Getting stuck in life can feel overwhelming, and reaching out for help might feel like a big step. Together we will explore your feelings and behaviours, and build on taking you to a place that feels right for you. Working at a pace which suits you, in a safe space where the relationship of counsellor and client is at the core of the therapeutic process. I will help you to build on greater understanding of your experiences, feelings, behaviours, and needs. I work as an integrative psychotherapist, which is both person-centred, and psychodynamic. Meaning that I am able to help you understand your feelings better, by exploring your past relationships and experiences with you. I believe that a sound understanding of these can help bring about healthy change and growth. Working together online Mental health care has not always been readily available. Working with me online, you can work on your terms and at your own convenience. During my years of experience as a psychotherapist, I have adapted my practice to suit the needs of others, understanding that the demands of modern-day living can mean that time is precious to us. I believe that it is important for people to receive the support they need in a place where they feel comfortable and safe and that this in itself can be therapeutic. Thanks to the ease of access that online therapy offers, you can get the kind of help you need, where and when you need it. By avoiding unnecessary travel time and costs, this needn’t impact on your day-to-day priorities. Areas which I specialise in Anxiety Depression Addiction Trauma Self-esteem Bereavement ADHD Stress Anger management Loneliness   What to expect from your first session I will ask you questions about your presenting concerns, as well as your history and background. Most likely, you'll find yourself talking about your current symptoms or struggles, as well as saying a bit about your relationships, your interests, your strengths, and your goals. Other areas of counselling I deal with: Working with addiction The word "addiction" is derived from a Latin term for "enslaved by" or "bound to". Anyone who has struggled to overcome an addiction - or has tried to help someone else to do so - understands why. The harms of addiction can range from mild e.g., feeling anxious, hungover, being late for work, short of money to severe e.g., homelessness, disease, imprisonment , and can have an impact on most areas of our lives. For most people in addiction, as the dependence increases, so too do the physical or psychological consequences of stopping. Perhaps by understanding that an addiction is not a search for pleasure, but an attempt to cope with the unbearable, I believe that a person may find a way to manage their feelings more healthily. I have experience in working with substance misuse, alcoholism, gambling, shopping, sex, and food addiction. I offer help for those who are in addiction themselves, and to those who know, or care for someone who is.   Working with trauma, and PTSD A trauma occurs when a person experiences high levels of stress, without the ability to escape or move through the stress response. This means that the threat response stays frozen in the person. If the threat is severe, repetitive or ongoing, then this could lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD , and often this arises when the person does not go through the realisation that the threat has passed. Together we can explore your responses to trauma, by creating a safe therapeutic experience, where trust and understanding are at the forefront. I can help you to normalise some of the distress which is felt, and support you in learning effective coping strategies.   Working with attachment trauma With an understanding of the relationship between trauma and attachment, I believe that our ability to come through a threat response is grounded in our early attachment relationships, and how the person learnt to manage stress as a baby/child. I believe that a strong need for independence, autonomy, and control in relationships, can be common signs of attachment trauma. Difficulty feeling closeness with others, and avoiding relationships that require closeness, or a strong need for closeness, to a point where it might drive other's away, may also be signs of attachment trauma. Working with me, you will be able to unpack some of these feelings, and better understand your triggers, and behaviours. You may begin to feel as though you are on the right path, when you feel safe in your own body, practice boundary setting, trust in your intuition, respond rather than react, and your behaviour becomes consistent with your beliefs and values.