give yourself the best chances of a happy and healthy emotional well being.

Epictetus, the Greek philosopher said:
"Man is disturbed not by events or by other people, but his view of those events."

CBT does not aim to change events in our environments or the people around us – but what you can do is change your views and thus help to reduce emotional disturbances.

The fee for an individual session is £45.00 including VAT for 50 minutes.
Telephone and on line counselling are also available.