Welcome to my website!

I first trained as a counsellor over 20 years ago and have experience of supporting people through all sorts of difficulties.

I have a specialist interest in working with autistic and ADHD adults, including those experiencing burnout, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. I am particularly keen to provide a safe, accepting space in which clients can explore long-held feelings of being ‘different’ — of being tolerated but not fully accepted — or of feeling dissatisfied, disappointed and exhausted by the effort involved in trying to please others, meet others' expectations, or be ‘good enough’.

For many neurodivergent people, it is a relief to realise they are not alone in feeling this way, and that it is possible to find a preferred way of being in the world — including deciding to stop feeling the need to justify simply being who you are.

I don’t want or expect clients to change anything about themselves, especially not on my behalf. I’m not in the business of ‘fixing’ people, but do enjoy working with people to find solutions to problems.

Unfortunately, many autistic adults report poor experiences of counselling or psychotherapy where the practitioner has not had sufficient understanding of how differently the world can be experienced. I have a particular interest in supporting adults who are struggling to make sense of what it means to be autistic, and clients often tell me that the support I offer feels very different from what they have experienced elsewhere.

I am registered with the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy and run a private practice in Rossendale, East Lancashire alongside having also worked as a counsellor at Understanding Autism North West.

I 'm very happy to have a brief informal chat in the first instance, if you would like to know more about how I may be able to help. Please get in touch (email is best) to arrange a convenient time to speak.

I understand the anxiety people have in making initial contact. I also understand that my autistic clients may sometimes do this with the support of a partner, friend or relative. Though I am more than happy to speak to a third party in the first instance to provide further information, I do ask that those making a referral or initial enquiry ensure they do so with the knowledge and consent of the person being referred.