My story
Why I do this work
My path to becoming a therapist began long before my training.
My personal experience is my gold and I believe, complements my extensive training and skills. My own journey in training as a therapist is stemmed from personal experience of childhood trauma, abuse, bereavement & being failed by numerous services throughout my life.
Therapy gave me a space to be, grieve, explore & connect with all parts of myself. It provided a consistent safe space to process & discover who I was, what I wanted & how I could navigate in an increasingly disconnected world. My extensive professional & unfortunate personal experiences within the NHS led me to explore ways of being without rigid, impersonal medical models.
My journey is a myriad of depression, feelings of yearning, not belonging, difference, fear of abandonment & self sabotage. It is also a journey of defying expectations, exploration, discovery, experimentation, courage & curiosity.
One thing I have discovered is the complexity & kaleidoscopic element of being human; we are all a multitude of feelings, thoughts & parts throughout our life course. Deserving to be connected to, understood & explored. Not shunned, ignored or gotten rid of. As they each serve or served a purpose or function.
I work in a way that incorporates mind & body. My extensive clinical experience in neurology gives me a deep understanding of the nervous system, my Somatic Experiencing training complements this while my current relational therapy training recognises the importance of not only connecting with ourselves but our relationship to others.
Group experiences such as Women’s Circles weave in the spiritual, nature & rhythms of the seasons.
The heart of all I do, is guided by connection-to self, others & the world around us.
Rooted in your healing.
Angela
My values
Curiosity-I’m genuinely interested in you as a person, not a set of labels or pre conceived ideas.
Compassion-I aim to be present & empathetic to whatever you share.
Shared humanity-I recognise we all have the need to be seen & heard. My hope our sessions together make you feel both.
Training and experience
12+ years NHS and private healthcare experience throughout London, Manchester and Glasgow in Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist and Clinical Lead roles including but not limited to mental health/psychiatric hospitals and neurology teams
Postgraduate Diploma in Relational Therapy (in progress)
Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Therapy - London South Bank University
Master of Arts (Joint Honours) English Literature and Italian - University of Glasgow
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner training (specialist in how the body stores and processes trauma)
Mastering Polyvagal Theory for Trauma Professionals (understanding how your nervous system responds to threat)
Certificates in Psychodynamic and Humanistic (Person Centred) Counselling
Additional training in: complex trauma from childhood, Putting Polyvagal Theory Into Practice With Deb Dana: Essential Strategies for Creating Safety and Connection With Trauma Clients, working with shame and trauma.
Registered with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and featured in Psychology Today and Hub of Hope
Enhanced DBS and PVG certificates
Years of personal therapy: Psychodynamic, Art Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing
Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, playing about with my cat, Hamish, spending time in nature, meeting friends for brunch, learning, cultural exhibitions (The Wellcome Collection and British Library were two of my fave spaces in London), meeting new people, exploring The Celtic Wheel, colourful clothes/interiors and creating cosiness!
