Get to know me a wee bit!
Born and brought up near Stirling, I moved to the South East in my 20s, where I lived for a time in Brighton, London and Berkshire. I moved back to Scoltand in 2017, and now live with my husband, David in Ayrshire.
A potted work history
I worked for a homelessness and support charity for quite a number of years in London, where I provided a range of community and outreach services to local authorities. The support I provided varied, which included helping people through drug and alcohol recovery and acute and chronic mental health issues. As you can imagine, I needed to be competent to support people with a range of needs, including coping with stress, anxiety, and depression; as well as an understanding and capacity to work with a range of underlying mental health needs. Living and working in a multi-cultural city has enriched my life immensely. I set up my private therapy practice in Glasgow in 2018.
Training and Experience as a Qualified Therapist
I decided to formally train as a therapist, and in 2011 I graduated with a Masters degree in Rational-Emotive & Cognitive Behaviour Therapy from the University of London. I continued to work for the Homelessness Charity in London, using my therapy skills to assist clients who were sleeping outside. This involved supporing people with whatever difficulties they were facing, and to hopefully help find a path towards a more secure lifestyle.
Post-qualifying experience also includes 4 years working part-time as a counsellor for a bereavement service in South London, and for 2 years as a therapist within a drug and alcohol recovery service. I have continued to develop professionally in a range of areas; including an intensive 4-day course in Emotion Focused Therapy at the University of Strathclyde in September 2021. Since 2024, I have been studying towards a Masters (MSc) in Mindfulness with Aberdeen University.
I have taken a special interest in understanding the affect and impact that trauma or adverse past or childhood experiences may have on us, and so becoming a trauma informed therapist has been essential to me.
Other snippets
I have a BA (Hons) in Politics with Development Studies from the University of Sussex, where I graduated in 1997. I love nature and bird photography, which I find calming and relaxing. I love to cook, and also enjoy some essential coffee and cake time :-)