Choosing a therapist is an important part of the therapy journey and possibly one of the biggest obstacles to starting therapy. I can’t give you a checklist for what exactly you should be looking for but I do know you will gain more out of therapy if you feel able to be open and honest and that both of these things grow in a relationship where you feel totally accepted and understood by your therapist. In the early days of a therapeutic relationship, acceptance and understanding feel like the most important thing I can provide as I get to know a client more deeply.
I have a Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling from Edinburgh University. My training encompassed both person-centred and psychodynamic psychotherapy and both remain valuable to me in my practice. I work from a counselling room in my home in North Berwick and I also work in a voluntary capacity for PF Counselling in Edinburgh. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
I also have a Licentiate in Acupuncture and had been working as an acupuncturist for twenty years when I started my counselling diploma. Clients who turned up in chronic physical pain would frequently disclose underlying mental health struggles. I heard from these clients that sharing difficult emotions could be helpful but, as an acupuncturist, I felt limited in my ability to respond to what came up sometimes. It was these experiences, a fascination with the links between our physical and mental wellbeing and a desire to help my clients in whichever way I could, which led me to undertake the three year training to become a counsellor.
I run separate practices as a counsellor and as an acupuncturist.
I am sure my counselling training is helpful in my work as an acupuncturist, I am a more empathic listener and believe that my clients feel more at ease with me. I also feel that my background in Chinese Medicine – which teaches that body and mind are inseparable and that ‘health’ means physical, mental and emotional health – is integral to my work as a counsellor. I employ a holistic approach, remaining attentive to clients’ physical as well as emotional wellbeing, which means that at times I stray from a strict adherence to person-centred and psychodynamic counselling theory. Sometimes, for example, I think it makes sense to spend time on physiological issues like sleep deprivation to pave the way for better therapeutic conversations. I am above all else client focused and pragmatic in my approach, passionate about understanding the needs of each client.
Before becoming a psychotherapist I worked for thirty years in two very different careers (investment banking and Chinese Medicine). I have a busy, sometimes chaotic, home life with my husband and four children and am all too familiar with the daily stresses faced by many of my clients.
I work from a purpose-built counselling room in my home in North Berwick. When I’m not working, my ideal time off is a long coastal dog walk listening to a podcast or a wander down North Berwick High Street with coffee in hand. I’m an avid reader, runner and foodie and love travelling with my family.
I believe there is no better way of getting to know each other than sitting down together but I hope this gives you some sense of who I am and how I work.
