Overview
I am a registered movement psychotherapist, private practitioner, lecturer and clinical supervisor. I offer psychotherapy sessions to adults, adolescents and groups. I also provide personal growth and professional development (CPD) sessions with the aim of nurturing greater levels of spontaneity, creativity and body awareness. Further, I work with other mental health professionals, therapists in training, and groups providing clinical supervision and reflective practice from an embodied perspective.
Background
My initial academic training was a BA Honours degree in Dance and Theatre (Rhodes University, South Africa). After 10 years of performing, choreographing and facilitating educational dance projects, my interest shifted to exploring the potential of dance and movement as a therapeutic resource. Incorporating British Sign-Language I worked extensively with individuals with physical and sensory impairments as well as learning difficulties. This period of exploration was significant in personally verifying movement as a powerful and effective mode of expression, connection, and communication. In 2002 I undertook a Masters degree at Roehampton University in Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP), bringing both my interest in movement and people together within a dynamic therapeutic frame. Since then I have been working psychotherapeutically with a wide variety of client groups in the public, private, educational, and health and wellbeing sectors, as well as providing clinical supervision and reflective practice to individuals and groups.
Professional Experience
Over the last 20 years I have worked within the NHS, initially at Springfield Hospital as part of the Arts Therapies team and at the National Adult Deaf Services in London as the lead dance movement psychotherapist. Currently I am working for CNWL NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust as a clinician and Open Dialogue practitioner in adult psychiatric rehabilitation, as the practice lead for a systemic and creative team development intervention called the CaRE Project and as the training development lead for the International Centre for Arts Psychotherapies Training (ICAPT) . I am a visiting lecturer on the University of Roehampton MA DMP training and Short Courses Programme. I have also been involved in a national research project, testing the efficacy of body-based psychotherapy in reducing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. This research influenced the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on treatment and management of psychosis and schizophrenia in adults. From 2005 to 2016 I worked at the Priory Roehampton Hospital as a sessional therapist with individuals and groups, primarily specialising in adult and adolescent eating disorders and body image. My work also included general adolescent mental health and emotionally unstable personality disorder. Further to this inpatient and specialist mental health experience, I also work with a range of other populations and symptoms, including in private practice.