Therapy approaches
My main therapeutic approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which focuses on finding ways to live with difficult emotions and experiences, while also making meaningful changes in pursuit of what matters most to you personally.
I also use mindfulness-based approaches, flexibly adapting them to suit the different needs of individual clients. My experience is that standard mindfulness approaches do not always work well for everyone, particularly for neurodivergent people and those living with chronic illness, pain or disability, but that most of us can find ways to be more present and less overwhelmed by unwanted experiences. I also draw on compassion-focused therapies and on self-compassion practices.
My work is informed by attachment theory, which can help us to understand how some of the patterns in our relationships are shaped by early experiences. I also draw on this in parent support work, whether this is adjustment to the life and identity shifts of becoming a parent, or navigating the challenges and emotions in later stages of parenting.
A large part of my work is with neurodivergent and/or physically disabled or chronically ill adults. I focus on adapting all of the above approaches to be a better fit for the ways that different bodies and brains work, and to suit any specific individual’s needs and resources, rather than assuming that clients should adapt themselves to suit the therapy.
I also offer formal assessments for ADHD and autism, as well as a single pre-assessment screening session for anyone wondering whether to pursue an assessment. Some people find it useful to have one or more sessions of post-diagnostic support after any diagnosis, whether autism, ADHD or physical health related. Please see Assessments for more information.
Practical information about therapy
Currently I am only working therapeutically with adults.
I offer a free 15-minute call for anyone making an initial inquiry, to help us decide whether we can work together. I encourage anyone seeking therapy to speak to a few possible therapists and find someone who’s a good fit with you.
If we decide to work together in therapy, our first session will be an assessment, where I will ask you for more details about what brings you to therapy and what changes you’d like to make, and we will agree a plan together. If we agree to continue working together, after our first couple of sessions we will review how it’s going, and make sure we’re both happy with the plan we made. Throughout therapy I will continue to check in with you about how you’re finding it and anything we need to change, and I encourage you to give feedback at any time.
Some people benefit from having a small number of very change-focused therapy sessions; others may work in therapy over months or years, or may have several periods of therapy with breaks in between.
I work mainly online, through video calls or phone calls as you prefer. Many people prefer to have a regular therapy slot, either weekly or fortnightly, but I try to offer flexibility to fit around your needs. Each session is usually 50 minutes long, although sometimes it can be helpful to vary this, depending on your needs.
Costs
I am insured to work with people ordinarily resident in the UK, and am a registered provider for BUPA, Modern Health and WPA. I also work with self-funding clients. Each 50-minute appointment costs £110. I realise this is out of reach for many people who do not have insurance; there is information here on free and low-cost therapy options.
If you would like to arrange a free initial consultation, please use the contact form below.