Frequently Asked Questions
Here you can have a browse of my FAQ's, or click on this list below, to go straight to specific question you have:
Do I need to have anxiety to work with you?
Not at all. Anxiety is just one way that unmet emotional needs manifest themselves - Anxiety the most common manifestation that I work with, but it is by no means the only presentation I am qualified to support you with. You may have any of the following primary struggles instead: Depression, Perimenopause/Menopause, Trauma, Relationship challenges, Grief, Rage, Overwhelm, Burnout, Stress, Feeling numb, Low self-esteem, Guilt, Shame, Lacking self-confidence, People-pleasing, Imposture syndrome, or a generalised feeling of 'stuck-ness' in your life. If you feel aligned with my way of working, and you are curious as to whether I might also be a good fit for you - please do get in touch.
Do I have to be a mother to work with you?
No, I also have extensive experience supporting women who are not mothers (whether by choice, or circumstance, or who are preparing to become a mother), and men too. I admittedly have limited experience in working with people who are non-binary, gender non-conforming or queer, but I certainly welcome anyone who wishes to reach out to work with me, however they identify in terms of gender.
You may also have a caring role for others in your work, such as being a therapist yourself, or a nurse, physio, OT, etc. - So many caring roles involve intensive 'mothering', and many professionals who offer care to others also struggle with the anxiety that often occurs as a result of their needs being relegated 'to the bottom of the caring pile'.
What is most important for you to consider is whether you feel aligned with the way that I work - Using trauma-informed, compassion-based approaches, going deeper, exploring your past and its connections to your present struggles, and encouraging more emotional literacy and emotional expression from you, to guide you towards your own humanity, intuition and integrity.
If you feel aligned with my way of working, and you are curious as to whether I might also be a good fit for you - please do get in touch.
Do I have to be over 35 years old to work with you?
No, I also have extensive experience supporting women throughout the whole lifespan.
You may be experiencing emotional challenges in the transition to becoming a Mum and be younger than 35 years old - This is very common, particularly in the context of life-long anxiety, and I absolutely have the skills to support you too - Whatever your age, you too can work with me, to begin to feel more confidence, calm & joy in your mothering journey.
And, importantly, whether or not you are a Mum, the transition from being an adolescent to an 'adult' is often another very tricky transition, especially for those of us who have experienced chronic anxiety since childhood. I have extensive experience in supporting young women to navigate this transition too, and to feel more competence and confidence as their world expands into adulthood, and they begin to shape their own life for the first time.
What is most important for you to consider is whether you feel aligned with the way that I work - Using trauma-informed, compassion-based approaches, going deeper, exploring your past and its connections to your present struggles, and encouraging more emotional literacy and emotional expression from you, to guide you towards your own humanity, intuition and integrity. If you feel aligned with my way of working, and you are curious as to whether I might also be a good fit for you - please do get in touch.
Do you offer couples sessions?
Yes - I also offer couples therapy, in-person only, in my beautiful consulting room, which is based in Ripon, North Yorkshire. I do not currently offer online therapy to couples, and I nearly universally recommend that a couple seek in-person appointments, for couples therapy, near to them.
Like in my individual sessions, I use trauma-informed, compassion-based approaches to go deeper with couples to the roots of their difficulties - We will explore both of your childhood's, to a degree, and make connections from there to your present struggles in your relationship. I also encourage more emotional literacy and emotional expression from each of you, to guide you towards your own humanity, intuition and integrity, as well as to better connection to each other.
I bring an intersectional feminist approach to couples sessions, just as I do to my individual sessions - This does not mean at all that 'I'm on the side of the woman' (if you are in a heterosexual relationship), but instead it means that I acknowledge that a patriarchal framework of relating harms men just as much as much as it harms women, and that any connection & intimacy between any two people is always compromised within a purely patriarchal frame of reference.
If you feel aligned with my way of working, and you are curious as to whether I might also be a good fit for you - please do get in touch.
How many sessions will I need?
People work with me for varying numbers of sessions.
In all cases, we will begin with one initial assessment session, with no need for either of us to commit beyond this session. This allows us to get a better idea of whether we are a good fit for working together.
If we do agree to work together after this first session, it will then be possible for you to arrange weekly appointments from that time. We will then explore options for the duration of the therapy collaboratively, during our work together.
In my experience, longer-term therapy allows time to build trust, and connection, and allows us to go deeper into the origins of your struggles. While I wholeheartedly believe in the power of longer term therapy to create more opportunities for better, and longer lasting results & healing, I also totally understand that time and/or financial constraints may necessarily limit our work together - This is why we will always decide together how long to work together for.
Do you bill through insurance companies?
No, I do not bill through medical insurance companies.
I work with self-funding clients only*.
*With one exception: I do work with clients who pay for sessions with me upfront, and then receive reimbursement from their insurance company for the cost of the session(s). Please check with your insurance company if this payment structure is acceptable to them.
What is your GDPR Privacy policy?
what books & resources do you recommend, if I'm not quite ready for therapy?
As a psychologist, a woman and a mother, I wholeheartedly recommend these books for women and mothers, for a focus on your wellbeing (I'm sure all are available on audiobook, if you need to listen on the go!).
It is also important to note that none of these books will have all the answers you are seeking. When I read self-help books, I always take only what fits for me, and I discard the rest, and I recommend you do the same. It is one of the ways that psychological therapy can be extremely useful - to help you shift from just reading, to meaningful action in your unique constellation of life. In the meantime, I have found nuggets of absolute gold, for me, in each of these books:
Regarding Chronic Anxiety & that 'never enough' feeling:
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Burnout, by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski
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Rushing Women's Syndrome: The Impact of a Never-ending To-Do List and How to Stay Healthy in Today's Busy World by Dr. Libby Weaver
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First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson
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If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie
Regarding unmet needs, denying our emotions, self-care & emotional health:
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The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown
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Daring Greatly, by Brené Brown
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Untamed, by Glennon Doyle
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Real Self-Care by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
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Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
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Rest Is Resistance: Free Yourself from Grind Culture and Reclaim Your Life by Tricia Hersey
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The Wisdom of your Body by Hillary L. McBride
Regarding hormonal health & honouring our monthly cycles, in our 20's and 30's:
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Wild Power - Discover the Magic of Your Menstrual Cycle and Awaken the Feminine Path to Power by Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer
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Rushing Women's Syndrome: The Impact of a Never-ending To-Do List and How to Stay Healthy in Today's Busy World by Dr. Libby Weaver
Regarding Early Motherhood. & Matrescence:
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Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childhood and Motherhood by Lucy Jones
- What No One Tells You by Alexandra Sacks & Catherine Birndorf.
Regarding peri/menopause:
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Wise Power: Discovering the Liberating Power of Menopause to Awaken Authority, Purpose and Belonging by Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer
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Second Spring: The self-care guide to menopause by Kate Codrington
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Hormone Repair Manual: Every Women's guide to Healthy Hormones after 40 by Lara Briden
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Hagitude by Sharon Blackie
Do you offer psychology supervision?
Yes, I offer clinical psychology supervision to qualified clinical psychologists, and I offer psychology consultation to various professionals.
The fee is £140 per hour-long session, and is typically held online, although if you are local to Ripon, North Yorkshire, it would be pleasure to offer you in-person supervision.
I bring all the same models & perspectives to supervision, as I bring to my client work, so please do have a read of the About Me section, to see if I feel like a good fit. If you do wish to access supervision from me, then please do get in touch - please let me know in your message that it is supervision that you are seeking, as I also offer therapy to clinical psychologists and various helping professionals too.