How can I help?
Everyone's reasons for seeking counselling are different. I offer a warm, non-judgemental space to explore what's happening and work out what might help.
Select a button below to find out more about the services relevant to you.
01
Counselling for teenagers/adolescents
Being a teenager can be complicated. There can be pressure from school, exams, friendships, family, social media and expectations about the future, while at the same time trying to work out who you are and where you fit in.
Counselling offers a space where you can slow things down, make sense of what's happening and talk openly with someone who is there to listen.
My aim is for young people to feel relaxed, safe, accepted and not judged. You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about, and you don't have to have everything figured out.
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I work with young people experiencing a range of difficulties, including:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Depression and low mood
Low self-esteem and confidence
Relationship and friendship difficulties
School, exam and academic pressure
Phobias
Experiences relating to neurodiversity
Identity and life changes
Other challenges that may be making life feel difficult
Sometimes there isn't one obvious reason for seeking counselling. You might simply know that things don't feel right or that you're finding things harder than you used to.
That's okay too.
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My approach is person-centred counselling, which means we'll work at your pace and build a trusting therapeutic relationship.
I don't expect a young person to sit down in the first session and immediately start talking about everything that's bothering them. We'll begin by talking about how you feel about coming to counselling and what you would like from the experience.
For some young people, talking comes naturally. For others, it can take a little more time to feel comfortable opening up.
Sometimes we might use games or other creative activities to help things feel more relaxed. We can chat while we're doing something together, rather than making the conversation feel like an interview.
As trust develops, we can gradually explore the things that are difficult and think together about what might help.
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Where appropriate, I may also introduce CBT techniques to help with anxiety, low mood and unhelpful patterns of thinking. These can provide practical strategies that young people can use both within and outside of our sessions.
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I believe young people deserve to have a space where their thoughts and feelings are taken seriously.
My role isn't to tell you what you should think or do. Instead, I'll work alongside you to help you understand yourself, explore what's happening and find ways forward that feel right for you.
This can be particularly important during adolescence, when young people can sometimes feel that decisions are being made for them.
Counselling can be a space where your voice matters and you have some control over how we work together.
02
Counselling for young adults
Being a young adult can bring a lot of change. You might be navigating university, work, relationships, independence or decisions about your future, while trying to work out who you are and what you want from life.
Sometimes things that once felt manageable can start to feel overwhelming. Counselling can provide a space to step back, make sense of what's happening and explore what you need.
My aim is to offer a warm, accepting and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about what's going on, without feeling that you have to have everything figured out.
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You might come to counselling because you're struggling with something specific, or because you simply know that things don't feel quite right.
Anxiety and excessive worry
Low mood or depression
Low self-esteem and confidence
Relationship or friendship difficulties
Identity and questions about who you are
Changes or uncertainty about the future
University, work or other pressures
Phobias
Neurodiversity and experiences of feeling different
Difficult thoughts or feelings that are hard to manage
Whatever brings you here, we can take the time to understand what's happening and think together about what might help.
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My approach is grounded in person-centred counselling, which means we'll work at your pace and build a trusting therapeutic relationship. You don't need to know exactly what you want to talk about, and there is no expectation that you'll have everything figured out before we begin.
I'll listen without judgement and work alongside you to explore what's happening, rather than telling you what you should do.
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Where appropriate, I may also draw on CBT techniques to help you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and develop practical strategies for managing things that feel difficult.
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Whether you're dealing with something you've been struggling with for a long time or something that's happened more recently, we'll take time to understand what you need.
Counselling can be a place to say things out loud that you might not feel able to say elsewhere, explore different perspectives and begin to understand yourself a little better.
You set the pace. We decide together what feels useful to explore, and you can always let me know if something doesn't feel right.
03
Counselling for parents
Being a parent can be wonderful, but it can also be incredibly difficult — particularly when your child is struggling. You might be worried about your child's anxiety, mood or behaviour, unsure how best to support them, or finding that the situation is having an impact on your own wellbeing.
You might be looking for support if:
Your child is experiencing anxiety or excessive worry
Your child is struggling with low mood or confidence
You aren't sure how best to support them
Reassurance doesn't seem to be helping
Anxiety is affecting school, friendships or everyday life
You're feeling overwhelmed or worried yourself
You'd like practical strategies to use at home
I offer two different types of support for parents, depending on what you need:
A | Counselling for you
A confidential, non-judgemental space to talk about how things are affecting you and to focus on your own wellbeing.
Supporting a child or young person through a difficult time can take a lot out of you. You might find yourself putting your own needs to one side while trying to keep everything going.
Counselling gives you a confidential space to talk about what's happening and how it's affecting you — whether you're feeling stressed, anxious, low, overwhelmed or simply need somewhere to put everything you're carrying.
Looking after yourself isn't selfish. Giving yourself some space can help you feel better equipped to support the people you care about.
We'll work at your pace, exploring what you're experiencing and thinking together about what might help.
B | Practical support to help your child
Short-term, practical sessions to help you understand your child's anxiety or low mood and develop strategies you can use at home.
Sometimes you don't need counselling for yourself — you need practical help understanding what your child is experiencing and knowing how best to support them.
Drawing on my experience as a Children's Wellbeing Practitioner, I can offer short-term, practical sessions focused on difficulties such as anxiety and low mood.
We'll explore evidence-based tools and techniques that you can use at home to help your child manage anxiety, build confidence and develop helpful ways of coping.
This is parent-focused support rather than counselling for your child.
The aim isn't to give you a long list of things you're "doing wrong". It's about helping you understand what's happening and giving you practical, manageable tools that you feel confident using.
Ready to talk?
You don't need to know exactly what to say when you get in touch. We can use a free introductory video call to talk about what's been happening, answer any questions you have and see whether counselling with me feels like the right fit.
There's no pressure or obligation to continue. It's simply an opportunity for us to have a conversation and decide what feels right for you.
A note on confidentiality
Counselling is a confidential space, and I will explain what confidentiality means at the beginning of our work together in a way that is appropriate to the young person's age and understanding.
What a young person talks about in counselling will normally remain private. I won't routinely share the details of their sessions with parents or other people without their agreement.
There are some limits to confidentiality. For example, if I become concerned that a young person or someone else may be at risk of serious harm, or if I am legally required to share information, I may need to involve someone else.
If I do have a safeguarding concern, I will aim to talk about this with the young person first, explain what I'm concerned about and involve them in deciding what happens next wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so. There may be exceptional circumstances where information needs to be shared without their agreement in order to protect them or someone else.
I will also discuss my work with a clinical supervisor as part of my professional practice. Any information shared in supervision is treated confidentially and in accordance with my professional responsibilities.
My aim is to be open and honest about confidentiality from the beginning, so that young people know what to expect and can feel safe in our work together.