My
Approach

Women-centered integrative counselling & psychotherapy

Seasonal and cycle-based approach

I am a woman-centered Counsellor & Psychotherapist. This means that I consider the season you are in as a woman with all the ebb and flow that this involves. We may talk about the internal and external seasons in our work together, check in on energy levels depending on where we are in your cycle, and consider aspects of identity according to life stage as well.

Humanistic counselling & psychotherapy in East Devon

I work as an integrative therapist and draw on a range of humanistic psychotherapies in my practice, including: Person-Centered Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and IFS (Internal Family Systems). I am informed by Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory and Psychodynamic principles.

What to expect from a therapy session

I’m interested in your subjective experience. I’m curious about your thoughts, feelings, emotions. I’ll be paying attention to patterns in communication, emotional expression, body language and how you respond to our work in the therapy room. I often work somatically, meaning I may ask you to check in with your bodily felt sense. We will check in with your nervous system, energy levels and capacity for various activities. I encourage feedback about how it’s feeling, anything that’s feeling challenging or frustrating. All feelings are welcome.

How therapy can help you feel more calm and confident

All this work in the therapy room is designed to help you to notice more about your experience and become more self-aware. You may develop a more compassionate inner voice. You may be able to better able to manage your boundaries in relationships. You may learn some more sustainable and accessible ways to emotionally regulate yourself and those around you.

Trauma-informed counselling practice

I am trauma-informed so I’ll be working at a pace suited to you. I will be tracking your experience and nervous system for signs of dysregulation throughout the session. And I’ll be adapting my approach to meet your individual needs and reach your therapy goals.

This is brave and courageous work. I honour and acknowledge this. I will meet you where you are at and look forward to working with you if you choose me to be your therapist.

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FAQs

  • This will depend on your unique personal history and circumstances, and engagement with the therapeutic process, but some changes you might expect to see are:

    • improved emotional regulation

    • reduced anxiety and stress

    • healthier coping strategies

    • resilience to life challenges

    • personal/professional growth

    • improved relationships with self and others

    • increased social skills

    • greater clarity and fulfilment in life

  • In a typical first session, we will run through how therapy works, any expectations or questions you might have about therapy or me as a therapist.

    I will also ask you a bit about what brings you to therapy, so things like:

    • your life circumstances,

    • things you’re finding hard

    • your family history

    Then together we will create some therapy goals and make a plan moving forward.

  • Walk & talk counselling is a form of Ecotherapy.

    This means that sessions are conducted outdoors. We walk for 50 minutes in a designated area, and use nature to support the therapeutic process through observing the world around us and using nature as a metaphor for life’s challenges.

    Many clients who have ADHD or Autism may find this format more helpful as it changes the way we do therapy.

    I have been certified as Walk & Talk Therapist trained by the Creative Counsellors UK.

  • There’s no short answer to this! Essentially, it depends on what brings you to therapy and your therapy goals.

    For some people this may just be a few sessions (say around 6 weeks) for support during a challenging period of life.

    For others it may be longer term (more like 20+ sessions) to work on a deeper level and support more long-lasting emotional, behavioural and cognitive change.

    I usually recommend regular weekly appointments on a specific day and time. This provides a consistent, committed schedule for therapy so we can progress to meet your goals.

    We can discuss a session plan that suits your needs.

  • My session fees are £65 for a 50-minute appointment either online, in-person or outdoors for a walk & talk session.

    I kindly ask that payment is provided via bank transfer at least 24 hours before the session in order to secure the appointment.

  • Yes I do. Whilst I totally get that sometimes life happens, childcare arrangements fall through or someone gets ill and you may need to change or cancel your appointment last minute, I also need to manage myself and my workload.

    So, with that in mind…

    If it’s less than 24 hours before the appointment - sorry, I won’t be able to re-schedule and I will need to keep the full appointment fee.

    If it’s more than 24 hours before the appointment then we can either re-schedule or you will not need to pay the session fees.

    I hope that sounds fair.

  • Yes. I am fully insured with Holistic Insurance UK.

    This includes: online, in-person and walk & talk counselling.

    My member number is: HIS116333

    I am covered for: £5,000,000 Malpractice/Professional Liability, Public Liability and Products Liability.

  • Absolutely. Any personal information I collect via the initial intake forms and clinical notes that I take are kept securely online. No information is kept in physical format.

    We will talk about this more in our first session together. If you have any questions, then we can discuss them in person.

  • Great question! These terms are often used interchangeably, but although they are all related to the management of mental health and they do sometimes overlap, they are also distinct disciplines with different training pathways and approaches to treatment.

    Counsellor - you may choose to see a Counsellor for a specific or short-term problem, e.g: grief or bereavement counselling. A Counsellor provides support and solutions to life challenges.

    Psychotherapist - you may choose to see a Psychotherapist for deeper work on your systemic behavioural, emotional and cognitive patterns and processes based on your own personal history.

    Psychologist - you may choose to see a Psychologist if you have an issue that requires assessment and you are a seeking a diagnosis (e.g: ADHD, Generalised Anxiety Disorder) and subsequent psychological treatment for these symptoms based on how you think, feel and behave.

    Psychiatrist - you may choose to see a Psychiatrist if you have complex mental health needs which require assessment, diagnosis and medication. Psychiatrists are medical professionals who have specialised in mental health and are able to prescribe medication as part of the treatment protocol.

Any other questions?