Title
Clinical Psychologist
Who am I?
I am a Clinical Psychologist with over 14 years’ experience of working in various child and adult services within the NHS, as well as private and charitable sectors. I am registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Until recently, I worked in an NHS Maternal Mental Health Service, providing psychological therapy to people who had been traumatised by their birth experience, or who had experienced perinatal loss. I also worked with individuals who had a severe fear of childbirth (tokophobia), or were experiencing anxiety related to various aspects of their maternity journey. Prior to this, I have worked in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Paediatrics and various adult physical health services. I now have a small private practice in Hampshire and feel privileged to continue to be doing the work I love, whilst part of a dynamic, forward-thinking and compassionate group of Psychologists within The Collective.
You might want to see me if:
I work with individuals at any point during the maternity journey, sometimes even from pre-conception, all the way into the early years of their little ones’ lives. You might come and see me during pregnancy because you are anxious about your upcoming birth, perhaps this is your first experience of birth, or you had a previously traumatic birth. I often see women when the experience of birth has been difficult, whether this is related to the birth itself, or challenges in the antenatal period, events after the birth, or even difficulties in the care you received. I also see women who have experienced fertility issues and perinatal loss.
Alternatively, you may wish to see me to have a space to think about the transition to becoming a parent for the first time, or expanding your family. Perhaps you’d like to explore how you’d like to parent, or the impact of your own childhood on your parenting. Maybe you would like to think about the impact that becoming a parent has had on your own relationships, career, identity, or how you feel about yourself, perhaps considering the context of societal expectations of women.
I also support parents living with physical illness or health condition(s) within the family.
My style:
To best meet your needs and preferred ways of working, I draw flexibly upon a range of models in my practice, including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment models and systemic theories. I am also fully trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
I believe that therapy is very much a partnership. When we first meet, I will take time to listen to you and then once we have a shared understanding of your difficulties, we can think collaboratively about how best we can work together to make a positive change. Sometimes I see people short term, other times our work can span a longer period.
I have a warm, compassionate and relaxed style. I understand that coming to therapy can be daunting, especially at a time when you are perhaps juggling the seemingly endless challenges of pregnancy, or caring for little ones. However, I aim to create a therapy space where you feel safe, supported and empowered to find your path to a preferred future.