Having worked with literally hundreds of clients over the last two decades, I am familiar with a broad variety of issues and if I do not feel competent or confident with something you present, I will help you find someone who is. Areas of my expertise follow.

• seeking job promotion
• desire to improve communication skills
• contemplating relocation
• desire to improve relationship skills, especially for the workplace
• “mid-life crisis” offering the opportunity to assess career choice and potential change in direction
• desire to build confidence
• wanting to be assessed by others as a leader
• feeling unmotivated in life when previously have been very motivated
• stress management
• family of origin concerns (relationship with parents especially if alcoholic or abusive, sibling issues, limiting familial beliefs, etc.)
• mood disorders such as depression and anxiety
• alcoholism or drug addiction
• blending families due to second or third marriage
• affair recovery
• divorce preparation or recovery
• parenting issues
• trauma whether childhood in origin or as a result of accident, abuse, war, etc.
• sexual abuse and rape
• resolution of grief whether through death or abandonment

In California, the work of psychotherapy and coaching is kept quite separate and when I practiced there, I was required to agree the relevant type of contract at the outset of work with a client. By contrast, in the UK there is increasing acceptance that some seasoned clinicians, like me, can navigate smoothly between the approaches, enabling the client to have their needs met whatever the focus of the work. More about the therapeutic-coaching approach here.

I am a member of various professional organisations which give parameters for how counselling and coaching may proceed ethically. I am guided by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and Association for Coaching. Each body has their own approach to the difference between psychotherapy and coaching, so even though it’s a useful question, the answer is not necessarily straightforward.

Briefly, the basic difference between psychotherapy and coaching is that psychotherapy deals with how someone’s present life is influenced by their past and coaching focuses on someone’s present and how they can design their future. Given the complexity of human experience and behaviour, and reflecting my own training, my approach is one of therapeutic-coaching.

More information about this distinction can be found on the page “Counselling or Coaching” and in the previous question about issues I work with.

My approach and philosophy has definitely evolved over the years. Initially educated in what’s called “family systems theory” I was trained to assess how our family of origin influences who we are and who we become. While I continue to believe this is an important piece of the puzzle I have since come to believe there are other major influences and that we have power over how we allow those influences to control us. I also believe that unless we look at the whole person – that is, body, mind and spirit – little progress will be made. This realisation comes out of working with clients over a period of years and noticing that despite amazing insights about why they were the way they were, these insights did little to change anything. Disappointing to say the least.

This disappointment is what led me to study with Strozzi Institute. I kept meeting people who had studied at the Institute who exuded a vibrant, authentic, confident self and I wanted to know how they’d achieved this way of being in the world. (I know to my British audience this may sound very “California” but there’s no other way to describe it, this is what happened).

I began studying with Richard Strozzi Heckler, Ph.D. and his team at SI in 1998. The Institute teaches embodied leadership and I committed to this both for myself and to pass on to my clients. The results have been extraordinary, beyond my expectations. I am absolutely clear that unless and until a body oriented approach is included in the equation of change, change may happen briefly but cannot be sustained over time. If someone wants to shift the way they are, they way they feel, they way they are perceived, then a wholistic approach incorporating the power of the body-mind-spirit is essential.

This body oriented approach is what we term “somatic” – “soma” being the Greek word for the “body” in its wholeness; not just skin and bone, but the body in its aliveness. This approach acknowledges the latest research revealing humans as an integrated neuro-psycho-biological being. Our neurology, psychology and biology are intertwined like the weave of a fabric and cannot be separated out.

By bringing attention to the body, being aware of our breathing, posture, and internal experience, the body becomes a resource rather than simply a vehicle for the head. As such, it becomes a powerful and invaluable resource as the leader of our own lives, families or the leader of others in organizations.

Whatever concern you bring to me to work on, a somatic approach will be beneficial. To resolve depression (think here your emotional self and your physical body) will need to learn how to be happy; to communicate more effectively you will not only need to cognitively learn the skills and techniques but also train your body to deliver the words in a more commanding way; to improve relationships you will need to communicate more effectively and have a vision of how you want the relationship to evolve over time. Every aspect involves your intellectual self, emotional self and physical self.

Is your curiousity piqued? Does this sound like something you would like to explore? Already have a sense that previous work you’ve done had something missing? Give me a call to see how a somatic approach can help you change your life.

I recommend 60 mins for zoom sessions and 90 mins for face to face sessions – this is something we can discuss and explore to ensure your particular needs are met.

If we are working on the phone, there may be times when we choose to schedule a thirty minute call. Either way, we will agree ahead of time how long the session will be.

You may have read elsewhere that sometimes it is beneficial to meet for longer than a standard session – I meet with some clients for half-day and day-long intensives. We can talk about the benefits of such arrangements for you when we work together.

Fees vary according to service and will be assessed and discussed when we begin our work together, being reviewed annually. The assessment we go through includes your objectives, any corporate contribution, and whether we contract per session, by objective, or for a period of time (such a six months). Fees are further determined by the intensity of meetings and their location – for example, some clients benefit from and prefer a schedule of half-day or full-day intensives, either at my office or closer to their home location. 

I accept cash at time of session and, by arrangement, BACS transfers within 24 hours of session completion or at the outset if a series has been arranged.

An initial session is about gathering information and agreeing the contract for our work. Sometimes we may have time to set goals, sometimes this takes place at the next meeting.

It’s difficult to describe a “typical” session because each one is different, reflecting both who you are and the best way to elicit the concerns getting in the way of who you want to be….can I describe a session where the concern is “being more at home in my body”? No, not adequately. What I can say is that we may have some time sitting talking, but we are more likely to be
standing, moving around, trying out different ways of being, in other words “practices.” Somatic coaching sessions may also include somatic bodywork and we can talk about whether or not this is relevant for you when we discuss what you want to get from our work.

If we are coaching over the phone or webcam (Zoom) you will call me at the agreed upon time just as if you were attending for an in-person appointment, and be available and undisturbed for our time together. I recommend the use of a headset and/or microphone. This facilitates hands-free conversation, enabling you to get up and move around if necessary.

Absolutely. Unless clients can be assured of complete confidentiality they do not feel safe; safety is a key ingredient in the process. I am deeply committed to my clients feeling safe with me and keeping their identity as clients confidential, as well as the nature and content of our conversations.

The ethical guidelines set out by the B.A.C.P. ensure clients have confidentiality to the extent the law permits – for example, there is an exception to keeping confidentiality if a life threatening safety issue is at hand. My working agreement goes into more depth and please feel free to discuss if you have specific questions and concerns.

This is always the hardest question to answer. The nature of the concern you bring determines how many sessions you need; the simpler the issue, the less the time it takes. I’ve known someone come to counselling and be complete in as few as six sessions; others have benefitted with a full eight or so months and some continue well beyond, perhaps having a quarterly check-in once the bulk of the work has been done. I’ve also known clients present with what seems to be a simple issue and found something much more complex lurking beneath requiring lengthy attention. When we have our initial conversation I’ll do my best to give you an idea of how long I think we’ll need based on my experience and we’ll monitor your progress and satisfaction as we go.

It’s customary in our profession for forty-eight hours notice of cancellation to be given, otherwise you will be charged in full for the session you have missed (unless there is a legitimate emergency). Further details are available in my working agreement which will be supplied for your perusal prior to work commencing.

I’ve been working with an International clientele for many years, well before the 2020 pandemic found us all on zoom or teams or similar. I now offer a hybrid platform combining London face to face meetings when possible and zoom the remainder of the time. I’ll provide you with a zoom invite exclusively for your use. We may also use phone from time to time, all in service of what best meets your needs/location.