Emotional support. Young sick woman, or freshly divorced, relationship breakup, being fire

My Approach to Therapy

Supporting Your Well-Being and Quality of Life
The main focus of Health Psychology in clinical practice is to improve your quality of life; to support you and provide you with skills to manage your situation more effectively and enable you, with guidance, to generate insight and solutions to your issues that are realistic but more helpful than those you have used so far. You may be given small practice tasks between sessions as appropriate to you and your situation and you may also be guided towards resources that you may find useful.

Therapeutic Approaches

Alongside psychological theory, psychodynamic concepts, and empirical research, I take an integrative approach to therapy, drawing on a range of established therapeutic modalities, including:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) (including attachment-based approaches)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Somatic Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Pain management approaches (for more on my work with chronic pain, see here and here)
Grief counselling, with particular attention to non-death losses such as loss of health, identity, roles, and life expectations; experiences that are especially common within the client groups I serve.
Existential Therapy

My practice is trauma-informed and incorporates approaches such as:

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Other trauma-focused and body-based techniques that integrate cognitive and somatic methods to address the emotional, physical, and psychological dimensions of trauma.

I also place strong emphasis on the role of relationships in the healing process. Research in attachment theory and neuroscience consistently shows that emotional safety and co-regulation are central to restoring nervous system balance. Many people living with chronic illness, chronic pain, or trauma have experienced relational disruption, invalidation, or prolonged stress. Therapy therefore becomes not only a space for reflection, but a relational experience in which safety, attunement, and regulation can gradually be rebuilt. You can read more about my approach to co-regulation and therapeutic relationship here and here.

Some clients I work with have experienced trauma as a direct result of illness. Others have experienced earlier relational trauma, often presenting as chronic invalidation, emotional neglect, or attachment disruption. I also support clients affected by narcissistic abuse, offering both therapeutic work and psychoeducation in this area.

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A Small Practice With

Time for You

I run a deliberately small practice which means I'm able to dedicate more time to each of my clients. Indeed, research consistently shows that a strong therapeutic alliance is an important predictor of positive therapy outcomes, more so than the modalities used. I always aim to provide an environment where concerns are not minimized, where my clients can find solutions to their problems, find ways of coping better and feel empowered to eventually manage their own health or situation more effectively.

Where Do The Sessions Take Place?

I see clients Monday to Friday. Evening appointments are available for UK/European clients only. The sessions take place online and in the comfort of your own home. I use a secure Telehealth service (SimplePractice.com) that is HIPAA and GDPR compliant and easy to use (you are sent a link before each appointment that takes you straight to the Telehealth window). If you feel a bit intimidated by the technology, don't worry! I'm more than happy to guide you through it. For more information about what Telehealth is and how it works, please click here .

How Many Sessions Do I Need?

Typically, sessions are weekly and last one hour. The treatment timeline depends entirely on the issues you want to address and your personal history (e.g. previous trauma, abuse etc.). Generally, the longer something has been bothering you, the more time it may take to deal with it. However, it's really hard to estimate how long therapy may last and although the number and frequency of sessions may vary, they usually take place once a week over several months in the first instance, then at less frequent intervals for up to two years (e.g. once every two, three, four or six weeks), while others may dip in and out at this stage, as and when they need to. Clients with less complicated histories often feel better within a year of starting therapy.

Does Online Therapy Work?

Yes. We know from scientific research that conducting therapy online has the same therapeutic effect as those carried out in person. An online therapy option is especially helpful for people with a chronic illness as many may simply not be well enough, or in a position, to leave their homes. Indeed, for people whose health fluctuates, online therapy often works better because it removes barriers such as travel, overwhelm, fatigue, and mobility issues. It's also a safer option for those who are immunocompromised, or otherwise medically vulnerable, especially during months where viruses are a present danger for that population.

Fees

I charge $180 / £115-135 (depending on exchange rate) per session. Payments are to be made by debit or credit card as and when the sessions are delivered online. The full cost of the session will apply for cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice.

Insurance

I am currently not on any insurance panels. I only accept self-paying clients. As I am licensed in the UK, I cannot generate superbills for my services in the USA.

For more answers to the most common questions (FAQs) people have about therapy for chronic health conditions and pain, please click [here].