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My qualifications

I originally trained and qualified as an Integrative counsellor and began practising as a trainee in 2003, qualifying in 2004. I'm BACP-accredited and I am also a senior accredited counsellor with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. Soon after I trained and qualified as a bereavement counsellor with CRUSE in Bristol (2005), and as an Embodied-relational therapist (a form of relational body psychotherapy). In 2012 I completed a training in Wild therapy (a form of ecopsychology, deepening the influence of the more than human and other than human in therapeutic work, a theme close to my heart), and I also qualified and started working as a counselling and psychotherapy supervisor.

 

For the past 10 years I have also been training in pre and peri-natal somatic psychology work (the psychology of conception, birth, and our early months on earth) which interest me very much, personally and professionally. I have graduated from a two year Integrative Baby Therapy Training run by Bristol-based Conscious Embodiment, with Matthew Appleton and team, as well as an earlier course exploring my own pre and peri natal experience. I have also enjoyed trained with Cherionna Menzam-Sills in her 'birth surround' work and the 9 month 'Our Journey Here' training she offers. For the past few years I have been training with Merete Holm Brantbjerg and Kolbjorn Vardal at Relational Trauma Therapy in working therapeutically with 'hypo response' (rather than the better known 'hyper response') and hypo arousal in our bodies, which has been very informative in deepening my understanding of trauma and health. You can see full details of my qualifications below.

I see my undergraduate and postgraduate academic training in the social sciences (anthropology, communication and cultural studies, international development, ecopsychology, economics, politics, and sociology) and Buddhist practice as important as my therapy trainings, in terms of seeking to understand the wider systems of which we are each a part; human and other-than-human (as well, of course, as the hours I've spent in therapy as a client).

Memberships/affiliations

 

I am:​​

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  • an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

  • a senior accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) 

  • a founding member of the Body Psychotherapy Network (BPN)

  • a member of the Bristol-based Counsellors and Psychotherapists in Private Practice (CAPPP)

  • a friend of the Black, African and Asian Therapy Network (BAATN)

  • a member of Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA)

  • a member of the Embodied-Relational Therapy Association (ERTA)

  • a member of PCSR: Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility (PCSR),

       and former editor of 'Transformations' PCSR's in-house journal

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My counselling/therapy and related qualifications:

I initially qualified as a counsellor in 2004 and continued to train as a relational body psychotherapist in 2008. Full details of my qualifications:

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  • Introduction to Counselling skills (3 month course, 2000)

  • Certificate in Counselling (one year course, 2001)

  • Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling (BACP-approved qualifying training course, 2002-2004)

  • CRUSE Bereavement Care Bereavement Counsellor training, CRUSE, Bristol (2005)

  • Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) (2007)

  • Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Embodied-Relational therapy (a form of body-based psychotherap, 2008-2010).

  • Diploma in Wild therapy (2011-12)

  • Diploma in Clinical and Creative Supervision (2013)

  • I trained as a Carbon Conversations' facilitator (2015)

  • 'The Birth Journey' an 18 month experiential residential training in pre and peri-natal psychology with Matthew Appleton and Jenni Meyer at Conscious Embodiment (2016)

  • 'Including and awakening hypo response' seven week course with Merete Holm Brantbjerg and Kolbjorn Vardal co-founders of Relational Trauma Therapy (2021/2022)

  • 'Seating on the edge of an abyss together - including and relating to hypo-arousal', with Merete Holm Brantberg and Kolbjorn Vardal.(2022/2023)

  • 'Hyper - and hypo interwoven – building presence, inner strength and adaptability' seven week course with Merete Holm Brantbjerg and Kolbjorn Vardal at Relational Trauma Therapy (2023)

  • Further pre and perinatal training with Cherionna Menzam-Sills on her course: Our Journey Here (2023)

  • Integrative Baby Therapy practitioner training, a two-year (which turned out to be a three and a half year course, thanks to Covid-19) pre and peri natal somatic psychology training in becoming an Integrative Baby Therapist, with Matthew Appleton and team at Conscious Embodiment Trainings (2024)

  • 'Disgust - building inner authority and boundaries' seven week course with Merete Holm Brantbjerg and Kolbjorn Vardal at Relational Trauma Therapy (2024)

  • Ancestral Lineage Healing - a twelve week online training with Ancestral Medicine (2024)

  • Practical Animism - a twelve week online training with Ancestral Medicine (2024)

  
In addition to my main qualifications, I have undertaken shorter courses in various forms of body-based psychotherapy, energy psychotherapy, couples counselling, Pesso Boyden work, family constellations work, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a Transactional Analysis (TA) 101 training course and sand play. I have also completed the 8 week mindfulness course run by Bangor University which was helpful in understanding the similarities and differences between mindfulness and Buddhist meditation, which I've been practising since 1995.

Other relevant qualifications:
I have an MSc in International Development and BA (Hons) in Combined Social Sciences, specialising in Development Studies (now known as International Development) and Communication Studies. I am a qualified teacher, with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (FE and HE, specialising in Social Sciences and Humanities). I have attended several shorter business and management courses run by the University of Bristol. I am am fascinated by energy work, both as a recipient (of reiki, energy healing, spiritual healing, shiatsu and acupuncture) and in my work as a therapy practitioner, a Buddhist meditator, and in practising Reiki with friends and family.

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