I run my own private practice providing 1:1 therapy with any age, gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity or cultural background.
I am a Clinical Supervisor for the BPS and QCoP coordinating supervisor for those working towards Accreditation as a Counselling Psychologist via the BPS independant route of study.
As a Counselling Psychologist I have a diversity of skills that can adapt to the clients individual, and at times, complex needs. Each contract is negotiated individually, offering both brief and open-ended therapy. I have trained in Humanistic, Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioural therapy and can apply tools from each of these approaches as deemed appropriate and are integrated within each session. However my natural approach is Psychodynamic, looking at past history to make sense of current behaviours. I also like to focus on the relationship between myself and the client in order to make sense of any relational difficulties they may be experiencing.
Through my early work with young people I trained to use creativity and play as a different language to access and express oneself where words were not always accessible. It also gives clients permission to play around with and experiment with a felt sense of identity. I continue to utilise these tools with adult clients today.
ABOUT
Professional career since 2000
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Nanny
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Team leader in a residential school for children with autism.
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Support worker in a Family assessment centre
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Administrator in a Supported living service with leaving care young people.
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Employement assistance programme Telephone Counsellor
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Young Person Counsellor in Military primary schools
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Developer of a Relate Young Persons Counselling service funded by Comic Relief.
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Private Practictioner since 2011
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Msc in Counselling Psychology at Roehampton University
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PgDip in the Practice of Counselling Psychology,
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PgDip in Counselling Psychology
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BSc (honours) Psychology
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Advanced diploma in counselling
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Intermediate Certificate in Counselling Skills
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Certified Clinical Trauma Professional level 2
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NVQ 3 – Business Administration
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Working with young people by Youth Access (8 day)
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Creative therapeutic skills for children by Margot Sunderland (8 day)
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NVQ 3 – Health and Social Care, Children, Young adults & Adults
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Certificate in Social Sciences
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BTEC National Diploma in Design – Photography
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Diploma Foundation – Art and Design
Why the name SPECTRUM?
The name SPECTRUM naturally emerged as an encompassment of many facets and philosophies of my life and therapeutic practice.
Origin of the word
From 17th century Latin meaning 'image', 'apparition', from spectere 'to look'.
Definition of Spectrum as a Metaphor of the self
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A band of colours, as seen in a rainbow, produced by separation of the components of light by their different degrees of refraction according to wavelength.
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Used to classify something in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme points: the left or the right.
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Awareness, to look at and tolerate every extremity of the self by examining and experiencing all colours and components of the self. Experience the overlapping, the degrees of refraction between your own and others emotions.
Spectrum of the therapeutic world
Therapy can vary depending on the emphasis of the medical vs talking models. There is spectrum on how much mental health is seen and treated with medicine or interaction. My model of the therapy Spectrum can be found here.
The Neurodiverse Spectrum
Tjhrough personal and professional experience I have an expert and empathic understanding of the difficutlies faced by those on the neurodiverse spectrum.
Definitions of different neurodivserities, be is Autism, Aspergers, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia or something more unique to the individual, are not deemed as distinct and different from one another but lay on a spectrum in which all may experience traits of and range in difficulties.
Over the Rainbow song
The song 'over the rainbow' has aways inspired me to believe that we can fly like the bluebirds and dreams really can come true if we believe them enough. However, I acknowledge we may have blocks to believing in these dreams which therapy can help work through
Areas of Expertise
linked
Intrinsically
DISSOCIATIVE
DISORDERS
HOW I WORK WITH IT
Working with Dissociative Disorders (DID) can be complex and take a long time but my focus is on working with the underlying trauma and taking a Parts Theory approach. Central to the different parts is a 'self' in which we maintain contact with to enable management and control of the parts.
HOW I UNDERSTAND IT
Dissociative disorders can develop as a result of early attachment issues or traumatic events where different parts of the brain disconnect with each other as a way to avoid the trauma in the other parts. This could present as a dissociative state which can feel like daydreaming, a complete conscious awareness of actions whilst still continuing with living or a complete split of parts on which each part, or altar, is only present at one time.
