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I work privately on Thursdays and Fridays.

I am a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist registered with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP); and a Psychodynamic Counsellor of adults, registered with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). I have been working in mental health settings, with adults and children, for over 28 years - twenty-one of these within the NHS. 

 My specialisms include developmental trauma, fostered and adopted children, anxiety, depression, attachment issues - and others. I also have extensive experience supporting parents, foster carers, residential key workers, schools and social workers - including offering consultation, supervision and training. I am psychoanalytically/ psychodynamically trained to doctoral level; and have an MSc in Psychodynamic counselling with adults.

In psychotherapy a key goal is to help people process past losses and hurts and come to better understand and honour their true selves. For many children past losses and traumas remain unresolved, inside them, but find expression via challenging behaviour rather than through words. Helping adults to understand these communications from children is a passion of mine and an area I described in an article in early 2019 in the Journal of Social Work Practice: How the challenging behaviour of a traumatised child tells their trauma story and is part of their recovery. 

I offer 1:1 psychoanalytic psychotherapy to children, young people and psychodynamic counselling to adults; I also work with parents and children together at times.

I have full professional indemnity insurance.

My private practices are based in South Woodford (Lily House), London; and in Walthamstow. I also offer online and telephone treatment.

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy can be helpful for the following kinds of issues:

Depression

Trauma

Abuse

Self-harm

Anxiety

OCD

Self-awareness; confidence, self-esteem

Issues with friendship, sibling conflict, loss, bereavement 

Clinical experience has taught me that when children present with emotional difficulties they are often manifesting a reaction to challenges and issues that began life outside them or before, even, they were born. In my assessment work, I co-create with families a space where we can investigate problems together, share ideas and formulations – even painful ones. It is important to consider not only what are the problems in the here and now, but what the child’s developmental history was, what the home environment is like including what stressors the family currently face, and also what the childhoods of parents were like. It is important that parents feel heard and not judged.

I find it particularly important to put into words the unconscious meaning behind children’s behavior and the emotion it stirs up. I find when adults are helped to understand children's communications, then change and improvement become so much more possible. It is, in a sense, a process of translation: behavior into words.

Sometimes, following assessment, we may decide that the best treatment is to work with the parent and child together. Parent/ child Psychotherapy is particularly suited to younger children (less so adolescents). If this interests you please see the next page.

When 1:1 Psychotherapy is indicated as suitable by the assessment a child will then be seen 1:1 either weekly or fortnightly.

I start with a brief discussion over the phone - at no cost - to hear from parents about their concerns and describe how I work. If we agree to proceed, we then begin an assessment consisting of 2-3 meetings with parents; and then meet the child, initially with the parents, for 2-3 sessions. Finally, a review meeting with parents is held to consider the assessment findings and decide whether regular Psychotherapy is indicated.

In child psychotherapy I work to make the child feel safe, listened to and understood. It is a confidential space, though regular reviews with parents can give an overview of themes in the work. Much of the work of therapy is achieved through play as well as reflection on the relationship that the child strikes up with the therapist. Children express and communicate their preoccupations via these two areas and it becomes possible to gently raise the child’s awareness of their deep inner feelings and, ultimately, to help them to talk about and process them. Children in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy often develop greater self-understanding, and a raised capacity for using words rather than actions to communicate painful feelings.

Ideally parents will be seen periodically for work that supports the child’s therapy. Reviews of the work and the progress are also important. All of this can be discussed at the initial stage.

For psychodynamic counselling with adults, again, I would start with a telephone call, at no charge, to discuss what the patient is seeking. I would, ideally, start with an assessment that would consider childhood, development, adolescence and the journey oof the patient since those times. I endeavour to create a safe, curious space that allows patients to reflect and for us to consider together what may be going on for them on unconscious levels.