About Me
As an Internal Family Systems Therapist and Integrative Counsellor, I enjoy supporting and empowering adults and adolescents to find their own unique pathways to wellbeing.
I am passionate about guiding others to grow a greater inner sense of peace, compassion and clarity of Self.
Drawing on psychodynamic, systemic, spiritual, creative and somatic models of therapy, I am able to offer my clients a range of different tools to engage them in delving deeper into their minds and emotions. Previous clients have found my approach to be professional, non-judgemental, compassionate, and inspiring.
I am registered with the British Association for Psychotherapists and Counsellors (MBACP) and with the International Association for Voice Movement Therapy (IAVMT), and adhere to their ethical guidelines.
I am co-founder of the social enterprise Ecotherapy East, based in Suffolk, which is committed to increasing biodiversity and creating a nature reserve on the 12-acre meadow we steward in the community. By investing in the work with me, you are also supporting the ecosystems and over 500 young trees we take care of.
Since my training in Voice Movement Therapy in 2008 I have been working with adults and young people as a voice therapist in various settings; in private practice, at University of East Anglia with drama students and at an inpatient eating disorders clinic. I ran voice groups and workshops for public for over a decade in England and Czechia.
In 2012 I completed postgraduate training in Integrative Arts Child and Adolescent Counselling. I began to work at Break charity therapeutic team with young people with trauma and adverse childhood experiences, and their parents and carers and the system around them. Working with adoption, fostering, in children's homes and schools, my specialism became addressing developmental and relational trauma and attachment difficulties, using expressive arts and relational approaches. I offered consultancy to support workers and management at children's homes to develop a more therapeutic and trauma-informed care.
I have also worked in private practice with adults and teenagers. Since integrating Internal Family Systems therapy into my work, I enjoy supporting adults and adolescents finding, understanding and healing parts of themselves, connected to childhood trauma, family and cultural beliefs and intergenerational trauma. Being an immigrant, I am interested in supporting others with parts that are impacted by multi-cultural living, loss and minority stress. I am passionate about guiding others to grow a greater inner sense of peace, self-compassion and balance. I too love getting curious about my own parts and strengthening my inner anchor- Self.
If you can learn to be mindful in times of difficulty and respond to yourself with compassion, change happens.
I am also a teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion and have delivered courses for young carers, care leavers, therapists and writers, among others. I integrate Mindful Self-Compassion into my individual counselling sessions with clients because of its very practical resources and simple psychological framework. This resilience-building programme has been essential to my own self-care and personal development.
Mindful Self-Compassion practices and attitudes complement well Internal Family Systems Therapy, guiding us to develop compassion towards all of our parts. Self-compassion is also an essential antidote to eco-anxiety and worry about enviromnental degradation and injustice.
Ecotherapy helps people to connect with the natural world, and through this reciprocal connection to experience a greater sense of wholeness and well-being.
Since completing my training in ecotherapy I can safely take counselling sessions outdoors. The natural world is a great source of wisdom and healing potential and can support you with your life's challenges.
My partner and I have been co-facilitating Mindfulness in Nature and Discovering Self in Nature workshops and retreats in East Anglia since 2019, designed to cultivate a deeper intimacy with the natural world and one's own inner nature. We are also regenerating a 12-acre meadow we steward in Suffolk, planting trees and wildflowers, with the help of local volunteers. We set up Ecotherapy East community interest company in 2021 to continue increasing biodiversity on our land whilst developing a sense of community and hope as we face the impacts of climate change.
When not working or rewilding our meadow, I enjoy running in the wild, sacred chanting, poetry, meditating with my parts and camping in wilderness with my partner.
Training & Qualifications:
2023: Internal Family Systems Therapy Level 2 training, IFS UK
2022: Internal Family Systems Therapy Level 1 training, IFS UK
2021: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
2021: Foundations of Well-Being 1 year programme with Rick Hanson
2021: Certificate in Ecotherapy, EarthBody Institute
2020: Certified Theraplay practitioner, Therapy Institute USA
2019-2020: Mindful Self-Compassion teacher training, UK
2019: 1-year Foundation course in Buddhist studies, UK
2014: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course
2014: Mental Health First Aid training, Mind
2010-2013: Diploma in Integrative Arts Child and Adolescent Counselling at IATE, UK
2008-2010: Postgraduate Foundation Certificate in Voice Movement Therapy, Norma Canner Foundation, USA