Most people begin with a free 15-minute phone or video consultation. It is not a session, there is no clinical work, no questionnaire, no pressure. It is a short first conversation where you can say a little about what is going on, ask me anything you need to ask, and get a feel for whether I am the right person to do this work with.
The first session is not about having everything figured out. It is simply a space to meet, to begin to understand what has brought you here, and to explore what you would like to be different.
I will ask some gentle questions about your history, your relationships, and what feels most difficult right now. You do not need to share everything at once, there is no pressure, and nothing you say will be judged.
By the end of that first session, we will usually both have a clearer sense of what the work might involve, how long it is likely to take, and whether working together feels right.
Sessions are 55 minutes long and typically take place weekly or fortnightly. Most people start weekly: the consistent rhythm helps build the therapeutic relationship that deeper work depends on. As things progress, some clients move to fortnightly.
Each session is different. Some feel reflective and quiet; others bring up strong emotion. Both are welcome. Over time, a rhythm and sense of safety builds, and that relational safety is itself part of what makes change possible.
When intimacy or relationships feel difficult, it is often not a lack of love, it is a nervous system that has learned to protect.
In sessions, we gently notice patterns of tension, withdrawal, anxiety or disconnection with curiosity rather than judgement. We slow things down enough to understand what is happening beneath the surface, and why.
As a sense of safety grows within the therapeutic relationship, the nervous system begins to soften. New relational experiences become possible, first here, in the room, and gradually in your life outside it.
One principle runs through every area of my work, but especially trauma: healing cannot be forced.
You are always in charge of what you bring into the room.
Individual sessions offer a private space to go at your own pace, without the complexity of a shared dynamic. We may explore how past experiences are held in the body, patterns of avoidance or shutdown, the influence of earlier relationships on present intimacy, or specific sexual or identity concerns.
For more on the areas I work with individually, see Psychosexual Therapy and Trauma Therapy.
Couples sessions are shaped around the relational system the two of you share, the cycles you get caught in, the responses that have become protective, and the needs that sit beneath the arguments. Both partners are heard; neither is managed toward a predetermined outcome. For more on the approach, see Couples Therapy.
To set realistic expectations, it is worth saying what therapy with me is not:
If what you need is different from this, I am always happy to suggest where else to look.
I ask for at least 48 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule. Full cancellation, payment and fee details are on the Contact page.
If you are ready to take a first step, or simply want to ask a question before committing to anything, you are warmly welcome to get in touch, for a no-obligation call to explore whether working together feels right, or simply to ask a question before committing to anything.