Life and career

I’ve been an author, journalist and broadcaster in the UK and abroad. I’ve spent a number of years promoting sexual awareness through the arts and media.

Continuing Professional Development

I have completed a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of East London. The subject of my dissertation is Queer Menopause, and how therapists can support their queer menopausal clients.

I have regularly attended Pink Therapy’s ‘Advanced Clinical Discussions: Kink’ since 2013. In 2017-18 I attended a six-month long cycle of group supervision sessions focused on Out Of Control Sexual Behaviour, run by Dominic Davies and Doug Braun-Harvey.

In 2014 I started The London Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity Practice. Eight of us offer counselling, psychotherapy, mentoring and consultancy with a GSRD focus. We also offer training on a wide range of topics to media, charities and training organisations. We meet monthly for peer supervision.

To keep my practice up to date, I read books and journals and attend conferences and seminars. Here is a selection from the last two years:

• Pink Therapy: Queer Desire
• Confer: A Couple State of Mind: Insights into Couple Relating and Therapeutic Work with Couples
• Confer: Queering Psychotherapy
• Pink Therapy: Intersecting Identities
• Confer: The Use of Psychedelics in Psychotherapy
• Confer: Working with High Intensity States of Consciousness
• BME Voices Talk Mental Health
• Trans, Non-Binary and Intersex Conference 2018 at Brighton University
• Raise Your Gays: Gender Variance & Sexuality Diversity in Islam
• Family constellations workshop with Judith Hemming from the Centre for Systemic Constellations.
• Pink Therapy ‘Sex Works!’ conference about sex work and psychotherapy. Here’s my review of the conference.
• Critsex seminars on non-binary and menopause myths.
• Two day conference/workshop with Dr Stephen Porges: ‘The Transformative Power Of Feeling Safe: A Master Class On The Polyvagal Theory’

Training given/Events/Facilitation

• ‘Menopause, Sex and Hormones’ (talk) at Transitional States at Birkbeck in May 2018. (In 2018 I was on the advisory board of Pharmacosexuality: The Past, Present and Future of Sex on Drugs, a new research project funded by a Wellcome Trust Seed Award in Humanities and Social Sciences.) 
• I have trained other therapists about gender/sexual diversity in the therapy room.
• ‘The Sex Escalator’ (talk) at Hackney Attic.
• I have solo facilitated, and held space for other teachers, at a number of experiential workshops.
• I organised a section of Beyond The Rainbow, Pink Therapy’s 2015 conference for therapists of all genders and sexualities. (Keynote videos here.)
• I have provided counselling services at festivals.

Previous employment

• Honorary Psychotherapist, Bexley Psychotherapy Service, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (2012-14). Two years clinical placement at a highly respected NHS Trust.
• Counsellor, The Centre for Better Health, Hackney (2012-13). A year providing counselling for established community organisation that is also a social enterprise and community hub.

Qualifications

• MA Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of East London
• Level 7 Diploma in Integrative Counselling – Minster Centre, London
• AIT (Advanced Integrative Therapy) Basics.
• Mental Health First Aid (Camden Council).
• BA, MA, English Literature – Magdalen College, Oxford

Memberships

• Member of the NCS
• Member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union.
• I am insured with Oxygen Insurance.

Directories

• Listed in Counselling Directory.
• Listed in Pink Therapy Directory.
• Listed in Poly Friendly Professionals.
• Listed in Kink Aware Professionals.

You can contact me here.