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About me and how I work
Hi...
I believe deeply in trust, safety and feeling heard with the understanding that everyone’s story is unique to them. It may be that you have been hurtled into a whirlwind or that the storm has been with you for some time, it may be that you have lost who you are or who you want to be and through this confusion you feel stuck, or it may be that how you feel holds you back or makes you feel out of control.
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Whatever it is that has led you to this point in your life I want to help you make sense of it. I believe through understanding the emotions surrounding our distress we can begin to understand what it is that we need moving forward. Through my calm, gentle space lets explore together what difficulties have come to light and try to make sense of the path that led you to where you are now. By walking this stretch together at a pace that feels comfortable for you we can look to find ways for you to better understand and accept yourself, to come to terms with difficult experiences you have had and make sense of any unhelpful patterns or themes within your life journey. It is with this that you can feel better equipped to make choices that are right for you moving forward, so that life can feel lighter, comfortable, and more manageable.
Qualifications
I am a fully qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist, with a Master's in Counselling from York St John University and I am a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
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I also hold a certificate in online and telephone counselling, which is accredited by the BACP.
Additional Qualifications:
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I also hold a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and a degree from my first career in Secondary Teaching.
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I am also an IAB accredited book-keeper.
Experience
Work and Life Experience
Alongside my private practice I volunteer one day a week for a charity in York called 1-2-1 Counselling who offer short-term therapy to people in the York area who may otherwise not be able to afford it.
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I also work part time as a book-keeper, around my counselling practice.
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A little about my life journey...
​I have over twenty years of life experience having begun my working life as a secondary teacher where, for ten years, I enjoyed caring for and guiding students.
However, in my early 30's, I came to a crisis point in my personal life and I found myself as a client in a counselling room. I was feeling disorientated and disconnected but with the help of therapy I began to understand how my story had gone and how different I’d wanted it to be. Through the support and trust in the relationship with my counsellor I felt understood and able to find courage to make different choices moving forward. It is the warmth in the relationship that I had with my counsellor that informs my own work now.
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I hope that by having a snapshot of me and my life it can put you at ease making the difficult step to reach out. I believe it to be hugely important that when you sit with me, you can trust me, feel safe and supported so that you feel able to share and make sense of those things that bring you distress in your life.
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