About Me
My professional and personal life has increased my awareness of the vulnerability we all share. Personal experience of loss and bereavement as well as witnessing a close member of my family suffer with mental health difficulties, has unearthed aspects of life which we can’t control, such as ageing, illness and death. However, it also highlighted the importance of trusting relationships which offer support and encouragement to help make sense of things and find a way forward.
Speech and Language Therapy
I have over 20 years of speech & language therapy experience so come from an informed place regarding the nature of your difficulties and the dilemmas or challenges you may face, offering:
- A broad knowledge base of a range of speech and communication difficulties.
- A specialist knowledge of acquired neurological communication disability: aphasia, dysarthria and apraxia.
- An understanding of methods and strategies to improve communication.
- An appreciation of clear, consistent support & information
- Insights into rehabilitation and recovery processes
Counselling
Having professional counselling training enables me to listen at a deeper level and work therapeutically to facilitate change. Relevant aspects include:
- Keeping informed of effective counselling approaches which are evidence-based and accessible.
- Setting up and managing a specialist counselling service within the NHS for people with communication disability following stroke. See link here
- Coordinating and facilitating Expressive Arts Workshops and Drumming Workshops for people with Aphasia
- Collaboration and joint working with specialists working in fields of counselling, clinical psychology and mental health.
