My background and training
I really enjoy working with clients in as collaborative a way as possible to try to find solutions to their challenges in a way that feels comfortable, but goal-focused.
After a career in teaching, I completed an MSc in Theoretical Psychoanalytic Studies at University College London, before deciding to focus on the clinical side of psychotherapy by doing an MSc in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at Goldsmiths, University of London.
I have a particular interest in helping people with anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety, health anxiety and panic disorder, as well as specific phobias (such as emetophobia and claustrophobia).
I also have a lot of experience in working with the distressing symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and have trained in several specialist strategies for OCD. These include Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) including Rumination-Focused Exposure and Response Prevention (RF-ERP, developed by Dr Michael J. Greenberg) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These can either enhance more common OCD strategies or be effective when those strategies have not been fully successful.
I have trained in a framework developed by Dr David Burns, a key early developer of CBT, called TEAM-CBT, and I am a founder member of the TEAM-CBT UK group. This is a very versatile and comprehensive form of CBT which I have found to be very useful in treating generalised anxiety, problems related to stress and unhelpful habits.
I am accredited by both the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am based in Oxford, UK and see clients both in my North Oxford office and online.