Specialist areas of interest
Women’s Wellbeing
My work is rooted in supporting women and women’s wellbeing. I welcome anyone who feels I may be the right fit, but much of my experience sits with women’s issues; especially life transitions, health changes, relationships, and the emotional load many women carry.
If you feel like you’ve become a stranger to yourself, you’re not alone. You’re not exaggerating, and you’re not “too much” for wanting things to feel different. Hormonal change and life stages can affect mood, sleep, confidence, anxiety, and how steady you feel day to day.
Therapy can help you make sense of what’s happening, feel more like yourself again, and find a way forward that’s realistic; especially if you’re also juggling work, caring responsibilities, relationship strain, chronic health issues, or patterns that have suddenly become harder to live with.
You might be here because:
Your sense of self has altered; you feel flat, fragile, tearful, or irritable
You don’t know who you are any more
Anxiety has ramped up, including panic or intrusive worry
Your “roles” have changed and adjusting is harder than you expected
Confidence has dropped; you feel more self-critical or overwhelmed
Your relationship feels strained, or your tolerance is suddenly lower
You are grieving changes in your body, identity, energy, or sense of self
You are tired of being dismissed, and you want clearer footing
What we can work on:
Emotional steadiness and coping strategies that actually fit real life
Boundaries, burnout, and the pressure to keep performing
Shame, self-judgement, and feeling “too much” or “not enough”
Identity shifts; who you are now, and what you want next
Relationships, intimacy, communication, and self-esteem
Self-advocacy; feeling more confident asking for what you need and focusing on self-nurture
Working alongside medical care for perimenopause and menopause
Therapy can be a strong support during perimenopause and menopause, but it is not a substitute for medical assessment. If symptoms feel severe, sudden, or unsafe, I will encourage you to involve your GP or specialist services alongside therapy.
Pregnancy, Birth and the Postnatal Period
The postnatal period can be intense. Some people feel low, anxious, numb, angry, or unlike themselves. Some feel guilty because they “should” be happy. Some feel fine on paper but overwhelmed in private. Sometimes you can be so exhausted you don’t know how you feel.
Therapy can help you steady yourself, reduce distress, and feel more like you again.
I can help with:
Postnatal depression and low mood
Postnatal anxiety, panic, intrusive thoughts, and constant worry
Birth trauma, difficult medical experiences, and loss of trust in your body
Bonding difficulties and the guilt that often comes with them
Identity shifts; grief, rage, numbness, or feeling disconnected
Relationship strain, family pressure, and boundaries
Shame and self-judgement; feeling “I’m failing” when you’re exhausted
Safety and support
If your symptoms feel severe, unsafe, or you are worried about harming yourself or your baby, it is important to involve your GP, midwife, health visitor, or perinatal mental health services urgently. Therapy can sit alongside that support.
Trauma, domestic abuse, and sexual violence
I have worked and volunteered in advocacy, domestic abuse, trauma services, and related sectors for over 20 years. I understand trauma not only as a set of symptoms, but as something that affects safety, trust, boundaries, self-worth, and the ability to feel at home in your own body.
We always work at a pace that feels manageable. You stay in control of what you share, and we focus on building steadiness, understanding patterns, and widening your sense of safety and self-esteem.
You might be here because:
You feel on edge, hyper-aware, or unable to relax
You experience flashbacks, panic, intrusive memories, or nightmares
You feel numb, detached, shut down, or “not fully here”
Shame, guilt, or self-blame keeps surfacing
You struggle with boundaries, trust, or people-pleasing
Relationships feel unsafe, confusing, or intense
You’re dealing with the after-effects of coercive control, even if the relationship has ended
You feel disconnected from your body, or find intimacy difficult
What we can work on:
Grounding and steadiness (so life feels less like survival mode)
Shame and self-blame (without pushing you into disclosure)
Rebuilding boundaries, self-trust, and confidence
Understanding patterns that formed around survival and protection
The impact on relationships, intimacy, and identity
Finding language for what happened, only when it feels safe and useful
Making sense of the “echo” trauma can leave behind, and reducing its grip on the present
Safety and support
If you are living with abuse now, your safety matters more than doing “good therapy”. Specialist domestic abuse services can help with safety planning, practical options, and confidential support, alongside therapy if you choose.
Immediate danger: call 999. If you cannot speak, dial 999 and press 55 when prompted.
Women experiencing domestic abuse: National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge), 0808 2000 247 (24 hours). Refuge
LGBTQ+ survivors: Galop National Helpline, 0800 999 5428 (phone, email and webchat). Galop
Men experiencing domestic abuse: Men’s Advice Line (Respect), 0808 801 0327 (Mon–Fri 10am–5pm; webchat available). Men's Advice Line
The NHS also has a practical “getting help for domestic violence and abuse” guide, including online safety advice. NHS
Grief, loss, and bereavement
I volunteered with Cruse for three years of my core training, offering bereavement support. Grief is not a tidy process, and it is not something to “get over” in a set time frame.
When it feels like there is no one and nowhere to say how you really feel, therapy can offer a steady space to bring the mess; the numbness, anger, guilt, relief, or shock. We can make sense of what’s happening, work gently with painful emotions, and find ways of living alongside loss.
You might be here because:
You feel stuck in grief, or worried you are “doing it wrong”
You feel numb, disconnected, or unreal
You’re carrying guilt, anger, regret, or unfinished conversations
Your sleep, appetite, motivation, or focus has changed
You’re grieving a complicated relationship, estrangement, or mixed feelings
You’re dealing with anticipatory grief (a loss that is coming), or a different kind of loss (health, fertility, identity, role). This can include losses that aren’t always recognised by others
What we can work on:
A place to talk without having to protect other people
Making sense of your grief reactions and easing self-judgement
Finding ways to remember and carry what matters, without being swallowed by it
Rebuilding steadiness and routine, one small piece at a time
Navigating anniversaries, triggers, and the impact on relationships and identity
Living with chronic illness
I have a special interest in supporting people living with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and similar conditions, and I live with chronic illness myself.
I won’t minimise your experience or push a mind-over-matter narrative. This is supportive, reality-based therapy that makes room for pain, fatigue, brain fog, uncertainty, self-doubt, and the impact of dismissal and disbelief.
If you live with chronic illness, you may have been doubted, dismissed, or encouraged into approaches that did not fit the realities of your health. In my work, you are the expert in your own experience. Therapy with me is not about denying symptoms; it’s about support and practical adjustment, within your capacity.
You might be here because:
You’re exhausted, frustrated, or grieving a life that has changed
You feel guilty resting, or pressured to “push through”
You’re dealing with brain fog, reduced confidence, or feeling unlike yourself
Your boundaries have collapsed (or you’re tired of explaining them)
Relationships, work, or family expectations feel harder to manage
You’ve lost trust in your body, or in professionals who should have helped
You want to live as well as possible, even if your health does not improve
What we can work on:
Pacing and boundaries (in a way that fits real life, not ideals)
Self-advocacy and preparing for appointments or difficult conversations
Shame, self-doubt, and the emotional impact of being disbelieved
Identity shifts, grief, and rebuilding a sense of meaning
Navigating relationships and the “invisible illness” problem
Finding steadier ways to cope with setbacks, uncertainty, and flare cycles
Building a life that is workable and worthwhile, within your energy limits
Working alongside medical care
Therapy can support adjustment and emotional wellbeing, but it doesn’t replace medical assessment. If symptoms feel severe, sudden, or unsafe, I’ll encourage you to involve your GP or specialist services alongside therapy.
