I became a  psychotherapist after pursuing other careers - as an academic philosopher and a professional writer - but my focus has always been on understanding people and what makes us tick. 

As I have also lived in various countries  around the world, I have first-hand knowledge of diversity and difference, and of what it means to be (or feel) an outsider.

In London, I trained as an Integrative Psychotherapist, This provided me with a practical foundation in various therapeutic approaches and techniques. While our focus may be on the here-and-now, I find that the present moment is usually informed by the uniqueness of our past experiences, Our feelings in early or previous relationships - especially of either safety and security, or of insecurity and fear - continue to structure and influence the way we experience ourselves and our world in the here and now. 

While in training, I worked in hospital settings where I engaged with a highly diverse group of clients - people from all over the world, with a variety of gender and sexual identities, and with a wide range of psychological presentations. Along with my private practice, I worked as a student counsellor. Here, I had the privilege  of working with young adults. 

My work is theoretically grounded in an attachment-based psychodynamic approach that is trauma-informed. In practice, I integrate a wide range of psychotherapy models, such as mindfulness, existential, CBT and mentalization. I am certified as an Interpersonal Psychotherapist (IPT) and make use of this relational, focussed approach for those who want to work short term.

I continue to engage with professional development, and abide by the ethical codes of the CRPO.

Qualifications

MA & Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling, Regents University UK (5 years, full time training, including psychiatric placement)

PhD, Philosophy, University of Toronto

Certificate, Emotional Trauma, Mt Sinai Psychotherapy Institute

Certificate (level 1 &2), IPT, Mt. Sinai Psychotherapy Institute

Certificate, Mentalization for Borderline Personality Disorder, Anna Freud Centre, London

Registered Psychotherapist - CRPO  no. 007300

Member, Canadian Association of Psychodynamic Therapists (CAPT)

Member, International Society for Relational Psychotherapists and Psychoanalysts (IARRP)

Member, European Society for Trauma and Dissociation (ESTD)