My approach
My training in social work has shaped how I understand the impact of systems and social structures on individual, family, and community wellbeing.
I don’t see people as separate from the communities and systems they live within, and I don’t believe that all distress should be understood or treated as an individual problem.
I work from a feminist and anti-oppressive framework and remain mindful of the power imbalance inherent in therapeutic relationships. I also aim to practise from a decolonial perspective that recognises the historical and ongoing harms of white supremacy, including dominant constructs of gender.
A reflective and ethical practice
I’m committed to ongoing reflection on my own position and power as a white clinician. I engage in my own therapy, as well as regular external and peer supervision, to support ethical and thoughtful practice.
Therapy as part of a wider context
I believe that therapy with a skilled clinician can be a meaningful part of many people’s healing journeys, alongside the support we receive from communities, spiritual and cultural practices, families, friends, and other important relationships.
Therapy doesn’t exist in isolation. It works best when it complements the care, connection, and strengths already present in a person’s life.
How we work together
In practical terms, this means working together to understand what’s happening, develop realistic ways of coping, and make changes where possible.
Therapeutic work, in my view, needs to attend to both people’s inner experiences and acknowledge the external systems, discriminations and pressures that can cause harm.
While I can’t change these systems on my own, I take them seriously and aim to support people to build understanding, capacity, and resources to ease the impact of what’s causing distress and the burden they carry.