Counselling sessions will be held in my room at the Queer Therapy Hub in Brighton, either face to face or online. Online sessions might also be held from my own home. Counselling can be short term or long term once a week, whatever best fits your needs. Short term work can be ideal for focusing on a specific area in your life, perhaps something that is coming up a lot for you in the present. Longer term work is usually suited for unpacking deeper issues, such as trauma, healing from abuse, working with mood disorders or exploring family dynamics. Healing from trauma or abuse requires emphasis on building trust, safety and consistency in the therapeutic relationship and this will help model a secure way of relating and re-regulating the nervous system that is necessary to move forwards. 

 I use a Humanistic and Person Centred approach, meaning my therapy is client led. It's based on the idea that people have their own unique way of seeing the world, and that they can lead more fulfilling lives by being their true selves. I know first hand how daunting meeting a new therapist can be, and so I will welcome you with warmth and help put you at ease as best I can. I also know first hand that not all therapists are helpful. This can be for many reasons: perhaps it’s the wrong type of approach or the wrong fit, maybe you felt the therapist was too clinical or lacking empathy, or maybe it was just the wrong time. I encourage you to find someone who feels right for you, and to not be afraid to walk away if it doesn’t. Boundaries are a part of therapy, and exercising our decision to say ‘No’ or ‘Yes’ to something is healing in its self.

A few areas I specialise in are LGBTQ+ issues, bereavement/loss, working with attachment styles, neurodiversity and reclaiming self-empowerment after abuse. You don’t need to identify as LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent to reach out, anyone is welcome to ask for support! I am also Sex Worker friendly and take a Sex Positive approach in my work; often we shy away from talking about our sex lives or sexual health, yet this is an inevitable part of everyone’s lives. I also take an interest in menstrual issues and PMDD, as our hormones and cycles can have a huge impact on our well being yet isn’t taken seriously. 

My former qualifications are in English Literature and writing, and I have found using creative approaches in therapy to be immensely effective. Sometimes only talking out loud is not enough to express our experience, and so I enjoy using poetry, letters, sandtray work or dream analysis. Incorporating the body and somatic healing is also necessary as our embodied experiences link to our minds. The body is very intelligent; often the body knows something before the mind does, and if we’re not connected to our bodies, we might miss the messages and signals it’s sending to us, which can eventually result in chronic pain, illness or injuries. In the case of trauma, coming back to the body can be frightening, so this will be led in a slow, gentle way and what feels okay for the person. 

I have professional experience working with students and young people, especially those who are neurodivergent or come from disadvantaged backgrounds. My work with young people has highlighted just how much of an impact our early life can affect us in the present. Therapy can be great to address how your childhood might still be showing up for you, or I can help you understand the younger people in your life and how to support them, for example you might be a parent or relative of a young person who is struggling and need some guidance.