I require payment in advance of the session. Payment via Bank Transfer (BACS), PayPal or cash. Payment details will be sent to you on reserving your first session. 

I can work with you online, on the phone or in-person at my office in St Neots. For online clients I predominantly use Zoom, but I have also used FaceTime and other videoconferencing apps. As long as they are secure and the client is happy, I am flexible. 

Sessions are usually weekly and 50 minutes long. Weekly sessions are the most effective way to work (see below for details). I also occasionally offer Single Session Therapy for specific goals. 

My standard cancellation policy is that I require 24 hours notice, otherwise you will still be required to pay. However, if an emergency arises, please at least contact me before the session so that I do not waste time waiting for you. In unavoidable situations, fees may be returned at my discretion. 

My counselling training was largely Person-Centred Counselling, which is a Humanistic school of therapy which regards the client as the expert of their own mind. I will not analyse you, tell you how you feel or give you worksheets. 

Sessions are typically relaxed and I will encourage you to talk about whatever comes to your mind. My job is to provide an empathic, genuine, accepting and non-judgemental space for you to work things out.

I adapt my way of working according to the individual clients needs, and this is especially true with neurodivergence clients. I may talk more than many counsellors, and often we will be discussing or problem-solving issues together.

It is not my job to advise you, but with almost 30 years lived experience of neurodivergence, I am always happy to mine my experiences for useful ideas and stories.

Counselling is a kind of talking therapy which helps you talk through your emotional issues. As your counsellor, I am trained to listen and help you figure out what you're going through. 

Although I have particular focuses on neurodivergent people (eg. autistic and ADHD) and the LGBTQ+ community, I am trained to work with all kinds of clients, with all kinds of issues. For example, bereavement, work stress, exam stress, childhood trauma, anxiety & panic, depression and low self-esteem.

I work with teenagers from 16+. If you are looking for counselling for a child I can recommend colleagues who specialise in younger people. 

Apart from neurodivergent people themselves, I often work with parents of ND children and partners to ND partners.

In the LGBTQ+ community I can work with issues around sexual orientation, coming out, relationship issues etc. I have lived experience, additional training and experience in working affirmatively with people experiencing gender dysphoria and/or gender differences. I have worked with trans-identifying, non-binary and gender fluid individuals. 

Short answer: No

Although some counsellors will offer fortnightly sessions, it is not a way of working I am comfortable with, if I intend to give you my best.

It is also about value for money: If you are putting the investment into change - which is what counselling is about, it is important the counselling is effective and that you get the most out of it possible. 

Don't forget that while you are going through the counselling process, you only spend 50 minutes a week with me. Most of the work you will do on your own, in between sessions. A good part of every session is reflecting on that work, before you can move forward. It can be hard enough reviewing all the learning you have made in one week, let alone two! 

If money is an issue, I do offer discounts, but also I would recommend working weekly for fewer weeks, rather than fortnightly for longer.

And if time is an issue, I would recommend putting counselling on hold until you can clear the decks to concentrate on it. After all, counselling is a big committment and hard work, so you want to be able to make the most of it. 

Counselling works best when there is a relationship of trust between client and counsellor. This is not something you can guarantee, which is why I only require clients to book one session ahead - sometimes we're just not a good fit, and that's OK.

If I'm not a good fit for you, please don't feel bad - it is a normal part of a counsellors job. I am always happy to recommend alternatives.

To get the most out of counselling, you (the client) need to be ready to make changes. This can involve facing your demons and taking a huge step of courage. Sometimes clients think they are ready, but after a couple of sessions, realise they are not. That's fine too. We can't rush these things - emotional healing takes time, sometimes years, before we can begin the process. 

Counselling helps you sort through stuff in your mind, find connections, understand yourself etc. It can be really hard work and in the early stages, can bring up a lot of stuff that part of you might have prefered to stay buried! But my training, experience and personal life history tells me that when you are ready, counselling can change your life. 

Sadly, the answer is yes, it can be.

For clients with severe mental health problems, such as severe OCD and/or psychosis, counselling could potentially exacerbate disordered thinking. For example, if someone had a severe OCD about germs, talking about germs could actually trigger them more than help.

However, as a qualified counsellor, my training helps me identify if a client's distress is outside my ability to help. In such situations, I will support the client in finding the help they need. For example, referring them on to the appropriate psychiatrist or clinic. 

Counselling can be harmful if it is coerced. Examples of this would be clients with intellectual disabilities and or other  neurodivergences who have been badgered into counselling because their carers don't like their behaviour; and young people who's parents don't like how they're developing. In such cases, I do what I can to explain the need for informed consent to the carers or parents. 

And finally, counselling with the aim of changing a person's gender identity or sexual orientation, is unethical, harmful and immoral. Conversion Therapy (with or without 'consent') is completely against the consitution of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society, of which I am a member.  

Although I have particular focuses on neurodivergent (autistic and ADHD people) and the LGBTQ+ community, I am trained to work with all kinds of clients, with all kinds of issues. For example, bereavement, work stress, exam stress, childhood trauma, anxiety & panic, depression and low self-esteem.

Apart from neurodivergent people themselves, I often work with parents of ND children and partners to ND partners. 

For neurotypical (ie non-autistic, non-ADHD) clients, the most common presenting issue is anxiety.

I have experience in working with clients with mild-moderate OCD, mild-moderate Borderline Personality Disorder, mild-moderate Body Dysmorphia and clients in recovery from eating disorders (although I am not qualified to work with people still in the middle of the battle). If you are uncertain, please contact me and I'll let you know if I have sufficient experience or not, for your issues. 

Although I have particular focuses on neurodivergent (autistic and ADHD people) and the LGBTQ+ community, I am trained to work with all kinds of clients, with all kinds of issues. For example, bereavement, work stress, exam stress, childhood trauma, anxiety & panic, depression and low self-esteem.

Apart from neurodivergent people themselves, I often work with parents of ND children and partners to ND partners. 

As a Humanistic counsellor, I believe the real expert on a person is themselves. A fundamentally important feature of my work is that:

I believe you!

I believe that self-diagnosis/self-recognition as an autistic and/or ADHD person is valid. Especially if you have researched the subject for yourself and recognise yourself in the diagnostic criteria. I cannot officially diagnose you but if that is the route you wish to take, I can support you in finding a clinician who can. 

I was diagnosed myself in 2000, after which I had no counselling help at all, so I understand the importance of support to wrap your head around these things.  

With the NHS, therapy is sometimes available but waiting lists are long. Many private diagnostic clinics do not offer counselling. 

I have considerable experience in supporting people in that post-diagnosis phase, helping them come to terms with their diagnosis and what it means for them.