Parenting Counselling in GL5

I am a fully qualified and highly experienced art psychotherapist, parenting consultant clinical supervisor. I provide evidence-based therapeutic services to children, families and adults through art psychotherapy, VIPP-SD (Video feedback Interaction to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline) and the Incredible Years Parenting Programme. I have over 12 years of clinical experience working for CAMHS/NHS, charities and within educational institutions with parents, children and adults with varied abilities including neurodiversity. I am passionate about helping others discover inspiration and a fulfilling life.

I have over 18 years’ experience working in mental health settings. I have worked extensively in the field of infant, child & adult mental health services, have held senior roles and managed a psychological service department for CAMHS. I am trained in understanding complex, multi-layered communications, and I work with a broad range of issues from mild to severe difficulties. I always hold my patients in mind and am patient led with all therapeutic interventions. I work with compassion and empathy and I am highly passionate at helping people overcome adversity/challenges. I work with kindness and gentle curiosity.

I work with children, young people and their families, often when things are feeling difficult or overwhelming. Some of the reasons families have worked with me include: support to understand and manage feelings of anxiety, depression or frustration; difficulties with emotion-regulation; and difficulties within family relationships, including parent -infant and parent -child relationships.

I am a fully qualified and experienced integrative psychotherapist working with both individuals and couples. I believe deeply in our resilience as human beings, and our ability to heal in the right environment with the right support. I focus on collaborating with my clients, empowering them, ensuring they always feel safe. I hold in mind and draw upon different theories depending on what I feel would benefit each individual client. The main theories I integrate in my practice are: psychodynamic theories, specifically Object Relations and Attachment Theory, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. Please see my website for more info.

Now more than ever we are living in a world where contact with others has become increasingly difficult, not just physically but also emotionally. It would be understandable for many people to be feeling isolated and cut of from the rest of humanity at this time, for some this may also trigger painful, old wounds of unmet needs and maybe even a sense of hopelessness. You may crave feeling really connected to someone who is fully present with you and is invested in really understanding you and your situation, someone who can help you to create a relationship that will help to heal relationships that have failed in the past.

Systemic and Family Psychotherapy. MSC (distinction) from The Family Institute, University of South Wales. NHS employed (CAMHS), with small private practice. Working with individuals, couples, families and children. Currently completing the IAPT Systemic Supervision course with the University of Exeter. I usually meet with clients face to face at rooms in Stroud, and can also provide digital therapy.

If you are struggling with feelings of low self-esteem, stress, anxiety, depression or bereavement or if you are having problems in your relationships at home or at work, counselling might be able to help you to make important changes in your life. Counselling provides a special therapeutic relationship where you will not be judged and where you will be given the respect and empathy that is needed for you to truly express yourself. Without providing advice, instructions or directions I aim to empower my clients so that they can work towards a happier future.

At the heart of healing from trauma is the human relationship. I offer my clients a safe, consistent, honest and heart led space from within which you can explore all that you are and find integration. I am an experienced, BACP registered NARM therapist; specialising in Complex Trauma. Psychodynamically trained, with a particular interest in Relational and intersubjective approaches. My personal and clinical experience has led me to believe that we each have the capacity to heal from our early wounds; what ever they may be.

I aim to create a warm environment and a genuine therapeutic relationship for you to feel safe, supported and free to explore whatever difficulties you may be facing. I listen empathically so that I can understand you and what you are experiencing, without imposing my views on you or telling you what to do. I will encourage you to reconnect with yourself and your own resources. My role is to be with you as you make sense of your feelings, thoughts and behaviours and to support you in moving forward so that you can realise your full potential.

I have worked in a variety of settings in the field of mental health services: HMP Prison services in specialist addictions units & rehabilitation, Community drug services NHS Primary Care with IAPT and the Priory Hospital Bristol with inpatients and outpatient services.Each of these positions has built skills of understanding, therapeutic alliance, compassion and commitment to each of the people that trust me to support them. I believe in the ‘art and science’ of CBT and the therapeutic value and benefit of those coming together.This requires effort and personal investment, and it can feel hard, so let’s take a breath together .

I can provide you with a warm, supportive, safe space which can allow you to explore any difficult issues you may be experiencing in your life. This could be emotional turmoil due to a life situation, or perhaps a traumatic event that has happened to you, causing feelings of overwhelm. I will always listen and endeavour to understand you, free from any judgement. Allowing you to share your story at your own pace. I have an integrative approach which means I draw upon different modalities of counselling through my experience and training. This will help me meet your needs in the best way I can whilst working with you.

I will support you within a calm, non-judgemental setting built on empathy and trust. I offer a safe, confidential, supportive and understanding environment for you to explore your experiences, feelings and needs, enabling growth and change to happen. Our sessions can be face to face, online, or by telephone.

For most people, caring for children and young people is a complex mix of high and lows. Sometimes we need help from outside the family to support mental health and wellbeing and help us find our way. If your family is struggling to navigate life, you have a child or young person in distress or you are experiencing difficulties with a new baby, psychotherapy can help make sense of thoughts, feelings and problematic behaviour, allowing a move towards better relationships, healthier behaviours and achieving potential.

People take the step to seek counselling for many reasons. Perhaps you are experiencing feelings of anxiety, overwhelm or depression. You may be facing a dilemma, feeling stuck or lacking a sense of purpose or direction in life. Often people will come because they are struggling with relationship or family issues that feel hard to resolve. A traumatic event, loss or life-stage crisis might lead you to look for professional support.

I work with parents and families as a Family Therapist (Systemic Psychotherapist). This is an evidence-based model which addresses issues that arise in relationships. It can be helpful to families of any description, whether this is blended families, sibling relationships or adult children and their parents. When an issue is addressed within the same context that it is experienced, there is a greater chance that issues can be better understood and managed and addressed.

Life is not always easy. The fact that you are looking at my page suggests that something feels stuck, painful, maybe hopeless or unreachable and that you want something different for yourself – that you want things to change. Perhaps you want to free yourself from repetitive patterns of behaviour, depression, anxiety and self-limiting beliefs or the impact of trauma. Maybe you want to deepen your connection to yourself so that life feels richer and more rewarding and you can find a more authentic sense of yourself. Whatever your reason, I offer you a safe, empathetic and thoughtful space to explore whatever you want to bring.

Experienced and chartered Counselling Psychologist, who has over 15 years of experience working therapeutically with children, teenagers, and adults. I offer a range of approaches including EMDR, CBT and psychodynamic therapy. I’ve been fortunate to have varied experiences within my career, working with a range of clients and settings, including NHS Camhs, educational and residential settings. Despite my varied experiences, one thing remains the same: my passion to support people to overcome and heal from their emotional wounds or barriers so that they can live a more fulfilled and whole life.

The reasons for seeking therapy are many. I am a strong believer in our ability as individuals to change how we feel, think and react to the situations we find ourselves in and which may be causing us difficulty. I see my role as a therapist as a facilitator, allowing a client to learn about themselves, their relationships and their behaviours.

I am a 'Human Givens' Psychotherapist (www.hgi.org.uk). Whilst my HG journey started in 2009 my work in the field began 20 years prior. I have since taught on a counselling diploma, worked as a therapist with adults, staff within organisations, teachers, parents, young people and children overseas as well as in the UK (particularly Sri Lanka). In private practice my strengths lie in flexibility and creativity - tailor-making my approach to each client. I use an eclectic approach within the Human Givens framework, knowing exactly why each varied and different technique can be effective in accordance with current neuroscience.