about me

My main interest is how do we cultivate compassion to ourselves when are have suffered or stressed.  For this reason, I have developed my practice which includes a range of traditional psychotherapies and embodied practices.​​​

 

I had the privilege in my early nursing career to work on the Acorn programme at the famous Retreat Hospital in York which was an inpatient Therapeutic Community (TC), delivering DBT to women with self-defeating behaviours.  ​Later I was part of a team that developed the first inpatient CBT service for people with eating disorders at The Retreat, York. This new clinical pathway won an award with the College of Psychiatry for innovative practice in 2014. I presented at the BABCP and the Scottish Eating Disorder conference on the clinical model and our pilot study. I have presented at number of international and national conferences about Eating Disorders, CBT and Therapeutic Communities.

 

I later worked on the first specialist inpatient service working with people with Dissociative Disorder (DID) and complex trauma using EMDR. ​I have developed my CBT and EMDR practice working  alongside some inspiring mentors and EMDR consultants but more important clients who have taught me resilience, compassion and hope. I have supervised teams and inpatient services.  ​

 

As an EMDR consultant I have provided supervision and support supervisee’s to their accreditation with the EMDR UK. ​As an accredited BABCP psychotherapist and supervisor I am keen to support trainees in their development and accreditation process and CBT practice. I am passionate about sharing knowledge and enjoy training in both traditional and third waves of CBT. ​

 

We know very well the body remembers and holds trauma and stress. Which is why I trained in shiatsu and somatic bodywork along my psychotherapy journey to complement my practice. Shiatsu, I have found is a restorative treatment to help the nervous system, gives you a space to feel calm, connected and safe. “I have never felt this calm and connected” one client told me. My clients who have had EMDR to process trauma find shiatsu treatments helpful to learn how to be in their soothe system, instead of threat or drive system as described in compassionate focus therapy CFT.​​​​​​​​