About Liz and Practice

A little more about my practice, experience and qualifications.

How I practice

As an integrative practitioner with a broadly humanistic foundation, I have a person-centred core and include other therapeutic methods that you may find beneficial. These methods may include for example CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), where we consider how the mind and body link through thoughts, feelings, physical reactions, and behaviour. It may be that alongside exploring behavioural patterns, a somatic approach is more appropriate and we consider how your body responds physically to stress, which might present through headaches and tension. It may be that you’d like to talk about emotions that are difficult and challenging, in such an instance, we could consider a more emotionally focused approach. Whatever is important to you, is what matters the most. We can be flexible and creative if you need each time, ensuring that the most appropriate support for you and your needs are met.

I am relationally therapeutic and acknowledge that every psychotherapist and counsellor is unique, so too is every client and every session that is had together. This means that our relationship is central and important. So, regardless of whether you’d like to set goals or work through a particularly difficult situation, together, we’ll work on what is important to you and at a pace that you feel comfortable with. Through compassion, warmth and a non-judgmental environment, change can occur.

I specialise in exploring work-related and personal stress, anxiety, depression, anger, bereavement, and processing loss - be it the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, or pet even. Helping clients to make sense and meaning of life and consider their past and future, without forsaking the here-and-now, is something you may wish to discover and therapeutically welcome.

I have extensive experience supporting young people and adults with issues around wellbeing and self-worth/esteem.

I'm happy to meet face to face, online or even outdoors, but the most important thing I value is being able to provide you a warm, welcoming, non-judgmental therapeutic space.

As a member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) and the ACC (Association of Christians in Counselling), I adhere to their ethical framework and have regular supervision which ensures my practice is safe and includes any new changes in therapeutic protocol.

I have a particular interest in wellbeing, relationships, neurodiversity, family dynamics, spirituality, bereavement, dreams, and the end of life.

“Through compassion, warmth and a non-judgmental environment, change can occur.”

What I was doing before now

I began training before the pandemic after having spent 16 years in the education sector where I carried out a variety of pastoral roles within secondary schools. For the final six years I taught in specialist alternative provisions for children and young people that had various special educational needs and were primarily excluded from mainstream education.

Whilst working in a boarding school I studied part-time and completed the PGCert in Interpersonal and Counselling Skill. I loved the course!! So much so, I decided to embark on the PGDip in Counselling and Psychotherapy which I completed with Distinction and was also awarded the Deans Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Psychological Therapies and Mental Health.

Alongside the PGDip, I trained to become a Master Graduate of Dr Isha Mckenzie-Mavinga and co-facilitated workshops that explore the challenge of racism in therapeutic practice.

Additional Experience & Information

My psychotherapeutic experience has been gained through a wide-ranging and contrasting combination of short-term and long-term clients, met online, in-person and/or via the telephone. Although each client initially presented with differing needs, similar themes, patterns and emotions emerged, regardless of their referral source.

My natural warmth and compassionate ability to provide clients with a safe, non-judgmental space has meant that I have effectively been able to counsel clients of a different age, gender, and cultural background to my own.

I spent the pandemic volunteering for a National Bereavement Helpline and started as a voluntary counsellor at local hospice. I have continued counselling voluntarily with the hospice and also spend a couple of days a week counselling students at one of the largest FE (further education) institutes/colleges in the country.

In my spare time I enjoy being outdoors, growing food and researching practice.

Qualifications & Relevant Training

·       PGDip in Counselling and Psychotherapy with Distinction

·       PG Cert in Interpersonal and Counselling Skills with Merit

·       Art Therapy Foundation Course

·       Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Training

·       National Professional Qualification for Middle Leaders (NPQML)

·       Qualified Teaching Status (QTS)

·       Masters in Youth & Community Development Studies (MA)

·       PGDip in Youth Work & Community Development (JNC)

·       Eating Difficulties Workshop

·       DFES National Learning Mentor Training

·      Relational CBT

·       Holistic CBT

·       Bereavement and Loss Awareness

·       Practicing Existential Therapy

·       Working with people with Serve Mental Distress

·       Intro to Counselling Children and Young People

·       Goals in Therapy

·       Personalizing Psychotherapy

·       Working with Obesity

·      Working with Suicidal Callers