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Areas of expertise
ADHD and ADD
I work as a specialist attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD) coach registered with the government's Access to Work programme. I help people with ADHD to better manage their symptoms by cultivating self-awareness and developing greater levels of emotional regulation. Often, you may know what to do but don’t know how to integrate the changes into your life. As my approach is solution focused, together we will address the more practical element of “how do I move forward?”’, and “how do I put this into practice?” so you can live your most fulfilling life. Ultimately, I help my clients operate with authenticity, clarity of purpose and self-confidence.
With ADHD and ADD, the hyper element of ADHD is what sets it apart from ADD. The hyper side of this is when you find yourself in a mental state where you feel a bit lost or out of touch. With ADD, it can be a mindset that manifests during stressful and difficult circumstances or events. You might function normally most of the time until you experience something stressful. This is why ADD can go unnoticed and is generally less prevalent than ADHD. With ADD it is all about how you operate under stress.
Most people who live with ADHD or ADD are highly value-driven. Therefore, it is important for me to identify and understand who you are, what matters to you, and what is most important in your life before we put any action plan in place. When it comes to our sessions, you will have full control. I can make an informed choice about what will be helpful for you, but ultimately it is up to you to decide the direction of the session and how often you would like to meet. Most of my clients benefit from regular weekly or fortnightly contact to maintain the progress made and remove the chances of life becoming overwhelming and inadvertently missing sessions.
Trauma and PTSD
Have you experienced a set of very difficult circumstances in your life where you did not have control? Have you found it difficult to understand the situation, or make sense of it? Did you feel like the situation ‘happened to you’? Perhaps you find it difficult to find your voice in the situation and to understand your place in it all. Maybe you don't feel like you belong, or you’re extremely self-critical. If so, you may have experienced trauma without realising it. Many people think of traumatic experiences as extremes, but it is a spectrum of experiences which can look different for everyone. Chronic stress and daily anxiety are the most common symptoms I see in patients. For example, if you feel stuck in your life, or you’re easily triggered and find it difficult to manage or regulate your emotions, this might be a result of trauma.
I’m a Certified Trauma-Informed Coach helping people suffering from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). My approach helps patients manage their stress, build emotional resilience, and feel empowered to move forward with their lives in the here and now. I support patients with their social relationships and help them navigate through conflict resolution, addiction, grief, loss, and burnout. Understanding how to manage and regulate your emotional response and understand who you are is the goal.
I will stand with you as you move forward in a more helpful and quality-driven way. My goal is to empower you to find your voice and place in your experiences. We will work together to resolve these issues and I’ll be with you every step of the way. I will help you learn how to understand and regulate your emotions, so you feel capable of managing triggering situations and accessing your authentic voice. Although we can’t fix the past, you will be able to confidently manage your future and live a more fulfilling life.
Self-Identity
Self-identity is your sense of self and purpose. It’s how you define yourself, and includes your characteristics, abilities, morals and values. If you’re experiencing issues with self-identity you might say to yourself, “I don’t know my purpose or direction in life”, “I’m trying to find myself”, or “I don’t know who I am anymore”. You might also experience low confidence, decreased motivation, or a lack of purpose and direction. If any of the above sounds familiar, it’s likely that you may benefit from reconnecting with your sense of self.
My goal is to show you how to identify and access your true self, and how to reach this with transformational coaching. Together we will seek to answer important questions such as “who am I?” and “where am I headed?”. Our goal is to tie the knot on who you are in the here and now. In some cases, there may be an overlap of issues to work through. Perhaps you’ve experienced trauma or you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Feeling uncertain about your identity can negatively impact the relationships you have with others, and with yourself. I can help you find harmony within yourself, understand your sense of purpose, and create a brighter future.
My approach to treatment
I understand it’s not easy to talk about the challenges you’re experiencing in your life. It's completely natural to feel nervous and apprehensive about opening up to anyone, including a therapist, especially as you may not have spoken about these issues before.
In my work, I take a collaborative, supportive, and non-judgmental approach to treatment. I will help you learn how to manage and regulate your emotions so you feel more in control. I will act as your listening partner, helping you to gain clarity, so you can identify your needs and how to can obtain them. As your coach, I’m here to truly listen to you, understand your needs, and support you on your journey towards a happier, healthier and more authentic life.
