Private Practitioner, EMDR Supervisor and Trainer

2018 - Current

Crisis Skylight

2010 - 2021

Mental Health Coordinator
Crisis Skylight is part of a national homeless charity that supports individuals who fit our criteria around homelssness (currently homeless, or at risk of homelessness)

At Crisis I support complex individuals by offering psychoeducation and offering a range of psychotherapeutic approaches such as Mindfullness practice, Gestalt Psychotherapy and by using trauma informed approaches such as Eye Movement Dessensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). I am also responsible for the counselling service where I have been able to support volunteer counsellors in developing their counselling skills in hostels around the Newcastle area.

I also continue to offer training to staff and volunteers in the areas of suicide prevention/awareness, personal safety training and complex trauma training.  When I am not supporting people in my private practice I am proud that I can contribute in ending an individuals cycle of homelessness.

Chester le Street and Durham City Mind

2009 – 2016

GP Referral for counselling
I supported clients referred by local GP surgeries offering short term counselling for up to 6-8 sessions. I was able work with a range of presentation such as relationship breakdowns, depression, anxiety and bereavement. The charity specialised in offering support for people struggling with suicidal thoughts and was able to offer me a lot of experience in this particular area. 

Hospital Discharge Project
This was a joint project with the NHS and the Citizens Advice Beureu where I supported patients who were due to be discharged from the psychiatric unit at Lanchester road hospital in Durham. Through this project I was able to develop training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and group facilitation training,

MH/ suicide interventions Trainer
As part of both Gateshead and Durham’s local strategy in the prevention of suicide I was tasked with delivering both suicide awareness and interventions skills training. The training that I delievered was a package delieverd by an organisation called Living workds called safeTALK (3 hour suicide awareness training) and a 2 day course called Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).

MA Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health - Ongoing

Counselling/Psychotherapy Qualifications
Foundation degree in counselling 2011 - 2013 - Sunderland University
Introduction to counselling and NCFE Levels 1-3 in counselling studies 2008 - 2011
Accreditation with the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) - 2016

EMDR Therapy training/workshops

EMDR Training parts 1-3 - EMDR Europe - delivered by Dr Michael Patterson 2016-2017

Affect Focused EMDR / EMDR Conference UK 2024

Integrating EMDR with Polyvagal theory - Rebecca Kase - 2023

EMDR Consultant training - 2021

EMDR - Flash Technique training - Philip Manfield - 2021

EMDR with Parts and complex trauma training - Ana Gomez -2021

EMDR Accredited practitioner status gained 2019.

EMDR Working with Psychosis and Schizophrenia - Professor Paul Miller - 2019

EMDR - EGO State therapy (3 days) - Robin Shapiro - 2019

EMDR - Why everyone needs to know the EMDR Developmental modifications even if they only work with adults - Susan M. Darker-Smith - 2019

EMDR - Harnessing the power of creativity during EMDR - Angela Kennedy - 2019 
EMDR Advanced training with Dolores Mosquera - 2018
EMDR - R-TEP and G-TEP Protocol with Elan Shapiro - NHS -  2018
Cognitive Interweaves in EMDR with Dr Joany Spierings 2018
EMDR and complicated mourning - Dr Joany Spierings -  2018 
EMDR with Pain, Depression and Adults Abused as Children - Dr Michael Patterson - 2018
EMDR: - Feeling State Addiction protocol training - Dr Robert Miller 2017
Healing complex trauma and dissociation with ego state therapy and EMDR - Dr Michael Patterson - 2017

Other CPD workshops

Interpersonal Neurobiology - Dr Dan Siegal - 2023

IFS and addictions training - Dr Frank Anderson - 2022

From early attachement to borderline personality disorder: traumatic attachement and dissociation - With Dolores Mosquera - 2019
Integrating artwork into your counselling practice. BACP workshop 2017

Supervising volunteers training - Crisis UK, London - 2017

Complex needs and reflective practice - Ray Middleton - Changing Lives 2017
Working with anger BACP Workshop - David Woolfson 2016
Working with anxiety and depression - Hugh Waterson - 2016
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) - New College Durham 2015
Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) - Chester le Street and Durham City Mind -2015
Understanding personality disorders - NHS - 2011
Mental Health First Aid - Emma Power - Chester le street and Durham City Mind
Youth Mental Health First Aid - Emma Power - Chester le Street and Durham City Mind
Working and understanding personality disorders - Durham University - 2010
Working with Complex Trauma - Dr Jennie Omerod - Chester le Street and Durham City Mind - 2011

Train the Trainer courses
Train the Trainer in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) - Living Works Train the trainer in safeTALK - Living Works

Personal Safety Awareness training - Suzi Lamplough train the trainer

Recent Trainings delivered:

Developing resources for working with PTSD clients (In person training)- Jonathan Upshall Foundation - 2023

Developing Resources for complex clients (online training) - St James Place. - 2023

Understanding and Working with Complex PTSD (In person)- Jonathan Upshall Foundation - 2023

Secondary traumatic Stress and Compassion fatigue training (in Person) - Jonathan Upshall Foudnation - 2022