Psychotherapy & Counselling in London & Cobham
About Me
The relationship with your therapist is one of the most important parts of psychotherapy, arguably more important than any particular theory or technique. Before anything else, then, it feels right to introduce myself.
I grew up in South Africa and moved to the UK in my twenties. That experience has given me an appreciation of some of the complexities of leaving one place behind and making a life in another, including the questions of identity and belonging that can accompany such a move.
Before training as a psychotherapist, I worked in financial services and later for a charity concerned with food poverty. These were very different environments, bringing me into contact with people from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances.
One of the things I came to appreciate through these experiences is that, although the nature of our difficulties may differ considerably, struggling with aspects of life is something we all have in common. Our circumstances, histories and resources may be very different, but none of us is immune to uncertainty, loss, disappointment or difficulties in relationships.
I think that awareness of our shared humanity is an important part of how I approach my work as a psychotherapist.
My Training and Qualifications
I completed a five-year training in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Westminster Pastoral Foundation (WPF) and the British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF) in London.
I am registered with both the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and practise in accordance with their professional and ethical standards.
Alongside my clinical training, I hold a postgraduate degree in Modern Languages and a postgraduate diploma in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health.
In addition to my independent private practice, I am a member of a local collective of fully qualified clinicians. You can view our wider network and shared clinical ethos at Therapists in Surrey.
How I Work
People come to therapy for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes there is a particular difficulty or event that has prompted them to seek help. At other times, it can be harder to put a finger on what is wrong. There may simply be a sense that something isn't quite right, or that familiar difficulties keep finding their way back into their lives.
Whatever brings you to therapy, I believe it is important to have somewhere you can speak freely, without feeling that you need to present a particular version of yourself. This means there is no expectation for you to have everything figured out before you arrive, nor any pressure to move faster than feels safe. I try to offer a thoughtful, dependable space in which we can be curious together about your experiences, your relationships and the things that may be troubling you. Within this structure, we can explore both the immediate challenges you face and the deeper, quieter currents of your life.
My approach is psychodynamic, which means being interested not only in what is happening in your life now, but also in the ways earlier experiences and unconscious patterns may continue to shape how you feel, think and relate to others. Sometimes we find ourselves caught in familiar ways of responding or relating, even when they leave us unhappy or feeling stuck. Therapy offers an opportunity to become more aware of these patterns, to understand something of what lies behind them, and perhaps begin to find different ways of being.
