About

Therapist

I have worked in mental health for over 15 years and for the last 10 years I have worked as a counsellor in the NHS. I have helped clients work through many different issues over the years and can help with issues such as: anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationship problems, anger, sexual abuse, work stress, career problems, domestic abuse, long-term health issues, sexual problems & family issues. There aren’t many things I’ve not come across over the years so get in touch and I can see if I can help.

I work with people of all ages and all backgrounds. I work with adults over the age of 18 and specialize in men’s mental health. I have an interest in Existential therapy and am a member of The Society for Existential Analysis.

Supervisor

I am a qualified supervisor working with therapists both in the NHS and private practice. I have a Diploma in Clinical Supervision from The Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute. This rigorous training has given me the skills to help therapists work through all aspects of their clinical work including complex issues such as ethical dilemmas and safeguarding and risk concerns.  

My approach to supervision is similar to that of my work as a therapist. I offer therapists a safe place to explore their client work without judgement. I am currently employed to provide supervision to 10 therapists working in IAPT and provide supervision to several therapists working in private practice. Alongside standard supervision, I have also provided supervision of supervision.

Qualifications

• PCE- CfD supervision (IAPT specific supervision)- Nottingham University- ongoing

• Diploma in Clinical Supervision- The Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute (SPTI)- 2021/2022

• Counselling for Depression- Nottingham University- 2015

• Diploma in Professional Studies – Counselling- University of the West of England- 2012

• Certificate in Counselling Skills- University of the West of England- 2010

• BA (hons) Popular Music Studies- Leeds University- 2002

About me

Anxiety and depression have been part of my life since childhood. It may sound a cliché, but having counselling in my early 20’s really did change my life and sparked my interest in working with other people suffering with similar difficulties. Over the years through therapy, I have learnt to work alongside my mental health & it now doesn’t consume my life. I have found having had this experience in my own life has enabled me to work with clients in a deeper, more profound way. I’ve not just studied mental health I’ve lived it so can offer clients an approach where I can fully ‘get it’.

Prior to working as a therapist, I worked as a musician. I studied music at college & then university graduating from Leeds University in 2002. After leaving uni I briefly worked in the music industry and quite quickly found this wasn’t for me. It felt important to me to do something positive with music, so alongside writing and performing, I began working as a community musician. I worked as a community musician for several years, working with children in care & adults with mental health issues. It was here that my interest in helping people with mental health issues began. I often found that the time I spent talking to & listening to service users was more beneficial than the music we were doing, and I began to look into counselling as a career. During this time, I was also busy gigging with various bands & setting up and running an online record label. I played some amazing gigs that I’ll never forget and managed to get some of my music played on Annie Nightingale’s Radio 1 show but unfortunately it all had a detrimental impact on my own mental health. I decided to stop doing music as a job a number of years ago to focus on my career as a counsellor.  

So that’s me really. Outside of mental health & music I am a very proud dad & husband and have two amazing kids. I still enjoy music and have managed to get my kids into ‘real’! music including Johnny Cash, James Brown & 80’s thrash metal! I still play the guitar but just for fun now. My main passion and self-care tends to revolve around motorbikes. I grew up watching bike racing and my summer is usually focused on bike race meetings. I try to do a few track days on my R6 every year. I’m also in the process of building a café racer style bike from and old Ducati ST2 doner bike, but due to work commitments and the little people in my life, this is slow progress!!  

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 2022-23

• The Question of Choice: An Existential Perspective – Ernesto Spinelli

• An Introduction to Existential Therapy with Mick Cooper

• Reading Kierkegaard Beyond Scholarliness and Scienticism: Seminar III – Therapeutic Love as a Socratic Task- Society for Existential Analysis

• Reading Kierkegaard Beyond Scholarliness and Scienticism: Seminar II – Kierkegaard and Indirect Communication- Society for Existential Analysis

• Safeguarding DRCS Induction- Derwent Rural Counselling Service

• Working Together: Everyone’s Responsibility (Level 3)- Derbyshire NHS Trust

Fees

Counselling/ Psychotherapy: £65 for 1 hour session

Supervision: £50 for 1 hour session