About Me
MSc Dip Couns MBACP (Accredited) QTS
I am the offspring of two of the many Irish Catholics who migrated to England during the 1950s. Like most Irish migrants my parents worked and saved hard to build a good life for themselves and their subsequent families, sustained by their Catholic Faith, contributing significantly to a prosperous postwar England.
Having worked in public service for several years as a Youth Trainer, Safeguarding Administrator and Secondary School Teacher - alongside parenting four offspring - I hit a very challenging period both personally and professionally as various family members became unwell and the strain of supporting them took its toll on my physical and mental health, resulting in greatly revised expectations of how I thought life was supposed to work.
When someone suggested I try therapy to help me make sense of this difficult time, initially I didn’t really see how it could help. However, as time went on I began to realise that many of my current behaviours and responses to events were not only contributing to my problems, but were unconsciously driven by events in my past which needed to be worked through in current time to free me from their negative influence. One thing I discovered was that the past looks different as we change in the present. Looking back, I can also see this as a turning point in my life when - amongst other things - I learned to set boundaries around perceived never-ending demands on my time and energy.
With time my health began to improve to the point where I was able to contemplate a return to work albeit in an adapted capacity. Having personally benefitted so much from therapy, I wanted to be able to help others in a similar way so began the long training pathway to becoming a fully qualified therapist. There is in my experience, no greater privilege than to be the recipient of others’ confidences and nothing more rewarding than working in partnership with clients to unpick blockages to freer and more functional, lives and relationships.
I have counselled in...
- A Sixth Form College
- A Specialist Bereavement Counselling Agency
- NHS Talking Therapies for MIND (Mental Health Charity)
- GP Surgeries
And provided Clinical Supervision to…
- Several Safeguarding Leads
- Charities
- Trainee and Qualified Counsellors
Professional Background
Most of my teaching career was spent working with young people who were school refusing or mentally unwell or with high-functioning Autism which means I am skilled at working empathically with both adults (couples or individuals) and adolescents.
Teaching is something I still like to do though these days it is teaching counselling skills to adults.
I am also a qualified Trainer, Clinical Supervisor and Group Facilitator.
Having previously specialised in working with school refusers, I have established several School Counselling Services, successfully increasing both uptake and engagement levels by 80% as compared with the national average of 30%.
Specialities include freeing clients from the limiting effects of historical or current trauma including physical, psychological, sexual and spiritual abuse as well as PTSD. Also, life crisis events such as, bereavement, job loss, illness and academic stress.
Areas of interests include Adverse Childhood Experiences, Minority Stress (caused by any type of discrimination) and helping both people living with ongoing physical or mental illness and/or those supporting them.
Counsellingand Psychotherapy Qualifications
Continuing Professional Development
As part of my Professional Registration, I am required to undertake at least 30 hours per year of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), to keep my knowledge and skills up to date however, my passion for my work means that I always far exceed this requirement.