Hey, I’m Emily. I’ve been a therapist for a few years now and it’s always been something that I have worked towards as I know it has helped me throughout my life when I’ve faced different challenges and just as a way to understand myself better too. It’s amazing to facilitate that process for other people, and so humbling to share in their vulnerability in the room.
Over the past 5 years, I have worked with a range of clients in my Private Practice, The Mix, GriefChat, and Humankind charity, alongside 11 years of working in pastoral support and safeguarding roles in FE & HE for different education providers. I have continued my training since qualifying in topics such as Gender Diversity, Trauma, ACT, CBT for anxiety, supporting the bereaved, amongst others. From these roles I have gained a breadth of professional experience working with teens, young adults, and adults, as well as holding space to explore situations around mental health, suicidal ideation, bereavements, self-harm, questioning gender and transition, addiction, abuse & trauma, neurodivergence, conflict resolution, relationships, amongst other things.
I am queer, ambiamorous, and have chronic illnesses which, I feel, informs my way of working with others in addition to my professional experience mentioned above. I have quite a big emphasis on working collaboratively with my clients finding a way that works for you which does give some flexibility, because I don’t feel like therapy is a one size fits all.
Knowing the above, it’s no surprise that the majority of my work with clients is around identity – understanding the ‘self’ in terms of sexuality, gender, neurodiversity, disability, mental health etc. – and then how you then interact with the external world e.g. how you are in relationships, your career, through bereavements, etc.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned in life is not to assume – if I have a client who has similar diagnoses to myself, I will never assume that I know what their experience of this diagnosis is. My diagnoses and experiences might give me deeper empathy in those situations but it is important to know that your experience is that, it’s yours.
So, don’t be surprised if your therapist asks you questions to understand your experience of life, it’s how we separate our own experience out and stay completely with you, where you are. It’s why I like to say that you are the expert of your own life, therapy isn’t here to tell you what to do, but to help you work through what works for you in your life.
In a similar vein, as an integrative therapist I adapt my way of working to your individual preferences, where possible and in a collaborative way. We will talk about what it is you would like to get out of counselling and look at ways we can do this.
My core way of working is offering a safe and non-judgemental space through person centred counselling and its core conditions, which are to hold you with unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence. From here I layer on tools and techniques from other approaches such as gestalt ways of working (metaphors, ‘here & now’ work, somatic exploration), ways of working from MBCT/SFT/CBT (using mindfulness techniques to explore our ways of thinking, looking at how this can be different, and how this can then impact our behaviour/emotions), and CFT/ACT (looking at our internal narrative, how we can be more compassionate and accepting to ourselves).
If you wish to book a therapy session with Emily, please click on her profile at the top right hand corner of this page.
