Approach

Starting therapy can feel daunting. Sharing private thoughts and feelings — especially if you’ve experienced judgement, misunderstanding, or invalidation in the past — can bring up a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. My aim is to gently build a space where you can begin to explore and understand your authentic self, without pressure. A space where you can simply be, and share what feels possible, in your own time and in your own way.

I often describe therapy as a kind of canoeing journey. We set things up together at the start, thinking about what feels safe, what support is needed, and what boundaries help you feel steady. Then we begin moving forward, but you are in control of the pace and direction. You choose what feels important to talk about, and that might shift from week to week.

Sometimes I might gently notice something along the way on our journey, but it’s always your choice whether we pause there or just keep going. At times the journey feels calm, familiar, and steady. At other times it can feel unclear or messy, or we might find ourselves returning to the same place because that’s where something still needs space. And sometimes things feel more intense, like we’ve hit rapids or obstacles, and we work together to steady things again or look deeper.

I’m not steering the canoe. I’m alongside you in it, noticing, reflecting, supporting, and helping you make sense of what’s happening as we go. No two journeys ever look the same.

A large part of my work weaves together psychotherapy and psychoeducation. There is so much misinformation, stereotyping, and pathologising of neurodivergence that people often arrive carrying layers of shame, confusion, and internalised ableism. Part of the work can involve gently unpicking that, even when it feels uncomfortable, so you can start to see yourself with more clarity and less distortion.

I would describe my approach as holistic and relational. My original training was in person-centred therapy, and that still underpins everything I do. Over time, I’ve integrated relational work, somatic awareness, creative approaches (often through music or imagery), and nervous system understanding, including polyvagal-informed ideas. Alongside this, I also hold in mind the physical body, health, and the wider systems we live within including cultural, social, and structural influences — because none of us exist in isolation.