Meet the Therapist

I currently lecture in Counselling at Dundee and Angus College and have worked in the education sector for over 20 years. 

In my private practice I have worked with people experiencing stress, identity issues, bereavement, loss, problems with self-esteem, relationship difficulties, family-related issues, anxiety and depression.  

I have a special interest in journal therapy and the therapeutic benefits of writing. This can mean using your own writing as a starting point and focus for our therapeutic work if this is something you would find helpful.   

I am trained in Pluralistic Counselling. Pluralism is a way of thinking about therapy that has emerged in recent years. It is based on the assumption that no one therapeutic approach has the monopoly on understanding the causes of distress or on the most helpful therapeutic responses. Instead, it suggests that different clients are likely to want, and benefit from, different things in therapy. It suggests that therapists should be open to respecting understandings and practices from across the counselling and psychotherapy spectrum. Given this emphasis on tailoring therapy to the individual client, a pluralistic approach also emphasises shared decision making and metatherapeutic communication: talking to clients about the process of therapy itself, including what they want from it and how they would like to try and get there. Pluralism can be a way of thinking about therapy, or it can be a specific practice in which the therapist draws on a range of different understandings and methods. As the latter, it can be considered a form of integrative therapy, in which there is a particular emphasis on collaboration and negotiation across the client-therapist relationship. 

My qualifications include: 

MSc Counselling, University of Abertay (2019)

Couples Counselling CPD Training (2018)

Postgraduate Diploma in Pluralistic Counselling, University of Abertay (2018) 

Child Counselling - accredited by the International Association of NLP and Coaching (2017) 

Certificate in Counselling Skills, University of Abertay (2016)

TQFE, Dundee University (2012)

PGDip in Language and Communication Research, Cardiff University (2002) 

MA Honours Linguistics, University of Edinburgh (2001) 

Reiki Practitioner - Master Level

Professional Body Membership:

I am a Counsellor Member of COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland). Membership No. 3614.

Insurance:

I am fully insured with Balens Insurance UK.