Difficulties I help with

Many people find there is overlap between these experiences, and we can think together about what feels most relevant for you.

Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek psychological therapy. It can feel like constant worry, a sense of being on edge, or sudden waves of panic that seem to come out of nowhere. For some, anxiety is longstanding; for others, it develops in response to a particular life event, health change, or period of uncertainty. While anxiety can feel overwhelming, it is also a natural and adaptive human response. It is part of the body’s threat and safety system — designed to protect us. Difficulties often arise when this system becomes overactive, persistent, or begins to interfere with daily life, relationships, or a sense of freedom. I work with a range of anxiety-related difficulties, including:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) ongoing, difficult-to-control worry
Panic Attacks (Panic Disorder) recurrent panic attacks and fear of further episodes
Social Anxiety (Social Phobia) fear of being judged, observed, or evaluated by others
Agoraphobia anxiety about being in places where escape feels difficult
Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviours
Health Anxiety persistent worry about physical health or symptoms
Anxiety related to neurological conditions, injury, or changes in health
Adjustment-related anxiety following life transitions, diagnoses, or stressful events

In therapy, I provide a space to understand your anxiety in context: not just as a set of symptoms, but as something that has developed for a reason. We work collaboratively to identify patterns, reduce the intensity and impact of anxiety, and support you in responding to it with security, safety, and confidence, aligned with your values.

Depression

Depression can affect how you feel, think, and function in daily life. It may bring a persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, reduced motivation, hopelessness, self-criticism, or a sense of emotional flatness and disconnection. For some people, depression feels heavy and unmistakable; for others, it appears more quietly, as exhaustion, withdrawal, irritability, or a growing sense that life has become harder to manage. Depression does not always arise “out of the blue”. Very often, it develops in the context of stress, loss, overwhelm, or significant life events. In fact, change is one of the most common contexts in which depression can emerge — and this includes both difficult and positive change. Experiences such as bereavement, relationship breakdown, illness, injury, moving home, becoming a parent, career pressure, retirement, or shifts in identity and role can all have a profound emotional impact. Even welcome change can bring uncertainty, pressure, grief, or disorientation alongside hope.

Depression associated with stress and burnout
Depression following bereavement, loss, or relationship difficulties
Depression linked to major life transitions or change
Adjustment-related depression following diagnosis, injury, or changes in health
Low mood, loss of confidence, and emotional withdrawal
Depression connected to neurological conditions or long-term health difficulties

I work with depression both as a clinical difficulty in its own right and as something that can develop in response to what life has asked of you. Therapy with me offers space to understand your depression in context: what may have contributed to it, what may be maintaining it, and how it is affecting your sense of self, relationships, and day-to-day life. From there, we work carefully and collaboratively towards relief, clarity, and recovery.

Trauma

Single-Event Trauma & PTSD

Trauma can develop following a single overwhelming or distressing event — something that felt threatening, frightening, or beyond your capacity to process at the time. This might include experiences such as accidents, medical events, assaults, or other situations where you felt unsafe or out of control. For some people, these experiences settle naturally over time. For others, the impact persists. This may be experienced as intrusive memories or images, nightmares, heightened anxiety, feeling constantly on edge, or avoiding reminders of what happened. Some people describe a sense that the event is “still with them”, even long after it has passed. I work with individuals experiencing the effects of single-incident trauma, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Therapy with me focuses on helping you process what has happened in a way that feels safe and manageable, reduce the intensity of distressing symptoms, and support your nervous system in regaining a sense of stability.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
Heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, or feeling “on edge”
Avoidance of reminders or situations linked to the event
Emotional or physiological reactivity following a specific incident

Some people’s difficulties relate less to a single event, and more to patterns shaped over time - particularly in early relationships or repeated experiences. You can read more about this in the section on relational and developmental trauma below.

Change

Unwanted Change & Finding a way forward

At times in life, something shifts — and we are left trying to make sense of what has changed, and what it means for us. This may be a change that was not chosen, or one that feels difficult to accept. Experiences such as a new diagnosis, injury, bereavement, relationship breakdown, or other significant life events can alter how we see ourselves, our future, and our place in the world. In these moments, it is common to feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or disconnected from a sense of stability. You may find yourself struggling to come to terms with what has happened, or noticing a gap between how things are now and how they used to be. Therapy with me can offer space to process these changes, support adjustment, and work towards a form of acceptance that feels meaningful and personally defined — not forced or rushed. At other times, the desire for change comes from within. You may feel caught in patterns that no longer feel helpful, or find it difficult to move forward despite wanting things to be different. There may be a sense of being held in place, uncertainty about what direction to take, or a lack of momentum that is hard to shift. I work with both the emotional impact of change and the experience of finding it hard to move forward. Together, we can explore what is keeping things as they are, what may need to shift, and how to move forward in a way that feels manageable, intentional, and aligned with your values.

Adjustment to life changes such as diagnosis, injury, or changes in health
Bereavement, loss, and relationship transitions
Navigating identity shifts and changes in role or direction
Feeling unable to move forward or caught in unhelpful patterns
Avoidance, procrastination, or difficulty making decisions
Desire for change without knowing how to begin

Therapy with me offers a space to work through what has changed - and to consider what may now need to change.

Adverse Early Experiences

Adverse Childhood Experiences/Trauma over Time

Not all trauma is linked to a single event. For many people, difficulties develop over time - particularly in the context of early relationships, repeated experiences, or environments where safety, consistency, or emotional support were limited or unpredictable.

This is sometimes referred to as relational, developmental, or complex trauma. Rather than being centred around one event, it may be reflected in patterns — in how you relate to yourself and others, how you manage emotions, and the strategies you have developed to cope. These responses are often highly understandable adaptations to earlier experiences. However, over time, they can begin to feel restrictive, overwhelming, or out of step with your current life.

