Change is not something we should fear. Rather it is something we should welcome.’
BKS IYENGAR
Mr BKS Iyengar is truly inspirational to me having overcome childhood illness and hardship throughout his early life yet despite such adversity he recovered through finding yoga. During his life he showed great strength, courage and compassion sharing his knowledge bringing Iyengar Yoga to the West. He continued to practice well into his 90's including headstands until he passed away in 2014 aged 95. Here he practices with his mentor in 1938!
About Me
I am a qualified mental health nurse (RMNH) with over 25 years experience of working with people with emotional and psychological difficulties in a variety of NHS mental health settings including inpatient and forensic settings and community based services.
I trained in 2009 as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and offer evidence based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) which are recommended by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) for the treatment of depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety problems. I have worked as a psychotherapist both in primary and secondary care services. I have held a number of psychotherapist roles including; working in a community mental health team (CMHT) offering both CBT and EMDR for clients experiencing complex PTSD and developmental trauma and in an NHS complex treatment service for military veterans across the Yorkshire region. In 2022 I worked with Police Care UK/Police Treatment Centre as part of a small trauma therapy team offering an intensive residential trauma treatment programme (pilot) for serving police officers with complex PTSD, information here. This was the first of its kind in the UK. The treatment approach provided is based on the Psytrec treatment model, an evidence based therapy programme for treating Complex PTSD in the Netherlands.
I have a longstanding interest in mindfulness based practices especially yoga. I completed the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) foundation course in 2012 and then discovered the Iyengar method of yoga and 15 years on I'm still practicing! My yoga practice takes me overseas to Europe, UK retreats and workshops and into my own yoga room at home. I can be found nurturing my soul in my life long loves of gardening, swimming, walking in the Yorkshire Dales or roaming around my favourite places in the world: Italy and Cornwall.
Professional qualifications
Formal psychological therapy training:
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EMDR Consultant/Clinical Supervisor (emdr uk)
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Fully Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist (babcp)
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Child & Adolescent EMDR Therapist (emdr uk, core level 1)
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Diploma in Higher Education in Nursing Studies: Registered Mental Health Nurse (nmc registered 1998)
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Post Graduate Diploma in Psychological Interventions, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
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Post Graduate Diploma in Psychosocial Interventions (CBTp/family interventions for voice hearing/psychosis)
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Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Practice
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Internal Family Systems Level 1 training (ifs uk)
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Internal Family Systems Level 2 training (ifs uk, in progress)
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Certificate in Somatic Trauma Therapy (Babette Rothschild)
Examples of continuous professional development (CPD):
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Cognitive Therapy for depression with Christine Padesky
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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (mbsr)
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Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (mbct)
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Compassion focused therapy (5 days) with Mary Welford/Paul Gilbert
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Acceptance and Commitment therapy
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EMDR for anxiety disorders with Prof. Ad de Jongh
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Introduction to Transactional Analysis (TA 101)
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Attachment-focused healing of complex trauma, Advanced EMDR clinical workshop (3 days) with Dr Laurel Parnell
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The Flash Technique: Making intense trauma memories more accessible for EMDR Processing with Dr Philip Mansfield
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Easy Ego State Interventions (3 days) with Robin Shapiro
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Poly vagal informed therapy Master Class online course with Deb Dana and Stephen Porges (PhD)
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The Body Keeps the Score-Trauma Healing with Bessel van der Kolk (2 days)
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Introductory workshop in Internal Family Systems
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Micro-processing procedures with dissociative disorders with Dolores Mosquera
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Treating Complex trauma with Internal Family Systems with Dr Frank Anderson
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Compassion for addictive processes using Internal Family Systems with Cece Sykes
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EMDR for forensic populations with Prof, Jane Ireland
In addition to individual therapy I offer CBT clinical supervision to groups and individuals working with both adults and young people. As an EMDR Consultant I offer both individual and group supervision to trained and training EMDR professionals, including those seeking formal accreditation with EMDR UK. I place great value in clinical supervision and have supervisors for both therapy modalities that I offer on a regular basis. I am a participant in a specialised IFS-EMDR informed Consultation group in the US with Bruce Hershey (IFS Approved Clinical Consultant) as well as attending continuing professional development days (CPD). I am fully insured to provide individual therapy and supervision.
Please click the boxes to find information on my associated bodies
When you watch the wonder of the dragonfly you witness the beauty and poise of such a graceful creature. It moves with such lightness, hovering, gliding, darting sharply in all directions including going backwards. All at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour!
Dragonflies embrace change from their early beginnings and change is integral for the dragonfly’s survival which is why they symbolise transformation, even in the face of adversity.
Dragonflies can teach us a great deal about adaptability, which is why they feature on my website. The words of BKS Iyengar~ ‘Change is not something we should fear. Rather it is something we should welcome.’ embodies the spirit of this adaptability.
Humans can often have a difficult relationship with change, change isn’t easy, but it is what brings humans into therapy in my experience. The dragonfly for me represents all that therapy involves and requires of the individual during the process~ adaptability, bravery, maturity, lightness, self-perspective. Every human has these qualities (and many more!) within themSelves and my role helps facilitate and strengthen these connections for recovery.