ABOUT ME
I am an experienced Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and a Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with over 20 years’ experience of work in the NHS, Voluntary Sector and Private Practice. I trained at the Tavistock Clinic as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and at Tavistock Relationships (TR) as a Psychoanalytic Couple Psychotherapist.
I have worked in a number of different NHS settings including CAMHS, In-patient Child and Family Psychiatry and Paediatric liaison, and also managed a Voluntary Sector Child and Family Consultation Service in North London for a number of years.
I currently work in Private Practice, on line, in North London and also at Tavistock Relationships where, as a Visiting Clinician, I have been involved in the Parenting Together and Parents in Dispute Services. As part of the MA teaching staff I am involved in the supervision of students.
In my Private Practice I offer consultation to schools, to parents and to couples or individuals wanting help with their relationships.
Qualifications:
I qualified as a child and adolescent psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic and I am eligible for membership of the Association of Child Psychotherapists. I have and MA in Couple Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and I am an alumni of the Tavistock Relationships Association of Couple Psychotherapists. I am also a member of the Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists. I am registered with the Professionals Standards Authority and with the British Psychoanalytic Council, and abide by their code of ethics
The way I work:
The services I offer in my Private Practice range from intensive, long-term work to briefer or ad hoc interventions, depending on what is appropriate.
I aim to offer a safe, non-judgmental and confidential space in which couples and individuals can explore past and present experiences to create or move towards a new future, thus facilitating individual growth and development; increased awareness; a greater degree of choice; emotionally healthy relationships; good mental health and emotional well-being
As a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, I have worked with many children, adolescents and parents experiencing a variety of difficulties, ranging from “ordinary” struggles with issues such as weaning, feeding, sleeping and behavioural difficulties, to the more severe problems caused by issues such as abuse, bereavement, family breakdown, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal ideation… to name a few.
The challenges of being a parent /carer are often greatly underestimated, and unfortunately, children don’t come into the world with a manual or instruction booklet for parents. Negotiating the transition from being a couple to becoming parents is often challenging. Each stage brings with it its own issues and certain times can be particularly trying. It can be very helpful to have a regular space to think with someone about the knotty issues that arise on a day-to-day basis or about serious difficulties that may seem quite entrenched.
Sessions for parents or carers offer opportunities for parents to
▪ Understand and think about what lies behind external behaviour
▪ Put themselves in the shoes of the child / adolescent
▪ Think about issues/situations/difficulties, and in this way
▪ Find their own effective way of dealing with their child / adolescent
As adults there are times in our lives when we can encounter challenging experiences or situations. Fears, anxieties and general unhappiness can sometimes result in emotional difficulties that interfere with our everyday functioning, manifesting themselves in the workplace or in our relationships with those who are closest to us, be they our partner, our family or friends. Couple psychotherapy offers a secure setting where, through the relationship with the therapist, you can begin to talk, think about and understand anxieties, thoughts and feelings that may be troubling you.
Couple Psychotherapy sees the relationship as the client. It offers the opportunity to think about the issues that underlie the current problems or concerns, exploring both the conscious and unconscious factors that may be contributing to the difficulties. These are sometimes connected to our own past experiences as individuals. Couple Therapy encourages an understanding of how the difficulties emerged, which can lead to improved communication, resulting in the possibility for change.
If you are interested in finding out more about any of this please feel free to email me with any questions you may have, or to arrange an initial consultation so that we can begin to explore your concerns and think about the best way to proceed.
