When we open our eyes to what is happening, even when it breaks our hearts, we discover our true dimensions, for our heart, when it breaks open, can hold the whole universe.
Joanna Macy
Areas of Specialism
Dysfunctional Families & Trauma
No family is perfect, and no child has all their needs met during childhood.
However, some of us experience profound woundings during this formative time. For example, one or both of our parents may have had issues with addictions or mental health when we were growing up. We may have experienced neglect, wherein our parents could not give us the love and emotional nurturing and support we needed. We may have experienced abuse: sexual, physical, emotional or mental. Our parents may simply have had unresolved issues that got in the way of them being able to meet our needs as vulnerable and growing young people.
In addition, there are other circumstances - such as parental illness, death or poverty - that may have adversely affected us.
Adults who have grown up in dysfunctional or traumatised families often carry their wounding into adulthood. They may develop addictions and compulsions themselves, and often have low self-esteem. They may have difficulty forming healthy relationships, including with themselves. They may feel anxious, depressed, or suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. They may have a fragmented or fragile sense of self, and they may dissociate. They may rarely feel safe, solid and connected.
I have been working with adults who grew up in dysfunctional families for my entire career. Exploring your feelings about these experiences - really being listened to - can be a first step in beginning to heal your inner child, to take care of them, and to build the kind of life you want for yourself.
Addictions & Compulsive Behaviour
Habitual, addictive, or compulsive behaviour can manifest in many ways: in relation to substances like alcohol, drugs and food; in relation to behaviours such as sex, gambling, shopping or exercise; and in relationships. When people’s relationship with these substances or behaviours – or their ways of relating to others – becomes addictive or compulsive, a painful cycle often ensues: an initial sense of feeling overwhelmed by powerful emotions; followed by engaging with the familiar substance, behaviour or relationship; and an aftermath of feeling self-disgust, anxiety or shame.
People who experience themselves as caught in an addictive cycle may feel powerless to stop: they may have difficulty being with intense emotions, and struggle with a sense of their own self-worth.
I have many years experience working with people with addictions, some of whom are engaged in 12-step fellowships and some of whom are not. I can support people to make lasting changes in their behaviour, find new ways of coping, and understand the origins of their addictive behaviours.
Sexuality
Sexuality is a very important part of our humanity: our sense of our sexuality can ground us in our bodies, in our spirits, and can also be a very pleasurable way to connect to ourselves and others. If we grow into our sexuality in an emotionally and physically healthy environment, our relationship to our sexuality can be a joyful experience, full of ease and delight. However, if our experience of our sexuality is disrupted or damaged – through sexual abuse, homophobia (or other social prescriptions about what kind of sex is acceptable), sexism, cultural/media messages about what constitutes a 'beautiful' body, religious dogma or other negative experiences – we may develop more problematic relationships with our sexuality. Shame, secrecy, sexual shut-down, or compulsive behaviour may be just some of the results.
I have many years experience of working with clients from the LGBTQIA+ communities, and can provide a safe space to explore issues connected - on unconnected - to sexuality, gender identity and relationship choices. I also have many years experience working with people whose sense of sexuality has been damaged or disrupted through childhood or adult sexual abuse, through negative body image and negative messages about sex or sexuality, or through compulsive sexual behaviours. Therapy can help you to work with and through your experiences and build a healthier sense of your sexuality and new ways of relating sexually to others.
Musicians, Artists and Other Professionals in the Creative Industries
The acts of artistic creation and performance – in music, poetry, theatre, dance – are incredibly exciting, life-enhancing and fulfilling. In fact, expressing ourselves through creativity and performance may be one of the most fundamental human drives and may feel, for some artists, to be a vital part of their purpose and fulfilment in life. However, modern professional musicians and artists may also experience intense pressure to create and perform at consistently high levels under stressful conditions. Hence, the lives of performing musicians and other artists are sometimes beset with difficulties such as substance misuse (addictions), anxiety (including performance anxiety and worries about the competitive market), depression, stress, ‘writer’s block’, stage fright, burn-out, and conflict in working relationships.
With my combined expertise as a trained composer, performer and psychotherapist, I am in a unique position to understand and support performing musicians, artists and other creatives to overcome their difficulties and improve their creative output and ability to excel in performance. In working with performing musicians and other artists, I combine numerous techniques and skills, such as: directly addressing substance use/misuse (cognitive behavioural work); emotional exploration; work with imagery and past-present link-up.
Mindfulness
As a committed and long-term practitioner of mindfulness - as well as a wildlife photographer - I am happy to support those who wish to cultivate a more mindful life, including growing feelings of gratitude, connection, peace and joy.
Expats - A new home
As a person who did not grow up in the UK, I am happy to work with expats/immigrants who wish to explore their experience of leaving a country of origin and its culture/language, and adjusting to life in the UK or another country.
Climate Crisis
In this time of Climate Emergency, you may have feelings of deep distress: anxiety, anger, hopelessness, despair, panic, guilt and other feelings. In addition, involvement with movements such as Just Stop Oil or Extinction Rebellion may itself bring challenges, including participating in Nonviolent Direct Action (NVDA). I can offer a safe and supportive space in which to explore and work with all of these feelings and experiences, including those related to any arrest, incarceration and court proceedings.
Supervision for Counsellors & Psychotherapists
Supervision offers a supportive and challenging space for counsellors and psychotherapists to reflect on their clinical practice, in order to maintain ethical and professional standards and enhance creativity, competency and efficacy in their work with clients. I have supervised counsellors and psychotherapists within the voluntary sector, NHS, adult education, training institutions and in private practice; I work with individuals at different stages of their professional development and across different theoretical orientations. My supervisory practice is based upon my regard for individuals’ own training and philosophy.
