Qualifications

* 1976 Bachelor of Arts Degree

* 1978 Diploma in Applied Social Studies

* 1994 Counselling Diploma

* 1996 Foundation Course in Family Therapy (12 months)

* 2006 Foundation Course in Cognitive & Behavioural Therapy (12 months)

* 2011 Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) at the Tavistock in London

In addition to the above formal qualifications, I regularly attend training workshops and keep up to date with relevant reading to maintain my senior accreditation status.

Experience

I qualified as a counsellor in 1994 and my training was primarily psychodynamic and relationship based.

From 2001 until 2019 I have worked as an NHS counsellor in GP surgeries and community centres. My clients are adults of varying ages who bring a wide range of emotional issues, including problematical relationships, childhood abuse, loss, bereavement, depression and anxiety.

Before training as a counsellor, I was employed in social care working with families. Supporting families through the loss of their baby or in managing their child's disability has been the catalyst for my obtaining a professional counselling qualification in the early 1990's.

More recently, however, I have been drawn towards DIT in my counselling practice. While recognising the significance of early childhood attachments, it focuses on current difficulties and its impact on the therapeutic relationship. In particular it tracks significant relationship patterns within these three domains which can also be helpful in shorter term therapy.