Psychological Therapy
In psychology, a temenos refers to a protected space — a place set apart, where things can be held, explored, and made sense of with care.
Therapy here is offered as a temenos: a psychologically safe, collaborative space shaped around the person, not the other way around. This means working at a pace that feels manageable, attending to sensory, cognitive and emotional differences, and adapting the process so it genuinely fits.
This approach is grounded in neuro-affirming practice, trauma-informed care, and clinical experience across NHS and independent settings.
I work with neurodivergent adults who feel therapy hasn’t quite fitted — particularly where the world itself is part of the problem.
My Approach
Safety in the therapeutic relationship is the foundation for meaningful change. A multi-model approach, guided by the principles of compassion and trauma-informed care, ensures that your unique experiences and needs are respected and addressed.
- Initial Focus: We begin by understanding what has brought you to therapy, identifying your immediate concerns and needs.
- Collaborative Goal Setting: Together, we will set clear, achievable goals and develop a mutually agreed plan for therapy.
- Therapy Plans: I offer both short-term and long-term therapy options, with regular review points to ensure we are on track and making progress.
- Session Frequency: Typically, weekly sessions are recommended to maintain momentum, though fortnightly sessions can be arranged based on your needs and circumstances.
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Collaborative Psychological Formulation
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At the heart of my work is collaborative psychological formulation — a shared way of understanding what’s been happening and why.
Together, we build a clear picture of your experiences, patterns, strengths and stresses, drawing on your own understanding as well as psychological knowledge. This helps us make sense of how past experiences, neurodivergent traits, relationships, environments and nervous system responses interact in your day-to-day life.
Rather than following a one-size-fits-all treatment, formulation becomes our road map. It guides what we focus on in therapy, what approaches are likely to be helpful, and where adaptation, compassion or practical change may matter more than pushing for symptom reduction.
This understanding is not fixed. We revisit and refine it together as therapy progresses, ensuring the work remains relevant, respectful and grounded in your lived experience.
How I work with different therapies
I draw on a range of evidence-based psychological therapies, using them flexibly and thoughtfully rather than as rigid, one-size-fits-all models.
Many neurodivergent people have had difficult experiences with therapies that felt overly structured, invalidating, or focused on changing behaviour without understanding context. My approach is different.
I can work with fidelity to specific therapeutic models where this is helpful and wanted. More often, I work integratively, guided by collaborative formulation, adapting approaches to fit your neurotype, nervous system, goals and lived experience.
I don’t offer model-led therapy. I offer person and context-led therapy, informed by models.
Therapy is shaped with you — not done to you.
The approaches I commonly draw from include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — adapted to be neuro-affirming, formulation-led and context-aware, rather than protocol-driven.
- Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) — supporting emotional regulation, self-understanding and safety, particularly where shame or threat responses are prominent.
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) — offering practical skills for regulation, distress tolerance and relationships, adapted to individual needs.
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) — where appropriate, to support processing of trauma and overwhelming experiences.
Flexible session options
I aim to offer flexible ways of working so that therapy can fit around your needs, preferences and nervous system, rather than the other way round.
- In-person sessions
Face-to-face sessions in a safe, confidential setting, with attention to comfort, sensory needs and pacing. - Online sessions
Accessible and flexible, allowing you to engage in therapy from your own space. This can be particularly helpful where travel, energy levels or sensory demands are a barrier. - Walk and talk sessions
Where appropriate, sessions can take place outdoors. Gentle movement and the shared environment can support regulation, processing and practical application of skills in everyday contexts.
Session Pricing
Sessions are charged at £120 per hour, with payment made in advance of the session.
I am registered with most major insurers, including Vitality, Bupa, Axa and Aviva.
I ask for 48 hours’ notice where possible if you need to cancel or reschedule a session. I recognise that unexpected situations and fluctuations in capacity can arise, and any decision regarding late cancellations or missed appointments is made with care and discretion.
I also commit to giving as much notice as possible should a session ever need to be rearranged.
What matters in my work
- Clinical expertise, informed by lived experience
As an autistic clinical psychologist, I bring together professional training and lived experience. This shapes how I listen, how I understand distress, and how I think about change — particularly within neurodivergent lives and systems. - Neuro-affirming and formulation-led
I work from a neuro-affirming perspective, moving away from deficit-based models. Therapy focuses on understanding how experiences, environments, neurodivergent traits and nervous system responses interact — and what might help things feel more manageable or meaningful. - Accessible, collaborative and adaptable
Therapy is not about fitting you into a model. We work collaboratively, adapting pace, structure and approach so the work feels accessible, respectful and relevant to your life.