07779 034390
therapy@chagford
About Me...
I began my studies in counselling and psychotherapy in 2014 at the Iron Mill College in Exeter, graduating with a first class BA Hons in Integrative Counselling from the University of Worcester in 2017.
Following this, I worked as a Psychological Therapist for the Fire Fighters Charity until the summer of 2020.
I’ve worked with a diverse range of clients experiencing suffering from a wide range of issues including existential crisis, sexuality, gender and trauma (including PTSD). My specialist interest is in psychological trauma in all of its forms.
Around about this point you’re probably expecting to read about my achievements and the highlights of my life in this section entitled ‘about me’. After all, you need to feel that I’m competent to be your therapist, however, I want to share a part of my life that other people might choose to forget.
Prior to becoming a therapist, I served for many years as a marine commando, and during this time I experienced close combat in a number of countries around the world. When I left that part of my life behind in 2010, I, as so many people do, experienced a crisis. This crisis was, for me, an implosion of my very being. My collapse was seemingly total; psychologically, physically, emotionally, spiritually.
It was only when I was able to ask for help from others that I was finally able to start rebuilding myself from the dust and debris of my former life. Whereas before I had relied on physical strength, tenacity, and self-reliance, I had to learn to accept and value authenticity, compassion, love, gratitude and humility.
Why you may ask, do I choose to share this apparently less than glorious episode of my life with you? Because, as humans, we will all suffer during the course of our lives. It is only through struggle and crisis that we are able to learn and to change. When we think about the most terrible events of human history, we can see that despite the great suffering and pain, our species evolves through crisis, and we learn new ways of being.
If you were looking for a guide to see you through the mountains, or jungles, or to navigate you across an ocean, you would probably want someone who knew about threat, and challenge, and overcoming adversity, someone who had survived avalanches and near-drowning, and learned from those experiences.
We are not defined by our achievements, but how we respond to the challenges we face, and how we eventually overcome them. I have come to learn that humans do not thrive and grow in isolation, we need other humans.
Psychological challenges are invariably overcome only with the help of another person.
I’d be honoured to walk beside you as a guide and fellow traveller.