What to expect

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We’ll meet weekly for 50 minutes at the same time and place for you to talk freely about whatever is on your mind. My approach is to pay close attention, perhaps to how your past—often outside of everyday awareness—may be shaping your present life, relationships, sense of self and contributing to current difficulties.

How you feel in the moment is important and I’ll encourage you to come as you are, bringing whatever thoughts and feelings arise.

Something valuable may emerge between us. This is what makes the counselling relationship unique and effective. You can talk about how you’re really feeling with me, which may also help with others. Sense how you feel reading this now—Curious? Sceptical? Trust your intuition; counselling is relational and requires trust.

A young man with curly brown hair leaning against a tree outdoors, smiling and looking away from the camera, with a blurred background of green and yellow foliage. Male counsellor in Gloucestershire. sex worker. counselling for sex work.

Slips of the tongue or noticing what’s left unsaid can reveal hidden depths, and exploring how old defences that once helped might now be working against you can create more freedom for you to make decisions.

Counselling is a collaborative process where we attempt to make sense of what may feel confusing. This alliance is led by you, following your inner knowing and agency, and always with respect and kindness.

These are just some of the ‘dynamic’ ways in which I work and what makes this approach effective. Read more below in my FAQs.

Experience and Background 

I am a qualified psychodynamic counsellor, trained over four years with Gloucestershire Counselling Services (accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP). As a registered member of the BACP, I work within their Ethical Framework, and I am DBS-checked for your peace of mind.

My background in nutrition counselling (BSc) can be especially helpful if you are struggling with food or body-related issues that you’d like to understand more deeply. Beyond this, I support people experiencing depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, as well as those who find it difficult to express themselves or manage emotions such as anger.

You may be going through a major life change—leaving home, becoming a parent, retirement—or seeking to explore your neurodivergence in a way that feels affirming and integrated. Whatever your situation, I offer a safe, inclusive space where you can be heard, understood, and supported. I am LGBT-affirmative and committed to respect, openness, and care in our work together.

 FAQs

  • In our sessions, we’ll talk about what’s going on in your life right now, but also explore how past experiences—especially early ones—might still be influencing how you think, feel, and relate to others today. It’s a space to reflect and make connections that might not be obvious at first. You don’t need to come with a plan—just bring whatever’s on your mind.

  • It really depends. Some people start to feel relief quite early on, just from having a safe space to talk. But because psychodynamic therapy looks at deeper patterns that have often been around for a long time, meaningful change can take time. That said, we’ll check in about how it’s going and make sure it still feels useful for you. Therapy isn’t a straight line—but the process itself often becomes part of what helps.

  • Not in a directive way, no. My role isn’t to give advice or offer solutions, but to help you explore what’s going on beneath the surface—feelings, thoughts, or patterns you might not be fully aware of. This can help you to see choices and understand yourself more clearly. I’m here to support you in making your own decisions, from a place of greater self-understanding and resilience.

  • The word psychodynamic comes from two Greek roots: psyche, meaning soul or mind, and dynamis, meaning force or power. Together, they refer to the inner emotional forces—often unconscious—that shape how we think, feel, behave, and relate to others. 

    Psychodynamic counselling is based on the idea that our early life has a lasting influence on who we become. While we’re each born with certain traits and tendencies, these are shaped by how we’re cared for, what we’re taught, what we’re discouraged from expressing, and the emotional environment of our family and surroundings. 

    These early patterns can persist throughout our lives—sometimes without awareness. Maybe you find yourself in the same kind of painful relationship again and again? Or certain situations trigger a level of distress or anger that feels disproportionate or confusing? Transitions—like leaving home, starting a family, or experiencing loss—can stir up old, unresolved feelings. 

    Some people come to counselling with clear memories of past events, more recent traumatic experiences or times when they were neglected. Others simply feel stuck, anxious, or unsure of themselves, without knowing why. Psychodynamic counselling offers a space to gently explore what’s behind those feelings. 

    Together, we look at the strategies you’ve developed to cope—strategies that may have helped once but might now be holding you back. In a professionally contained and safe counselling relationship you can begin to understand your patterns, feel more grounded in who you are, and make choices that reflect your current needs. 

    The psychodynamic model is the foundation for modern talk therapy and it’s principles underlie it’s effectiveness. If you are keen to read more on the efficacy of psychodynamic approach an excellent place to start is ‘The efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy’ (Schedler, 2010).