I work with individuals experiencing the longer-term effects of relational or developmental trauma, including presentations consistent with a diagnostic label of Complex PTSD (cPTSD). Therapy focuses on building emotional stability, understanding relational patterns, and gently working with coping strategies in a way that feels safe, paced, and collaborative. Before starting such work, we will have an open discussion about the treatment plan for such a piece of work, which may include other clinicians, such as your GP.

Difficulties with emotional regulation (e.g. feeling overwhelmed, shut down, or reactive)
Relational difficulties, including trust, boundaries, or fear of closeness
Persistent self-criticism, shame, or low self-worth
Unhelpful coping strategies developed in response to earlier experiences
Patterns linked to early attachment or repeated relational stress

If your difficulties feel more linked to a specific event, you may find it helpful to read the section above on single-event trauma and PTSD.

Pain

Living with Chronic Pain

Living with chronic pain can be physically and emotionally demanding. Pain that persists over time often affects far more than the body — it can impact mood, sleep, concentration, relationships, and your sense of independence or identity. Many people find that pain becomes intertwined with daily life, shaping what feels possible and how the future is imagined. Chronic pain is complex. While it may begin with an injury, illness, or neurological condition, it is also influenced by how the nervous system processes and responds to signals over time. This means that pain is not only a physical experience, but one that is closely connected with emotional, psychological, and contextual factors. I work with individuals experiencing a range of chronic pain conditions, including chronic neuropathic pain and pain following spinal cord injury. I also support people living with pain associated with neurological conditions and long-term health difficulties. Therapy does not aim to dismiss or minimise pain. Instead, it offers a space to understand your experience more fully — how pain is affecting you, what may be maintaining cycles of distress or limitation, and how you can begin to respond to it in ways that feel more manageable and supportive. This may include working with the emotional impact of pain, reducing fear and avoidance, and developing strategies to support engagement in meaningful activities.

Chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms
Chronic neuropathic pain
Pain following spinal cord injury
Pain associated with neurological or long-term health conditions
Emotional impact of pain, including low mood, anxiety, or frustration
Pain-avoidance, reduced activity, or loss of confidence

Perfectionism & Unachievable Standards

Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Unachievable Standards

Perfectionism can often look like striving, high standards, and a strong sense of responsibility. These qualities can be strengths — helping you achieve, stay organised, and care deeply about what you do. At the same time, perfectionism can become exhausting, restrictive, or difficult to sustain. You may find yourself setting very high expectations for yourself, feeling that things are “never quite good enough”, or being highly self-critical when standards are not met. This can be accompanied by anxiety, overthinking, procrastination, or difficulty completing tasks for fear of getting them wrong. For some, perfectionism is closely linked to a sense of self-worth, making it hard to rest, switch off, or feel satisfied with what has been achieved. Perfectionism is often shaped over time — through personality, life experiences, and environments where performance, responsibility, or achievement have been particularly important. In some cases, these patterns can become more entrenched and pervasive, affecting multiple areas of life. These patterns are sometimes referred to as perfectionism or perfectionistic personality traits. I work with individuals experiencing difficulties related to perfectionism, including patterns sometimes described as perfectionistic personality traits or, in more enduring forms, features consistent with perfectionistic personality styles. Therapy focuses on understanding the function of these patterns, reducing self-criticism, and developing more flexible, sustainable ways of relating to yourself and your standards.

High standards that feel difficult to sustain or relax
Self-criticism, fear of failure, or feeling “not good enough”
Procrastination or difficulty completing tasks due to fear of mistakes
Overworking, difficulty switching off, or burnout
All-or-nothing thinking or rigid expectations
Perfectionism linked to anxiety, low mood, or stress

Functional Symptoms & Mind–Body Difficulties

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) & Functional Symptoms

I offer specialist psychological therapy for Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), also known as functional neurological symptoms, functional neurological symptoms disorder, or medically unexplained symptoms. The terminology used to describe these symptoms can be stigmatising and contribute to the individual avoiding healthcare and management of their symptoms. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and stuckness. Finding a shared language for your symptoms will be one of the first things we will work on together. You can read more about the need for sensitive terminology about the need for appropriate terminology in: this article

Some people experience physical symptoms that are very real and distressing, but are not fully explained by structural or medical findings. These are often referred to as functional neurological symptoms or mind–body difficulties. You may also have come across terms such as psychosomatic — although this language can sometimes feel unhelpful or stigmatising. It is important to emphasise that these symptoms are genuine. They are not imagined, exaggerated, or “all in the mind”. Rather, they reflect changes in how the nervous system is functioning — how the brain and body are communicating and processing information. This can affect movement, sensation, energy, or other bodily systems in ways that can be confusing, frustrating, and at times frightening. Common experiences can include symptoms such as non-epileptic seizures, functional weakness, sensory changes, chronic fatigue, or pain that does not have a clear medical explanation. These symptoms often develop in the context of stress, illness, injury, or other significant life events, but may also arise without a clear trigger. I work with individuals experiencing functional neurological symptoms in a way that is collaborative, respectful, and grounded in current understanding of the nervous system. Therapy focuses on making sense of your experience, reducing distress and uncertainty, and supporting more stable and predictable patterns of functioning over time. This may include working with the interaction between physical symptoms, stress responses, attention, and emotional processes — always at a pace that feels safe and manageable.

Functional neurological symptoms (FND)
Functional symptoms in other health domains
Functional weakness, tonus, or sensory changes
Chronic fatigue or medically unexplained physical symptoms
Persistent symptoms without clear structural cause
Impact of stress or life events on physical functioning

We can approach these symptoms with curiosity and care - not as something to dismiss, but as something to understand.