Finder

Specialises in

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

• Counselling

• Psychotherapy

About me

I am a senior accredited BACP counsellor/ psychotherapist, trained in a range of therapeutic approaches including psychodyamic, humanistic and CBT, and have 30 years experience. I am also a qualified clinical supervisor, and have worked for several years as a Trainer, Course Director, and Assessor of Certificate and Diploma Courses in Counselling/ Psychotherapy. Before leaving my Course Director post I wrote a training programme for a Foundation Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy for the University of Suffolk, which was accredited and has been running for 12 years. I am registered with a number of Health Care Insurance Providers including Bupa, Aviva and Axa Health, and receive referrals regularly from all of them. I am a co-founder and administrator of the Talking Therapies Inn, Cambridge, a monthly forum for therapists with visiting speakers. I also work as a volunteer with a refugee family from Iraq I believe this additional experience has enhanced and informed my work as a therapist and keeps me abreast of developments in the therapy field as well as very much in touch with local, national and global issues.
Over the years I have worked with a wide range of individuals of all ages and socio-economic groups including, among others, university and school students, academics, paramedics, young professionals, health workers, fire fighters, the police, survivors and perpetrators of abuse and currently (2020) frontline workers. I have supervised nurses and counsellors working at Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge, and was the main supervisor for many years at Alcohol Concern, Cambridge. The issues brought to me include work and relationship stress, depression and anxiety, PTSD, alcohol and drug related issues, OCD, sleep and dietary problems, weight and body image issues, and sexual and gender orientation.
I view my work as a partnership in which my client and I work together to find a resolution to the issues that trouble them, to establish and strengthen coping strategies, reduce stress and anxiety, and to work towards resolution and a more fruitful way of living. I believe that the therapeutic relationship is central to a good outcome, and also that the client can be enabled to become his/ her own therapist as in the classic CBT model. I have found increasingly that working with a family tree and personal family history enables both therapist and client to understand and work with attachment issues, and I often use a CORE 34 questionnaire– clinical outcomes in routine evaluation, or CORE 10, to help highlight areas that can usefully be addressed in therapy. My approach to my work is constantly evolving, and I place much value on ongoing training and professional development. I practise both time-limited and long term therapy, and I supervise experienced practitioners as well as trainee and newly qualified counsellors/ psychotherapists.
I have a private consulting room in my home which is a short walk from the centre of Cambridge, with street parking and disabled access; most of my work has been face to face but I have also worked remotely for many years using audio and video. I currently offer face to face or remote sessions. I am fluent in Spanish and can offer sessions in Spanish. I have a degree in Modern Languages and English, and a Diploma in Education, and have lived in several European countries.

Areas of interest

From late teens upwards, depression and anxiety; sleep problems; sexual orientation; gender issues; trauma including PTSD; stress related disorders including work stress; relationship issues; obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); eating issues; bereavement; self harm; work-life balance