Biography
I joined Abertay University in 2004 as a lecturer in counselling. Previously, I had spent some 20 years in clinical practice as a mental health nurse and counsellor/psychotherapist within the NHS, private and voluntary sectors.
My clinical experience spans a variety of in-patient and community based settings, working with diverse client groups including alcohol and substance abuse, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression and trauma.
I’m a trained Mental Health Nurse with professional qualifications in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy and Counselling. My PhD – which I completed here at Abertay – is in Counselling.
I have completed accredited training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) - an evidence-based psychological treatment for PTSD and trauma reactions. I have also undertaken residency training in Solution-Focused Therapy in Germany with Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg - the originators of this approach.
Over the years, I have developed a keen interest in integrative and collaborative forms of counselling/psychotherapy practice. To support my professional practice and development, I maintain a small client caseload in private practice.
I’m an honorary research fellow of NHS Tayside and co-founder of the Scottish Voluntary Sector Counselling Practice Research Network.
