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Psychotherapy
The therapeutic relationship can be a great source of relief and comfort and help us through the tough times. Often we emerge calmer, more confident, more resilient and with a sense of peace, because having someone there who understands, listens and does not judge is very powerful and can result in change on a huge scale.
I will support and guide you through the exploration of your thoughts and concerns and I will provide a calm, safe and caring environment in which to do so.
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, counselling, personal therapy - whatever the approach or the name, it’s a therapeutic, professional relationship. A relationship where you can feel safe, listened to and accepted. For many, this is something never experienced before.
Our relationship will be based on empathic understanding. This allows you to safely explore concerns, behaviours and feelings that you may not feel able to discuss with others.
Life can be a challenge. Things happen that we don’t plan for or expect and we may aim for change, but sometimes we get stuck. Often people don’t understand us and we can become anxious, fed up or down. Other times we fulfil others’ expectations of us and we end up feeling trapped and resentful because of this. Before we know it our relationships suffer or our appetite changes, perhaps we can’t sleep, focus or concentrate, or might we feel hopeless and sad. If this sounds like you, I invite you to get in touch. With my support and understanding, you can start to feel life is brighter.
Research
If you are interested in research-backed findings around adoptive parenting, then you're in the right place! Read on.
In 2019 I began a research project that asked the question “Levels of well-being in adults adopted as children – what can we learn?”
The research concluded in December 2020, and whilst none of it was particularly surprising, I was able to distil the research down to 6 key points for adoptive parents to consider in order to support the attainment of wellbeing in their adopted child through effective adoption parenting.
Background
Welcome to the website and thank you for taking the time to read.
Since 2011 I have been immersed in the world of psychology, counselling, self development, wellbeing and psychotherapy. I have been supporting people with their wellbeing and mental health in private practice for many years, supporting a wide range of issues, including issues of identity, anxiety, low mood, loss and relationships. In 2019 I embarked on a research study looking at wellbeing in adult adoptees.
My parents adopted me via private adoption at 9 days old in 1970, in England. Back then there was very little education around for adopting parents. They didn't know much about the separation trauma, they didn't give thought to the loss I had endured as a baby having been separated from my mother.
Like many would-be parents unable (or so they thought at the time) to conceive, they thought adopting a baby would be the answer. The answer for themselves and for me - a baby who needed a home. They were ill-prepared for the difficulties ahead, through the different phases of my development, for my internalising behaviours and later complicated attempts at understanding my identity.
It was a bumpy ride, one fraught with pain for us all, and frequent bouts of low mood and anxiety on my part.
But my experiences led me to self-help, to therapy, to psychology to psychotherapy and ultimately to adoption research.
I wanted to understand how the adult adopted community fare in terms of their wellbeing, when compared with the general population. And what I found was no surprise to me. I found that adoptees are over-represented in therapy, misunderstood and frequently lonely with their feelings. They feel guilt and a sense of betrayal towards the adoptive family for feelings that are entirely natural, and yet this side of the story is rarely discussed openly.
My purpose is to bring this to the awareness of all those involved in adoptive parenting now and into the future. So that all adoptive parents and prospective adopters can do their bit towards supporting adoptees in their quest for living with wellbeing. You can read more about the research here, and see my YouTube videos on this topic here