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After graduating with an MA in psychology from the University of St Andrews, I lived abroad for three years, working as a teacher in a very different cultural and political environment from my own. On returning to the UK, I embarked on a career with an international organisation involved in sustainable development where I remained for eleven years, working with individuals and organisations both at home and abroad and travelling widely. It was during this time that I became interested in the process of change and ways in which individuals and communities can be empowered. Increasingly I found myself focusing on the internal (and often unconscious) factors preventing people from realising their goals. It gradually became clear that my own sense of efficacy would be best served by moving from the international to the interpersonal, and training as a therapist. My clinical work in a non-profit counselling service, private practice and different settings in the NHS has brought me into contact with a wide range of difficulties. I also have a longstanding interest in eating disorders and worked for more than ten years in the St Ann's Eating Disorders Service in North London where I gained specialised experience and expertise in this area. I hold a Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. I adhere to the BACP’s code of ethics (see Links) which stresses the importance of a safe and reliable setting, confidentiality and continual professional development.
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Becoming a therapist has been a gradual process for me, involving experience of travel, living and working abroad, a career in an international environment and development organisation, personal relationships, family life, my own journey through therapy and a dedicated course of training involving many hours of clinical experience in different settings.