The Full Story

I have always been interested in people, their lives, their layers of  complexity and how people tell their stories.

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I decided to train in psychology as a mature student when I was in my 30s. I achieved a First Class Honours Degree in Psychology (with English). I really enjoyed studying developmental psychology, memory systems, culture, society, childhood development, and the theories around treating mental health. I also enjoyed the English Literature modules as these widened my imagination and enthusiasm for stories, archetypes and life journeys.

 

After my degree, I decided to continue my learning by training as a counsellor. I wanted to work individually with people and help them to change their stories and live more hopeful, connected and peaceful lives. 

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I continued my studies at the University of Hertfordshire and was awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling with a Commendation in 2007.

 

I studied: 

• Psychodynamic theory,

• Person-Centred theory

• Attachment theory

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These still underpin my work and give me a framework and a curiosity so that I am open to understanding how someone feels about themself, other people and the world. From this framework, we can explore and understand more and make changes.

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My early voluntary counselling placements were with charities working with people affected by addictions and social oppressions including racism, misogyny, poverty and homelessness. These placements gave me in-depth experience of working with traumatised people. I am very grateful for that initial experience and the clients I worked with.

What I learned on those placements was that general talking therapy does not necessarily ease trauma symptoms, it can trigger clients to re-live traumas and that is destabilising. Hence, I have gone on to learn ways to support people to heal from these traumas by finding strategies that build resilience, emotional regulation and reprocess and desensitise trauma memories and symptoms. This is transformational therapy using EMDR. 

 

I continue to complete more trainings and self-study to support people to change their belief systems, heal from trauma symptoms and reconsolidate their memories. 

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I have completed further training in:

• Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Attachment Informed EMDR (healing early childhood wounds)

• Intensive EMDR training

• Adapting EMDR for Neurodivergent Clients

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) 

• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

• Mindfulness

• I am informed by Internal Family Systems 

• I have an understanding of ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

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​I regularly attend the EMDR UK Association Conferences in the UK. 

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