Personal  History:

From being a young mum at 19 who left school at 15, I entered into my first job working as a  fitness instructor, I then decided it was time to attempt education again at the age of 26.  I studied HNC in  Business at college and then onto Edinburgh Napier University, where I trained to become a Careers Adviser working in education, third sector, and  with the military on their resettlement, for 20 years.  In 1998 I remember being made redundant as a recycling coordinator and the feelings of loss, insecurity, and uncertainty. This led me to want to help individuals in careers and beyond because I can empathize with many of the situations and emotions that life brought. I went to university for the first time in my 30s and have never looked back.  I returned  to higher  education again in my 40s and trained to become a counsellor and again in my 50’s to undertake  research and teach postgraduate students in counselling and psychotherapy.  

Learning differences and relationship difficulties from working with individuals led to my curiosity as to why people behave the way they do. Studying psychodynamic theory became a passion  ‘How the past lives in the present. Much of my theoretical learning is drawn  from Bowlby, Klien, Winnicott and Bion in psychodynamic theory and Rogers, Brown and McLeod in Person Centred Approach. 

My Masters dissertation in 2016 was on ‘anxiety in education because neurodiverse conditions are becoming widely  known. I became particularly interested in understanding more about  ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia. I have come to know and learn much about the neurodiverse brain and how we are all very unique. I feel it is my role to help individuals who suffer in silence and to educate society in understanding that we are all different – Let’s celebrate this.

In 2021 I embarked on a part-time PhD in Counselling & Psychotherapy and taught part-time on the PG certificate, contributed to diploma students professional programme and supervised and marked many interesting Masters papers  at The University of Edinburgh.  I continue to widen my knowledge in arts based research and keep abreast of theory to inform my practice.  

From my personal life experiences combined with that of theory and practice, I believe I am suitably qualified and experienced to be a therapist for you. However, it is the core of a good relationship that holds and contains individuals in their confidential stories. So, here I am to try help this process for you.

My Qualifications:  MBACP Accreditated.

MSc Counselling (Merit) – The University of Edinburgh

Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling (Distinction)

Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance – Edinburgh’s Napier University

Diploma in Teaching in Further Education – Fife College