Ethically, all Counsellors and Psychotherapists are required to have regular clinical supervision alongside seeing clients, no matter where they work. Supervision is a confidential space where therapists can discuss and explore their work, with the focus being on the therapist’s responses, interventions, and internal process. I’ve found supervision can be invaluable as a safe […]
‘Coming Out’ – What Does It Mean? Recently I was invited to speak about coming out in later life on Anna Richardson’s podcast ‘It Can’t Just Be Me’. Her guest was Dr. Ranj Singh, who was married to a woman for several years before coming out to her as gay. Anna is part of the […]
I struggle with the idea of trauma therapy/therapy for survivors/pre-trial therapy as ‘specialist’. Therapists will meet survivors of many different kinds of trauma (abuse, domestic violence, racial harm, ableism, classism, etc.) wherever we work. It is not an uncommon clinical phenomenon, it is daily life for many. This equally applies to the topic of pre-trial […]
Mental health in context… It’s impossible to work with mental health as something that’s purely in our minds, especially in the current socio-political climate. If I’m asked ‘What’s the hardest thing about your job?’ it’s coming up against systemic oppression, disempowerment, and inequality. It is difficult to maintain a state of good mental health (whatever […]
Anti-oppressive practice… By its very nature, psychotherapy risks being disempowering even before you enter the room (or Zoom call). Therapists often only consider what happens in appointments to try and mitigate this risk, but there are many contact points whilst navigating the mental health system where this can happen too. For example: 1. It can […]
Perspectives on Intersectionality… I’m delighted to be selected by Inspiring Women Changemakers to be the recipient of their Bernadette Mary Speight award in their Igniting Inspiration campaign. I spoke with Inspiring Women Changemakers recently about my thoughts on intersectionality, and my work with survivors of sexual violence and marginalised people. I felt it was important to highlight […]
Everyone has the right to enjoy good mental health, irrespective of gender, race, caste, or creed. And this fact is either purposefully neglected or not even given a thought upon at all. In the initial stages of civilization, the world had been quite male-dominated for a while. Although there is no harshness or hatred towards […]
My book has arrived! Very excited to let you know that the past ten years of my psychotherapeutic work with survivors of sexual violence is now in book form. ‘Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Violence: Inside and Outside the Room’ covers this issue from a gender-neutral and empowerment-based perspective. The book includes case studies, and […]
When trauma re-surfaces… There are a lot of myths about trauma, one of which is that you process what happened straight away and that you can process it quickly. For some people this is true, but for others the impact of trauma can push to the front of your daily life at unexpected times, in […]
When we meet… When I start working with someone new, I’m aware that I may be the latest therapist in a line of therapists they have seen. Or I might be the first. In any case, we have met at a specific point in a client’s life, series of life experiences, and mental health history. […]
