I am a clinical psychologist with experience of working in the NHS, academia, and the charity sector. Originally from Canada, I moved to the UK in 2009. I earned my doctorate degree from the University of Oxford. Before qualifying as a clinical psychologist, I worked for many years as a social worker, researcher, and educator. I approach my interactions with clients from a compassionate perspective. People come to therapy because they’re feeling stuck - in life or at work or in relationships. Or they’re overwhelmed by strong emotions. Or feeling checked out and detached. Or they’re isolated or lonely and hoping to find more meaningful connections. None of these things are easy to talk about. And many of us picked up the message along the way that if we're struggling in life, it must mean that there's something wrong with us. Developing greater compassion for ourselves – and for others – turns that message on its head: to struggle is painful… but it’s also normal. It makes us more like other people, not less. It means we’re part of the human family, not exiled from it. I have experience working with people who struggle with anxiety, depression, shame, low self-esteem, perfectionism and over-working, relationship difficulties, and childhood or adult trauma, among other things. In our sessions, you’re welcome to talk about gender, sex and sexuality, class and income, ethnicity and racism, physical appearance and ability, neurodiversity, difficulties securing quality employment or education, what it’s like to move between countries and cultures, oppression and privilege, and spirituality. You’re also welcome to be unsure about any of these. I work integratively, drawing from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), cognitive analytic therapy (CAT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitisation therapy (EMDR), and psychodynamic psychotherapy. I use these therapies to help my clients regulate intense emotions, cope with the difficult life dilemmas they encounter, and enhance their interpersonal relationships.