About Me
I am a therapist and Alexander Technique teacher based near Addlestone in Surrey. I have been involved in various personal growth modalities for over 30 years. Music, craft and writing have also been an important part of my journey.
Psychotherapy
I have been practising psychotherapy since 2015. I have an Advanced Diploma in Emotional Therapeutic Counselling. This is a humanistic, person-centred therapy which can help with a wide range of problems including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship and communication issues, anger and abuse. I have also done additional training in working with Trauma. I am trained in Bodylistening, which is a neo-Reichian form of body psychotherapy developed by Tim Brown, and in Dance of Awareness which is a therapeutic dance practice developed by Tim Brown and Clare Osbond.
I am accredited through the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. I am fully insured and have regular peer and individual supervision.
Special areas of interest
I work with a wide range of clients and issues and have a particular interest in working with anxiety, trauma and high sensitivity (AKA sensory processing sensitivity/HSP).
Alexander Technique
I qualified as an Alexander Technique teacher in 2001 after a three-year, 1600-hour STAT-approved training course at NETCAT in Leeds.
My journey with the Technique began when I was a student at music college. Through my lessons I found a new sense of balance and ease in my piano playing, and increased comfort in my body. At the same time I noticed that I became happier, more confident and more relaxed in life generally.
A key thing I have learnt (and am still learning) through the Technique is the extent to which we can heal and transform ourselves, and that we have far more choice than we often realise about how to respond to the challenges and upsets life throws at us. We really can change in fundamental ways, and the future does not have to be a repetition of the past. For me the Alexander Technique has been an amazing resource which has touched and improved every aspect of my life. I can’t imagine being without it.
My approach to the work combines a century-old tradition of hands-on work with insights from contemporary science and other bodywork modalities. My aim is ultimately to make myself redundant so you can take away what you have learned and use it as a resource for the rest of your life.
I have also written a well-regarded book on the Alexander Technique, published in Autumn 2024.
Other Interests and Qualifications
Art and creativity in various forms have always been a central part of my life. I made and designed fine furniture for a living for ten years. I write poetry and own a small poetry press. I play the piano and have a degree in music, a master’s degree in Myth and Cosmology, and a PGCE qualification in adult education and training. I hope that the breadth of things I have explored, thought about, and worked with in my life brings a richness and depth of perspective to my work with clients.