I am a counsellor and psychotherapist working in Coventry and offer help with a range of difficulties including depression, anxiety, trauma (including childhood traumas), OCD and self-esteem issues. Other areas of my work include therapy for bereavement issues and broader life difficulties. I have a private practice working at the Park Counselling Centre in central Coventry.
My background is in NHS mental health services, psychotherapy services and within the voluntary sector. I have been in practice for thirty years.
I currently work for the NHS as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. In this role, I provide supervision and training for both trainee and experienced psychotherapists. I also have a background of teaching in University psychotherapy programmes. I am an external examiner for postgraduate psychotherapy training at the University of Sussex and University of South Wales.
MA MSc Cert. Ed. BABCP (Accred.) MBACP (Reg)
If you have questions about the help you’re looking for, please browse the site and visit Frequently Asked Questions. Alternatively, please feel welcome to contact me directly. It is usual to have telephone or email enquiries and I’m always happy to explain how I work and what might be involved.
Therapy is usually a very positive experience, helping you to develop the skills and strategies you’ll need to manage what life brings your way. It aims to increase your resilience and strength of personality and to help you understand yourself better.
Therapy is about being ourselves and being comfortable in our humanity. It is a gentle conversation in a safe place.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy. It can help people who are experiencing a wide range of difficulties. How people think can affect how they feel and how they behave. This is the basis of CBT.
During times of mental distress, people often think differently about themselves and their worlds, seeing things through a negative or anxious filter. This can worsen how a person feels. They may inadvertently find themselves acting in ways that prolongs their distress.
CBT practitioners help each person identify and adapt their thinking styles and routine actions. In doing this, the result is often a major improvement in how a person feels and lives.
Research over the last thirty years has shown that CBT can be as effective as medication for reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, fears, obsessions, and some health problems. It is usually more effective than medication in enabling people to stay healthy afterwards.
Therapy helps people become aware of and then adapt the thoughts and behaviours that can lie at the root of their problems. The overall aim is to help people to develop skills in managing their problems - in effect, to become their own therapist.