In turn this can cause increased levels of anxiety through loss of time and disorientation, exacerbating trauma. Parts or altars may also manifest as psychosomatic symptoms.
NEURODIVERSITY
HOW I WORK WITH IT
Prior to qualifying I worked with children with Autism, receiving the 5 day TEACHH programme from North Carolina.. People on the spectrum and with any form of neurodiversity offer such a unique and individual view of the world but struggle to fit into an un-adapted ‘normal’ world. Because of this I wanted to offer them a space where their world can be enjoyed and explored without judgement.
HOW I UNDERSTAND IT
People with ASD or neurodiversity's can experience daily environmental trauma along with social and family abuse and neglect from a misunderstanding of the disorder and how it manifests within the individual.
Those on the Autisitc Spectrum may experience sensory trauma, which if not appreciated and adapted too can create long term problems for the individual. This could result in chronic psychosomatic illness, Anxiety and PTSD symptoms, or Dissociative disrders making their already difficult ASD more complex. .
Every individual experience’s life differently depending on their personality traits combined with environmental upbringing and attachment relationships.
So some people may experience what is deemed as an everyday occurrence as traumatic where others can recover easily from what could be deemed a traumatic event. This is based on if and how they recover from an experience.
I have found trauma can be found at the source of many, if not all, of my clients issues, both physical or psychological, that can manifest in various ways such as chronic anxiety, psychosomatic illness, dissociative disorder or PTSD. Many people come to me fearing their feelings, because they have never healed from a previous emotional experience, which can be as simple as a primary caregiver depriving their child of a cuddle and reassurance when they are scared or hurt
HOW I UNDERSTAND IT
TRAUMA, FEAR & ANXIETY
HOW I WORK WITH IT
I became a Level 2 Trauma professional in 2021 to enhance my understanding of how trauma manifests itself and how best to treat it.
I work with Internal Family Systems Theory and Trauma Parts theory which enables the client to access the felt experience of the younger traumatised parts whilst remaining present in the adult mind.
New research has shown that Trauma itself does not have a chronological memory and so the ‘experience’ of it can still be held in the body many years later. By accessing the younger traumatised self alongside the present adult self we are able to teach the younger part it no longer needs to feel fearful.
HOW I UNDERSTAND IT
Research has found links between Fibromyalgia and trauma, either early attachment trauma or domestic abuse.
Unexplained pain and fatigue can be a way of the body trying to communicate stressors and trauma in the body.
PSYCHOSOMATIC
ILLNESS
HOW I WORK WITH IT
Through my Masters research and client work I have learnt about and recognised a relationship between unspecified health problems and emotional expression. This has led me to offer a compassionate and Mindful approach, to dealing with pain, fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and ME.
I explore and work with the underlying emotional stressors and conflicts that the body is trying to express. By using Parts theory we can help the body find it's own voice to express it's internal pain.
HOW I UNDERSTAND IT
Early attachment issues can lead to…
trauma from being psychologically neglected
...Relational difficulties where the need for intimacy is in conflict with the fear of intimacy, leading to and avoidance measures.
...Dissociative disorders where parts of the brain splits off as a way to unconsciously avoid the trauma in the other parts.
...Anxiety disorders from the fear of being close but also being alone
ATTACHMENT
HOW I WORK WITH IT
I recognise the importance of developing a secure attachment relationship at a young age. If this has not been created, as an adult this can impact on the way we relate to others. Once identified I can help to create more positive relationship styles.
In the case where a secure attachment relationship has not been formed the child does not internalise a way to cope with stressful external factors or emotions, therefore being in a constant state of
Knowing which kind of therapy to have is a mindfield for all potential clients. What is recommended by the GP because of cost efficiency may not nessecarily be the right thing for you.
Folow the link to learn about different theoretical orientations and how I work with their different theories integratively and adaptively to each individual clients issues and needs.