My career journey
My own journey started as a Mental Health Nurse after qualifying with the University of Southampton in 2006 and specialising in addictions and eating disorders.
In 2007 I returned to the University of Bath to study Addictions Therapy as I had grown to love my work as a detoxification nurse and wanted to better understand the needs of my clients to help them heal and grow.
Since then I have continued to develop my education with qualifications that feel most valuable and useable with my client group including EMDR, Clinical Sexology and ADHD management.
I currently work in private practice and have selected a team of specialists around me with varying skills and knowledge to ensure that I have all the resources I need to support individuals and refer onwards when required, or a different skill set is needed.
My Experience
My experience of addictions covers both substance abuse addictions, but also behavioural addictions including gambling, pornography, sex and love addictions.
In my last full-time position working within a private hospital, I had the opportunity to lead the addictions therapy team in a Priory Group hospital.
Over the past 20 years I have had the opportunity to work across both NHS and private healthcare services including NHS Methadone and alcohol teams and community eating disorder services. In private I have worked as both a nurse in addiction and eating disorder units which has enabled a robust understanding of the physical attributes of mental health, medication management and assessment and managing and understanding risk.
My combined experience as both a nurse and therapist allows me to work with all clients holistically and work with prioritising health needs to get the best outcomes at both a comfortable and realistic pace. This means that at times we will work together alone, but there also times when I can work as part of a team, or refer onwards to ensure each of my clients has the best oppertunity to live life to the full.
Services set up
My own neurodiversity gives me strength in being dynamic, thinking outside the box and being creative.
Over my career I have taken several opportunities to develop services including:
- A community based Eating Disorders Service for Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust.
- A Blood Borne Virus Screening service for the Substance Misuse Service in the New Forest
- More recently a Trauma and Addiction Pathway within Hayes Grove Priory, as part of the addiction service line management team across the Priory Group to develop comprehensive relapse prevention.
- Supported the development of a new clinic in setting up its ADHD clinical pathway.
Personal Experience
My aim as a therapist is to get in the boat with you and therefore I aim to really embrace what you are feeling when you start your therapy journey.
My diagnosis of ADHD was in my 30’s and came as a huge surprise… Although very quickly made a lot of sense of some of the other struggles, pain and in fact excessive amounts of laughter and tears Ive had in my life. My experience is that diagnosis of a neurodiversity can create mixed feelings of relief, grief, anger, hope, frustration to name a few, and impact the whole family.
For me having the lived experience of living with ADHD as well as Dyspraxia has meant that I can really understand the challenges that come with neurodiversity and am willing and able to create a journey with you that champions strengths, solves problems and allows space and time to offload the sometimes loud emotions that accompany you on that journey and often feel misunderstood.
I match my professional skills with my heart and the creatively dynamic strengths gifted to me by my ADHD. I would love to learn and explore with you more about your own set of strengths and find ways to adapt them to help manage the additional challenges neurodivisity can bring to your life.
For as long as I can remember I have been intrigued by addictive substances and behaviours and the purpose and reasons for them- I even chose to experience these behaviours my self during my teens and 20’s. I am still passionate about these subjects and more so why they exist and what the alternatives are in managing pain, killing time and making sense of ourselves in relationships.
The ongoing professional development I have, stems from personal intrigue and hope of continuing a fulfilling and rewarding life. Trauma, Addiction, ADHD and relationship issues frequently overlap and I aim to help in establish which bit we start in first and setting goals that enable hope by being realistic and achievable.
Professional Memberships and Registrations
- COSRT- Professional Affiliate Membership (Since Nov 2021)
- EMDR Association- EMDR Practitioner (Since March 2021)
- Addictions Professionals (NCAC) Accreditation (Since July 2011)
- NMC- Registered Mental Health Nurse (Since December 2006)
Call now
I am here to support you with tailored solutions and a therapeutic plan that works for your specific situation.
07482 640862