Psychotherapy


through movement

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

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 borderline personality disorder. I have worked within the NHS at Springfield Hospital as part of the Arts Therapies team and at the National Adult Deaf Services in London as the lead movement psychotherapist. Currently I am working for the NHS CNWL adult mental health rehabilitation service. I am a visiting lecturer on the Roehampton University MA DMP training, providing clinical placement supervision for 1st year students, acting as 3rd year tutor, lecturing and facilitating workshops for the CPD programme. Additionally I contribute to the Roehampton University Play Therapy training as a process group facilitator for the 1st year students. I have also been involved in a national research project, testing the efficacy of body based psychotherapy in reducing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Further to this inpatient and specialist mental health experience, I also work with a range of other populations and symptoms, including in private practice.

Therapeutic Approach

My aim is to create a safe, warm and sensitive environment in which a person feels met and supported to begin their own exploration. My theoretical orientation is integrative, blending humanistic, attachment, and gestalt perspectives. It is an embodied, relational and flexible approach which honours the uniqueness of each individual and values both body and mind. This offers not only the opportunity to think about change but to also move towards it.


In the therapy session I invite people to connect with their bodies to inform and support their process of self-discovery and personal development. Dialogue and verbal reflection blend where appropriate, with attention to bodily sensations, awareness of physical impulses and spontaneous movement explorations. Where helpful, music and a variety of props, natural objects and art materials may be introduced, including the use of symbols and images to gain insight into personal material. Working creatively in this way can help to externalise thoughts and feelings, giving space for new personal perspectives and expression to unconscious material.


I am informed by and adhere to the ethical guidelines and code of practice of the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP), for which I also worked as an elected council member during 2010-2013. I hold current disclosure and barring services certificates (DBS, previously CRB) for working with children and vulnerable adults and am continuously updating my skills and knowledge through a commitment to my own personal and professional development.