Have questions about starting therapy?

Psychotherapy is a space to explore what is happening in your life with greater depth and understanding. You may come because of anxiety, stress, difficulties in your relationships or simply because something no longer feels right. Rather than looking at one symptom in isolation, psychotherapy gives us space to understand what may be contributing to how you feel and what needs to change.

The first session is mostly listening. You tell me what has brought you here, in whatever order it comes out. You don't need a clear story or the right words. Many women begin with "I don't even know where to start", and that's a perfectly good place to start.I'll ask about your life now and a little about your history, but only as much as feels manageable. Towards the end, we talk about how we might work together and whether weekly sessions feel right for you. Nothing is decided for you.

Psychotherapy starts with what is happening for you now and what you would like help with. We talk together about what you are experiencing, and I may ask questions or notice connections that help us understand things from a different perspective. As trust develops, we can explore things in more depth when they feel relevant. The process is guided by you and by what emerges naturally in our conversations.

Once a week, on the same day and at the same time. Sessions last 50 minutes.The regularity matters more than it might seem. If you've spent years holding everything together for everyone else, one fixed hour that belongs only to you can become part of the work itself.If weekly isn't possible for you right now, tell me in the consultation and we'll talk about it honestly.

I’m interested in understanding you as a whole person rather than looking at one difficulty in isolation. We may explore what is happening in your life now, your relationships, the way you see yourself and experiences that may have shaped how you respond today.I also pay attention to how emotions and stress are experienced in the body. Bringing these different pieces together can help us understand why certain difficulties continue and what may help things begin to change.

No. You don't have to talk about anything you're not ready for. We start with what is happening now: the tiredness, the overthinking, the guilt when you stop.What often happens is that the past arrives on its own. A reaction at work feels bigger than the situation. A comment from a manager lands like something much older. When that happens, we look at it together, at your pace.Understanding where a pattern began isn't about blaming your parents. It's about no longer blaming yourself.

Yes. Anxiety is one of the reasons people come to psychotherapy.We can look at when your anxiety appears, what seems to intensify it and what may be happening underneath it. This can help you understand your anxiety in the context of your life rather than experiencing it as something separate from you.Over time, that understanding can create more choice in how you respond and help anxiety take up less space in your life.

It can help you understand where they come from.Overthinking is often the mind trying to stay one step ahead of danger. Perfectionism can be a way of staying beyond criticism: if no one can find a flaw, maybe you're safe. Both made sense once. The question is what they're costing you now.In psychotherapy, we look at what these patterns have been protecting you from and where they show up, in your mind and in your body. I can't tell you how long that takes or exactly where it leads. I can tell you that you'll be listened to properly while we find out.

The length of therapy varies from person to person. Some people come with a particular difficulty they want to work through, while others want time to explore patterns or experiences that have been affecting them for longer.At the beginning, we can talk about what you would like from therapy. As the work progresses, we can review together how things are changing and what feels useful for you.

Yes. I work online with women all over the UK, and with women living abroad. So far I've worked with women from more than eight countries. Online sessions are 50 minutes, by secure video, at the same time each week.If you'd rather be in the same room, I also see clients face to face in Basingstoke and London.

Yes. I use a secure, encrypted video platform and follow BACP guidance on confidentiality. Research suggests online therapy can be as effective as in-person sessions for many people.

You can schedule an appointment by contacting me through the contact form on this website or by calling or messaging me. Or simply click the link below:

It's a 30-minute conversation, online or by phone, with no commitment. You tell me briefly what's going on and ask me anything you want to know. We both get a sense of whether working together feels right.I'll explain how I work and what it costs. If I think a different kind of support would suit you better, I'll tell you. You don't need to decide anything on the call.

This is the thing I hear most often. Usually it comes from women who have been carrying a lot, quietly, for a very long time.There's no level of suffering you need to reach first. You don't need a crisis or a diagnosis. No one should have to reach rock bottom before they're allowed to ask for help.If you're tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix, or you can't remember the last time your mind was quiet, that's enough of a reason to talk.

It's an understandable fear, especially if holding it together is what has kept you going.Psychotherapy doesn't mean pulling everything apart at once. We go at a pace your mind and body can manage, and you decide what you bring and when. Part of my work is noticing when something feels like too much, and slowing down with you when it does.Your strength isn't the enemy here. We'll take time to understand why you needed so much of it.

Functioning well is often how the women I work with have survived. You meet the deadlines, remember the birthdays, answer every message and look after everyone. From the outside, nothing looks wrong. That’s exactly why it can go unnoticed for so long, sometimes even by you.But functioning is not the same as being well. You can hold everything together and still feel sad without knowing why, or disconnected from yourself and the people closest to you. You might lie awake at night with a mind that won’t switch off. You might be achieving everything you set out to do and still feel that none of it fills you, or slowly lose hope that life could feel any different.In therapy, we don’t only look at how well you’re coping. We look at what coping is costing you: in your body, your sleep, your relationships and your sense of yourself.You don’t have to wait until you can’t cope. You can come because you’re tired of what coping costs.The free 30-minute consultation is a chance to find out whether it feels worth it to you, without committing to anything.

No. I don't offer crisis or emergency support. If you're in crisis or worried about your safety, call 999, contact NHS 111, or call Samaritans free on 116 123, at any time of day or night.