Most of us are familiar with that inner voice. The one that shows up the moment something goes wrong, or doesn't go to plan, when we sense we don't measure up to some standard we've internalised. "I'm failing. I'm not good enough. It's just me." The other voice too many of us hear is that voice that says: "Who do you think you are?" or "Get back in line", or "Don't rock the boat", when we are preparing to, or even imagining that we might, do something we want or need to do -

There's something I've noticed since moving from NHS psychology into private practice — a shift in language that took some adjusting to. In specialist services, we talked about expertise, about formulation, about the whole person in front of us. In private practice, people talk about niches. And, so, for a long time now, I've sat with the question — what is my niche, who do I serve best, what should my brand be? — and went around in circles for longer than I'd like to admit.

Yesterday was Mother's Day in the UK - And I don't think the commonly-used phrase: "Happy Mother's Day" is suitable for a day that encompasses so much complexity. Instead of pushing a commercial idea that Mother's Day is always happy, joyful, celebratory, or uncomplicated, for all mothers, I would prefer this sentiment be shared: "I hope that on Mother's Day, and every day, you and those around you honour your relationship to mothering, in all of its inevitable complexity". T

I almost always have at least one book on the go. More often, it's two - one non-fiction, one fiction - and there have been stretches of my life where I've been working through four or five books simultaneously, dipping in and out of each of them, sometimes even reading sections of several books in one day. For a long time, I just assumed this was a personality quirk. A bookish trait. Then I recently discovered the term hyperlexia . My AuDHD Journey (The Very Short Version) O

If you're a woman in midlife and you're exhausted - not just tired, but bone-deep, can't-see-the-end-of-it exhausted - this is for you.

Many women come to therapy carrying health & body-related experiences that have never been fully named, understood, or taken seriously. Menstrual and hormonal changes, pelvic pain, fertility challenges, perimenopause, menopause, or chronic health conditions often shape daily life in profound ways — yet the emotional and psychological impact of these experiences is frequently minimised, misunderstood, or framed as something women should simply “cope with.” My work is grounded

Many parents begin their parenting journey with a quiet, powerful intention: I want to do this differently. Sometimes this intention is born from theory - from reading books, or following parenting professionals on social media. And sometimes, this intention is set from a place of lived experience - From memories of not feeling seen, soothed, protected, or emotionally held as a child. From knowing & remembering, in our body, what it felt like to be dismissed, shamed, ignored

Many of us grow up with a quiet, persistent sense of not quite fitting in - A feeling of being slightly out of step with the world, and the people within in. Of never feeling fully understood. Of watching others move through life with an ease that always seems just out of reach - like everyone else was given a manual for life, that we somehow missed. Often, the meaning we make of these experiences, often from very early in our lives, especially as girls & women, is something

For many women, myself included - midlife arrives quietly, and then very loudly all at once. If your experience of midlife is anything like mine, you may begin to feel different in ways that are hard to articulate: your body behaves unpredictably; your mind suddenly feels unfamiliar; your emotions intensify; your sleep fragments; your confidence wobbles; and a sense of ease you once had seems much harder to access. Often, women are told this is “just perimenopause,” as though

Many mothers arrive at therapy believing that something is wrong with them, when in reality they are responding to an intense, identity-altering, emotionally demanding life transition - often without enough support. There are many experiences that are incredibly common in motherhood, yet are still relatively rarely spoken about publicly. Motherhood is still unfortunately wrapped in powerful cultural expectations and myths. For example: that it should feel natural, fulfilling,

Gender matters to our psychology. Not as an abstract concept, but as a lived, embodied, daily reality. From before we are even born, each of us are treated differently, spoken to differently, related to differently, depending on what gender we are assigned. Different parts of us are encouraged, while others are quietly (or not so quietly) discouraged. We learn very early what is expected of us, what is rewarded, what is unsafe, and what must be hidden in order to belong. In p

When you’re considering starting therapy, one of the most important — and often overlooked — questions is how often you’ll be meeting with your therapist . On the surface, it can feel like a practical decision (time, money, diary space). But in reality, the rhythm of your therapy sessions plays a huge role in how deeply and effectively you’re able to heal . For some people, fortnightly therapy can work well. But for others — especially those exploring childhood emotional negl

Finding the right therapist can feel daunting — especially when you’ve already spent so much time trying to manage things on your own. You might worry about opening up, about being “too much,” or about whether someone will really understand you. If that sounds familiar, I’ve written this to help you get a sense of which clients tend to get the most from working with me — and to help you see if we might be a good fit, for your own needs. In my work as a specialist therapist fo

After years of conscious parenting — nurturing my son’s emotional safety, confidence, and self-expression — I believed he was ready to thrive in nursery. But what we encountered was a system ill-equipped to hold emotional complexity, prioritising compliance over connection. This blog explores the grief I felt as reality clashed with my expectations, how that grief morphed into rage, and why I now speak out — not against individuals, but against a system that urgently needs to

If you're currently exploring your options for starting therapy, and you’re thinking: “Part of me really wants to commit to weekly therapy… but I just don’t know if I can manage it right now,” — please know this: You are not alone. For many of the women I work with, therapy can feel like just one more thing to try to fit into a life that already feels full to the brim. Between caring for others, work pressures, emotional labour, relationship responsibilities, invisible load,

When it comes to accessing therapy, one of the most important — and yet often overlooked — questions to consider is how often you’ll be...

For many of my clients, weekly psychological therapy is appropriate, clinically justified and very much wanted by them. However, some clients, don't need therapy , but they do need some psychologically-informed support with here-and-now problem solving. Or perhaps some clients would like to learn about psychological models, to better support themselves, as challenges crop up in their day-to-day life. For these clients I offer a therapeutic coaching model. ​ Coaching is mos

The talking therapy world can be confusing and overwhelming - You know you need support, but there are so many types of therapy, and therapists, on offer - How do you choose the right therapist for you? In this blog post, I share the underpinnings of the very specialist type of psychological therapy that I offer, to help you decide if I feel like a good fit for your needs. I offer therapy that is women-focussed: First and foremost, it's importnat to note that many form of th

I often see people on social media sharing their self-care “non-negotiables” —those daily rituals they commit to without fail. Journaling, meditation, morning routines, exercise, sleep hygiene, clean eating... you name it. And honestly? I feel completely confused by that. Because when it comes to my own self-care, everything needs to stay negotiable . My Reality: Life Doesn’t Fit Neatly Into Daily Routines Take motherhood, for example. As a parent, I don’t get to control what

Over the years, both through living with anxiety myself, and supporting clients through theirs, I’ve come to realise a somewhat unexpected truth: Anxiety itself isn’t inherently disabling. In fact, anxiety on its own is completely natural. More than that — it can be incredibly useful. Necessary, even. Sometimes, anxiety can even be life-saving. At its core, anxiety is simply a very human and normal emotional signal from our body, alerting us that something we deeply care abou