WELCOME TO EAST KENT THERAPY

This online counselling and psychotherapy service offers modern trauma-focused therapies to help you recover from past and present emotional and psychological problems.

In a friendly way, we can work together to promote and restore your health and well-being. I use a combination of modern trauma-informed therapies: EMDR (eye-movement desensitistion and reprocessing) and IFS (Internal Family Systems' therapy).

There is an undeniable link between stress, trauma and our health. Individuals with a history of trauma are more likely to develop chronic illness and pain conditions. If your system is confused and dysregulated you may develop emotional and relationship problems. As Dr Bessel van der Kolk aptly says, "The body keeps the score" and we cannot simply talk or think our way out of traumatic stress.

By integrating IFS and EMDR together we can process trauma stored in your nervous system, making safe your inner child with attachment-focused EMDR and we can unburden 'parts' of your Self that have become over-active or have shut down. 

Indeed, author and physician Gabor Mäté adds: “All of the diagnoses that you deal with - depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar illness, post traumatic stress disorder, even psychosis, are significantly rooted in trauma." 

Thank you and hope to hear from you. 

Integrating modern trauma-informed approaches to therapy

Based in Canterbury in the UK, I have worked in the NHS for over 24 years in liaison psychiatry services, and A&E departments, and the general hospital, and GP surgeries in east Kent.

I have been a manager of an NHS Crisis Team in South London and a clinical nurse specialist in liaison psychiatry. I also trained at Kings College London and the Institute of Psychiatry. 

 I am registered with the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy; I am registered with the UK's EMDR Association. Moreover i have completed the professionals training (IFS 1 and 2) with the IFS Institute.  

To improve and deepen my understanding,  I have completed further training in attachment-focused EMDR with Mark Brayne and Laurel Parnell; and also some intergrative IFS/EMDR training and supervision to bring these two therapies together. 

I often use some somatic and mindful techniques, from Vipassana meditation to invite some awareness of reactivity and bodily sensation. This includes visualisation, with somatic approaches like tapping. 

I also belong to some groups who advocate walking as a source of healing and recovery, particularly following pilgrimage routes. I have been a candidate of of the Independent Group of Analytical Psychologists for many years, who embrace the work of Carl Jung. 

I really like George Orwell and was a judge on the Orwell Dystopian Fiction Prize this year. In many ways our parts have some difficult stories to tell. Thank you.