My story

I'm a London-based psychotherapist with lived experience of psychosis, addiction recovery, and deep personal change. At 29, I had a psychotic breakdown—an experience that was terrifying, disorienting, and ultimately transformative. Since then, I’ve been sober for over 30 years and have committed my life to understanding how we suffer, how we heal, and what real change takes.

Coming from a working-class background, I know how difficult it can be to access support—especially when the world of therapy and mental health can feel distant or clinical. My approach is grounded, respectful, and informed by real life, not theory alone.

Because of my own experience, I hold a healthy scepticism about psychiatric diagnosis and medication. While I respect that medication can be helpful or necessary for some, I also believe we need to look beyond labels and symptoms—to listen more deeply to the meanings behind distress. Too often, diagnosis can obscure the personal, social, and political roots of suffering.

I work from a humanistic, psychodynamic, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) perspective—helping people explore the different parts of themselves with compassion and curiosity. Whether you're struggling with addiction, trauma, anxiety, psychosis, or feeling stuck in life, I offer a space where change, connection, and meaning can emerge.

I have over 20 years of experience working in private practice and as a counsellor, psychotherapist, and group facilitator for various organisations. 

My professional journey has included roles at:

TVI (The Violence Initiative) – A community-based charity with a unique approach to working psychotherapeutically with perpetrators of violence, rooted in conflict resolution.

RAPT (Rehabilitation for Addictive Prisoners Trust) – I worked at HMP Pentonville and the Island Drug Project, supporting individuals in recovery from addiction.

FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) – I taught drug education in schools and was one of FCD’s first teachers in the UK. I trained at FCD’s campus in Boston, Massachusetts.

Charter Harley Street – A specialised addiction and trauma treatment centre where I worked with individuals and groups as part of their intensive outpatient team.

Sporting Chance – A charity supporting professional sportspeople with mental health and addiction issues.

I have also been a volunteer counsellor at the mental health charity Mind and the addiction charity Addaction.

Addiction and recovery

Anger and violence

Anxiety and depression

Identity 

Relationship issues

Shame

Trauma 

Spectrum, (London) 1999-2002 - Four-year post-graduate training in humanistic psychotherapy.

Open University, 2018 - Open degree, BSc (Hons).

Mankind Project, 2018 - Group process - Chicago, USA.

I am committed to lifelong learning and continuous professional development.

I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and participate in weekly supervision. 

BACP membership number 00563978