BACP Mindfulness Psychotherapist

in London

“Reach for the moon... and even if you miss… you’ll fall amongst the stars!”

My Personal Bio

When I started my studies in psychology I never thought it would change my life so dramatically and significantly, but never the less it did; in an empowering, insightful and industrious way.

I spent a lot of my childhood in an anxious state constantly seeking the approval of my father. Attempts at expressing my emotional and psychological needs, those deemed normal for a child, were met unpredictably with detachment, contempt and physical violence. As a result, I developed a maladaptive sense of the world and how to relate to others. My understanding of interrelating was learnt from this damaging experience and as I grew older my anxiety turned to anger, destructively affecting all my relationships with family, friends and colleagues. However, at the time I was unaware of this process.

To help manage the emotional pain of resentment, rejection and emptiness I started to use drugs. Using substances catapulted me into a sense of freedom and further rebellion and before I knew it I was addicted. I had developed a serious habit that was going to destroy me even more than the feelings I was using it to run away from. One night I had a near-death experience and as a result I sought advice. As I started to learn about the effects of substances on the brain, no matter how euphoric it made me feel, I knew I didn’t want to carry on down this road. But what I didn’t realise was that as an addictive habit it was not going to be easy to break.

My Professional Bio

As a BACP Registered Psychotherapist, specialising in dual-diagnosis, my experience of working in the addiction and mental health field now spans almost 20 years. Whilst I work integratively, using a combination of therapeutic approaches as well as relapse prevention techniques, I firmly believe the client is the centre of the therapeutic journey. I consider it a privilege to be invited into their lives and to share in their highlights as well as their darkest experiences.

Living in a modern western society such as ours has its rewards. However, with the various social, health, economic and spiritual pressures it can be equally daunting and stressful. Whilst some have the capacity to locate resources to cope with these stressors more healthily... others have difficulty responding and adapting effectively and therefore rely on unhealthier coping strategies that eventually become habitual and cause harm - mild to moderate harm for most... but for the unfortunate few... severe or fatal.

My Therapeutic Approach

My work involves delivering treatment to individuals and groups who have suffered mild to severe forms of mental illnesses; this includes stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar affective disorder, personality disorders and schizophrenia.

In terms of addiction and compulsive behaviours, I have helped individuals overcome eating disorders and deliberate self-harm as well as destructive use of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin and prescription medication such as tranquilisers (i.e. diazepam and other benzodiazepines) and pain relievers (i.e. oxycodone, dihydrocodeine).

In the course of my studies in psychology, I discovered that addiction is a habit - albeit a severe one - similar to all behaviours that we do on a constant, consistent & consciously unaware basis.