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

Modules:

Mindfulness: Neuroscience and application Oct 24

Psychology and Neuroscience of Psychosis July 24

Child and Adolescent Mental health: Child development Sept 24

Psychological Foundations of Mental Health Oct 23

Techniques in Neuroscience Sept 23

Biological foundations in mental health July 23

Social, Genetic, Environmental Foundations of Mental Health  May 23

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 was gained in 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