About Me
My family originate from the Indian sub-continent, and having grown up, been educated and lived in the UK since early childhood, English is my first language.
My early career was in IT from which I took time out to raise my family. After a long break and re-evaluation of my skills/interests, I decided to take a first step towards my journey as a psychotherapist and became a Volunteer Telephone Counsellor for ChildLine (a 24-hour helpline counselling service provided by the NSPCC charity for children up to 18 years of age). It was this experience at ChildLine which sparked my interest in pursuing counselling as a profession leading me on a path of study culminating in a BA (Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
My previous experience includes working for a Counselling Agency providing therapy to adults in the local community, in an Occupational Health Clinic (predominantly with work related issues) and providing counselling for staff, students and young adults in a Sixth Form College.
Professional Qualifications
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BA Hons Counselling (University of Greenwich)
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FdA Integrative Counselling (with Commendation) (University of Greenwich)
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NCFE Certificate Levels 1,2 & 3 (Guildford College)
Professional Membership
I am an Accredited Registered Member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) which means I work to high ethical standards and have met the stringent criteria required to be on a register approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care.
I am committed to ongoing professional and personal development which includes regular supervision to support and monitor my work.
How I Work
I work with individuals on a one-to-one basis and this is client led as only you, the client, know how you feel. Certain counselling styles suit some people more than others, so I draw from a number of theoretical models to provide the right support for you. This means I work in the way which is most useful to you and your issues in order to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, so that you can take control of your life, rather than letting events control you.
My theoretical background is based on the Clarkson’s Integrative Relational model which integrates the three schools of psychotherapy and counselling theories: psychodynamic, humanistic and transpersonal.
What is Integrative Counselling? Integrative counselling means drawing upon a range of skills, theories and techniques to suit the individual needs of the client.
Using an integrative approach enables me to be flexible and adapt my therapy as I believe that we are all unique. This may involve exploring links with the past and the present in order to help facilitate a more empowered choice towards the future. What is helpful to one person may be different to another.
I sometimes use (if I feel it would be appropriate and helpful to the client) creative tools such as stones, drawing, mindfulness, relaxation and breathing techniques.