The first consultation is determined by your preferences and what you feel comfortable discussing. You have full control and can set the agenda yourself or ask me to lead the consultation. Generally, it’s helpful for me to understand your unique context and what you’re hoping to get out of working together. By the end of the session, we can begin identifying your specific goals for us working together, and their order of importance. I will also use this opportunity to explain my approach, introduce some models to support our work together and answer any questions you may have. Though I can make an informed choice about the approach that will be most beneficial for you, ultimately it is up to you to decide the direction of the session and how often you would like to meet. Most clients benefit from regular weekly or fortnightly sessions to maintain their progress and reduce the chances of life becoming overwhelming and inadvertently missing sessions. Most importantly, I understand it can take time to get to know and trust someone with your feelings. This is especially the case when we are seeking help. My job is to support you wherever you want to go. I will meet you in the space, and find a way through it with you.
Personalised treatment plans
When we work together, I will take into account your personality, values, mindset, physiological and cognitive processing styles, and your relationships and experiences to date. This will help me to ensure a truly bespoke and personalised approach is adopted throughout our sessions.
As a first step, psychoeducation is key. We will discuss how stress, negative experiences, and trauma, operate in the body so you understand how they work in basic terms. This will help you to understand how they affect your decision-making and how you can take control of that process. Together we will look at the sense of self and identity so you can understand the frameworks that we will use.
Alongside this, healthy routines are crucial in terms of regulating our mood and maintaining positive well-being. I will explore all aspects of your lifestyle to help you regulate your emotions. Then, we will co-design and develop practical tools and techniques for you to try out in your daily life between sessions. We will explore their impact and value each time we meet, refining them as we go, so they are truly fit for purpose. That way, the plan works for you and you are able to engage in a happy, meaningful and productive life.
Medication
I’m not a doctor so I can’t recommend or prescribe medication. However, I understand that some of my clients may benefit from medications that address challenging symptoms or improve their overall mental state, as this can help people to engage more. If you’re currently taking medication or considering it, I can work with your psychiatrist and GP to create a collaborative treatment plan. I believe it’s crucial to support you to make informed choices about the role medication can play in your treatment plan, and feel confident communicating with other specialists about your specific medication needs and requirements.
Education & Training
I’m a Professionally Certified Coach and Psychologist (non-clinical) with over a decade of experience. I’m a registered member of the British Psychological Society and certified as a coach by the International Coaching Federation. I’m also a specialist ADHD coach and referral partner for the Access to Work programme. I currently work in my private coaching practice, which I set up over eight years ago. Alongside my practice, I provide coach mentoring and supervision for ADD/ADHD coaches toward their certification from the International Coaching Federation. I am also a Certified Leadership Coach. I was previously an acting Head of Communications for EMEA and a Chief Operating Officer. I work with companies and employees in both the public and corporate sectors to manage burn-out, work-life balance, career planning, motivation and performance. I spent two years working with the British Government Cabinet Office, providing Leadership Coaching to senior civil servants and I have also given talks and lectures at Middlesex University to students on these topics.
In my previous role as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in the NHS, I worked on the front line between Adult Mental Health, Chronic Pain and Adult Community Rehab departments at Homerton University Hospital. I was also part of the NHS programme ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) where I spent time screening and assessing those with anxiety and depression and provided them with evidence-based psychological therapies.
Regarding my education, I hold an MSc in Occupational Psychology (2014), an MSc in Psychology of Education (2011) as well as an MA in Philosophy from the University of London. I also received training and supervision in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) at St. Leonards Hospital, City & Hackney - East London NHS Foundation Trust.
Personal interests
I love to cook. I’ve been cooking since I was seven years old and am a big foodie. I think through food and I love exploring the world and different cultures through this medium. I love learning about people and cultures as well as understanding different ways of life. But I’m not a cook that will follow a recipe! Instead, I will travel somewhere and get inspired, find ingredients, and then create something with it - and for me, that’s a metaphor for life.
