About Me

I first entered therapy myself in 2001, precisely because of my poor relationship with food and my own body. I was anorexic and bulimic, and struggling more and more with cravings, purging behaviours, and weight gain. While I achieved a lot of insight into the causes underlying these problems and behaviours in psychotherapy, it was only when I brought somatic and psychosensory elements into play that I experienced a new way of being.

So many people come to me having tried talk therapy, and still wanting to see actual shifts in their behaviour and symptoms. Happily, real change is my primary goal!

Over the decades I have explored and trained in a number of tools and techniques that focus on shifting body chemistry and re-wiring the brain. With these, it's possible to create real, measurable change.

Hypnosis

For example, hypnosis has been used to reduce hot flushes, something most people think of as being a purely physical symptom. Measuring these hot flushes with electrodes stuck to peoples' skin shows a significant drop (over 80%) in the physical experience of these.

Equally, hypnosis is now recommended by the Government's NICE guidelines, as effecting improvement in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): another 'physical' complaint. And it has also been shown to have an important effect on the treatment of various skin disorders such as dermatitis, psoriasis, and verrucae.

These are real physical changes that can be achieved through communicating with your unconscious mind, working on stress reduction, and visualising new outcomes.

EFT Tapping

Tapping is another prime example of a technique that creates significant, measurable change. Studies have shown a drop in cortisol levels (one of the main stress hormones) of over 40% after just an hour of tapping treatment. And these shifts are lasting and repeatable.

And tapping doesn't just change your body chemistry, it also re-wires your brain. There have been multiple brain scan studies done on the subject. One of particular interest was carried out by Dr. Peta Stapleton, who showed a reduction in the activation of the reward centres of the brain when shown images of craving-inducing foods, after just 5 weekly tapping sessions.

Personal Experience

Training is important, and as you can see from my qualifications and further courses, I've done a lot of it. Yet I feel that personal experience is also relevant to why you might choose to work with me.

I am a recovered anorexic and bulimic, so I have experienced these issues in the flesh. I understand where you are coming from, and know how important it is to be able to act differently without having to 'just use willpower' or follow whatever latest fad diet or exercise programme is out there (and don't even get me started on chemical 'solutions' and their side-effects!)

Having struggled with cravings and the restrict-binge cycle for so long, I can break down what works and what doesn't. And I've experimented with different kinds of somatic and psychosensory techniques, to explore how these can best be used to create change that feels easy and playful, rather than effortful.