top of page

About me

I am a qualified Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health Care Professions Council (www.hcpc-uk.co.uk) and chartered by the British Psychological Society (www.bps.org.uk). 

​

Therapeutic approach:

 

I would describe my approach as integrative in the sense that I do not believe that a single theoretical approach or school of therapy can capture the complexity of human experience. What works for one person might leave another person quite unmoved. Whilst theory and technique are important, a large body of research suggests that what matters most is the quality of relationship between therapist and client. In my view, this is affected by the capacity of the therapist to stay present and connected to the client’s present moment experience.

​

That said, I have learned from a range of therapeutic approaches. My training was predominantly in cognitive behaviour therapy, an approach that is based on the theory that our thoughts, perceptions, habitual patterns and beliefs are shaped by earlier experiences. I have subsequently been deeply influenced by both humanistic and social constructionist approaches. I have a special interest and extensive experience in working with people who have experienced complex trauma (including childhood trauma).

 

In my work over the years, I have become fascinated by the ways in which we construct the world, our identities and our history through language. Narrative therapy explores the stories that we create about our lives and how these in turn are shaped by wider narratives dominant within society. It is a creative way of working that encourages us to re-examine our histories or assumptions, question the dominant norms that are around us and revise our relationship with these. Influenced by community psychology approaches, I believe that it is also important to acknowledge the mental and emotional distress created by high levels of inequality, poverty and oppressive conditions many people experience in their workplace, local or family environment.

 

I am deeply interested in how people navigate through life transitions such as those that commonly occur in adolescence, middle life and at retirement. I believe that these transitions, whilst often experienced as traumatic and perhaps even shaking the very foundations of our life, can afford us the opportunity for positive growth and renewal. Similarly, I am interested in how our very earliest experiences of attachment in childhood affect our later relationships, both with ourselves and others.

​

I am committed to inclusion and diversity in my work and take seriously my responsibility to keep learning as well to identify blind spots wherever possible (often with the help of my clients!) in my work with people of colour, LGBTQ+ clients, those living with disability of all kinds and other marginalised groups in our society. I am a neuro-divergence affirming therapist and am committed to further learning in this area.

​

Over the past 20 years, I have been exploring the ways in which mindfulness, a quality of present moment awareness rooted in the meditative traditions of Asia, can bring benefits to the therapy relationship and also directly to the client. Mindfulness has had a transformative effect on my own life and I have gone on to teach it in group settings over the past 18 years. During the past 10 years, I have been incorporating elements of mindfulness based therapy into client work.

​

​

Training, qualifications and experience:

​

  • M.A. Hons. Psychology, University of Glasgow (1989)

  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psychol.), University of Glasgow (1995)

  • Diploma in Eriksonian Psychotherapy and Hypnosis (NSHAP, London, 2002)

  • Diploma in Narrative Therapy (Level 1, 2 and 3: Centre for Narrative Practice, Manchester), 2005.

  • Diploma in Relational Mindfulness, Karuna Institute, 2016

  • Internal Family Systems (Level 1) training, IFS Institute UK, 2022.

​

I began post-graduate training as a Clinical Psychologist within the NHS in 1992. I was inspired to apply for training because of my previous experiences working with older people as a Research Assistant in a dementia project and also as an Assistant Psychologist in a deprived area of Glasgow. Both of these I found challenging but very rewarding. I qualified as a clinical psychologist in 1995 and have since gone on to work in a variety of settings within the NHS including community mental health teams, GP practices, a diabetes team and a university medical practice. The variety of this work has allowed me to develop skills in working with a wide range of life difficulties, mental health challenges and the emotional impact of various physical health conditions.

​

Since completing training as a Clinical Psychologist, I have also undergone further training in narrative therapy, solution focused therapy, mindfulness based approaches (Compassion Focussed Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and Eriksonian hypnosis. More recently I have trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy, an innovative and powerful approach that I am integrating more and more into my work with clients.

 

I recently left my post in the NHS to work in private practice with the commitment to offer a proportion of my caseload as low fee therapy (subsidised by those attending at the going rate). I am interested in working with other psychologists or therapists who also offer this model of service provision. I am also part of a small (unincorporated) cooperative network of therapists within the central belt of Scotland.

​

bottom of page