I am a Clinical Psychologist based in Bishopsgate, near Liverpool Street Station. I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society.
my approach
I practice predominantly from an integrative psychodynamic and relational framework. This perspective acknowledges that we are dynamic and complex individuals, each with a unique story that has contributed to who and how we are. As part of your therapy process we may explore the link between the past and the present, and work towards understanding how certain significant relationships and experiences have contributed to patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating that may be hindering you. While these patterns are often unconscious, they can be responsible for maintaining intense or overwhelming feelings, a sense of ‘stuckness’, self-destructive tendencies or habits, as well as physical and/or psychological symptoms that affect the quality of your life. Therapy is an invitation to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, develop more meaningful and fulfilling relationships, and discover new ways of coping that serve you better.
My approach is integrative and individualised; therefore, I may, at times, incorporate other therapeutic modalities, depending on your reason for entering therapy. I am also experienced in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based therapies. My hope is to facilitate an experience in which clients feel heard and acknowledged, a space where hurts and hopes are collaboratively explored with kindness, acceptance, and curiosity.
Qualifications and Affiliations
I am originally from South Africa, where I studied and trained to be a Clinical Psychologist. I have a Masters in Clinical and Community Psychology from the University of Stellenbosch (cum laude) and a Masters in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Cape Town (cum laude). I am registered and affiliated with the following accredited institutions and regularly engage in learning and training opportunities to maintain my professional development:
The Health and Care Professions Council (United Kingdom)
The British Psychological Society
The Health Professions Council of South Africa
The Board of Healthcare Funders (South Africa)
Cape Town Psychoanalytic Self Psychology Group
The Centre for Group Analytic Studies
South African Clinical Neuropsychological Association
Research and Publications
As part of my qualification process, I had the opportunity to be involved in several research projects within the broader field of addiction and brain-behaviour relationships. My research experience is, in part, what has fuelled my interest in addictive processes (of which there are many) as a response to pain and/or trauma.
Although my published work has focused on the neurobiological and neuropsychological aspects of prenatal drug and alcohol exposure, I believe that it is impossible to understand addiction without asking what relief an individual finds (or hopes to find) in addictive behaviour. If people are addicted to self-soothing behaviours, it is likely that they did not receive the soothing they needed during their formative years. Hence, I believe that recovery from self-destructive behaviours is rooted in gentle and compassionate self-inquiry and the conscious nurturing of vulnerability.