Hello, my name is Paul.  I have been working with mental health in the community for over ten years.  I started out as a youth worker twenty five years ago and growing awareness of mental health concerns in young people lead me to retrain as a psychotherapist.  The type of therapy I use is called Transactional Analysis.  I am particularly fond of this approach as it emphasises equality between client and therapist.  

TA works by helping you to better understand yourself and by extension feeling more in control of your life. 

To help explain this, imagine you are a pilot flying a plane;  we are all pilots of our own planes, and most of the time we rely on the autopilot to fly the plane for us. 

There maybe some who have an autopilot that can deal with whatever is thrown at it; maybe they have a great autopilot, or maybe they just haven’t had any heavy weather thrown at them.  In any case, what brings us to therapy is often the sense that something isn’t working right. 

I like to approach our sessions as a 'co-pilot in your plane'.  You are the pilot at the controls and we learn together how your plane works.  The ultimate goal is that you know your plane well enough to take full control and fly through all weather, good or bad, unaided.

I work with both female and male clients and I am happy to work with a range of concerns such as:

• Work place bullying
• Low self-esteem
• Relationships
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating disorders
• Trauma

I have a particular interest in working with:

Young people (owing to my experience as a youth worker). 

Men who have experienced any form of abuse (having had a number of clients who can relate to this, I am aware of the shame that often comes as a result of being abused and I care greatly about destigmatising this area of need.)

People who identify as nero-divergent (I am dyslexic myself, and I am keen to support others as they negotiate a journey through life that doesn't quite feel 'compatible' with the wider world)

...deciding to talk to a therapist is a significant step, I am happy to offer a free consultation over the phone or video call; my focus is very much about finding you the support you need.  If you'd like to talk further, please follow this link to get in touch.