I’ve worked for the Not for Profit Sector for over three decades as a counsellor, trainer, researcher and more recently, as a freelance hypnotherapist and psychotherapist.

All of my work has been about facilitating people to achieve change, both within work and personally. My passion is seeing people mobilise their inner strengths and resources and move towards living their best life.

I trained as a hypnotherapist after experiencing how treatment helped me when I was suffering from stress and sleeplessness. Within a few sessions, I’d made some exciting, life-changing decisions, which have turned out to be some of the best I’ve ever made.

I work in clinics in Stroud and Cirencester as well as working for Breast Cancer Haven offering hypnotherapy and counselling in Worcester Hospital. I also work online which increases the accessibility of my service and means I can see people from outside the area, and even from other countries.

I’ve lived in Stroud, which I adore, for over 20 years and have a son and step-son, both of whom have now left home.

The sort of hypnotherapy I offer is Solution Focused, based on Solution Focused Brief Therapy. It’s a robust, evidence-based approach founded in neuroscience, so the first time we meet, we talk about the brain and use this information as a foundation for further sessions.

The approach is forward-looking and positive, focusing on what you want, rather than what you don’t want, what you can do, rather than what you can’t, the solutions rather than the problems, the future rather than the past. We discuss small, manageable steps to help you to move towards the changes you want to achieve.

We also discuss tools and strategies for reducing stress, promoting relaxation and dealing more effectively with difficulties.

A therapy session is about 2/3 talking and 1/3 hypnosis. Hypnosis (or a state of trance) is something we naturally go in and out of several times a day. It’s not about the therapist taking control of your mind, rather it helps YOU to take control of your mind and make positive choices and changes.