About Me

As a humanistic counsellor, I believe that we each have the capacity for change, even when life feels overwhelming or uncertain.My path into counselling came from lived experience — from struggling in my formative years with addiction, mental health issues and undiagnosed ADHD, to more recent but no less profound experiences of coming to terms with the messiness of life in both it's joys and in its pain.It left me with a deep respect for how hard it can be just to keep going, and a drive to offer others the kind of space I believe all us need: where you feel seen, understood, and not alone.I'm particularly drawn to the profound effects of the natural world on our mental and emotional well-being, making nature-based therapy a core part of my philosophy. As well as spending frequent, and sometimes extended, periods of time in nature, I also engage in a number of woodcrafts using materials I find in the places I frequent.For those interested you can read more about this and see pictures of the things I make here

I hold a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and have worked in NHS, third sector and private institutions providing me with a broad range of experience in the field of mental health, alcohol and substance misuse and gambling addiction with both adolescents and adults.This is complemented in my current work by a number of years experience working in the nature conservation field, where I led practical, educational and nature connection groups for the general public and hold a Level 3 Diploma in Countryside Management and Environment Studies.In our sessions my commitment is to create a confidential and compassionate environment. I'm here to support you in exploring your experiences, gain fresh perspectives on what feels stuck, and navigate your life transitions with greater clarity and resilience.My goal is to help you cultivate a deeper connection with yourself and ultimately to be who you want to be.

Who I Work With

I work with adults age 21 and over who are struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction and related issues.These include:

  • Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

  • Self-loathing and low self-esteem

  • Chronic Stress and Burnout

  • Loneliness and social isolation

  • Pressures of living with ADHD and/or ASD in a neurotypical world

For some people, it may be that none of the words and phrases I use above quite capture the experience that is causing you distress.Some ways of re-framing these labels in more everyday would include:

  • Feeling 'stuck' or 'lost'

  • Feelings of emptiness, numbness and disconnection

  • Feeling chronically overwhelmed

  • Feeling like a 'failure,' a 'loser' or that you are not reaching your potential

  • Feeling like you don't know who you are

  • Chronic shame and self-doubt

I provide a fuller account of the signficance of shame in psychological distress here.If you are struggling with any of the above, or feel like you resonate with anything you have seen here then please don't hesitate to reach out using the link at the bottom of the page.

Why Do Therapy?

Heavily influenced not just by my training in humanistic counselling, but also by Buddhist philosophy and time spent in nature, I believe that we are not separate from the world we inhabit. We are a product of our environment and as such our habits and ways of being are nothing more than adaptations, ways of solving the problem of meeting our needs in the ever-changing environments we find ourselves in.Even depression, anxiety and addiction, are adaptations - in their own way, they are providing you with a protection from some aspect of the world in which you exist.

The key way in which therapy works is by providing a new set of conditions in which these adaptations cease to become relevant, and in which new more useful ways of being can start to emerge. These new conditions include:

  • A safe relationship in which you can share things you may find it difficult to share elsewhere

  • Grounding and regulation techniques that help you to change your inner, emotional landscape

  • A physical space that you associate with comfort, warmth and acceptance

As in life, everybody's therapy journey is unique. Some may find the answers that they are seeking in only a few sessions - for others the process may be a longer one. Whichever it is for you, know that you can trust in the process however in unfolds for you.So too, every therapist is unique, in their approach, and the ways in which they form relationships with their clients. There is no one-size-fits-all, and beyond safe, ethical practice, there are no 'shoulds' as to how a counsellor may provide support - as indeed there are no shoulds as to the type of therapy or therapist you seek.

How I Work

Why Nature-Based?As a nature-based counsellor I conduct the majority of my work in natural settings. I choose to work in nature because of it's unique capacity to support wellbeing, offering as it does the antidote to many of the psychological difficulties that we experience as modern humans.As an alive, dynamic, and non-judgemental entity, it is both supportive of change and also a grounding presence that can help us to reconnect when anxiety, depression, or self-critical thoughts feel overwhelming. A source of meaning and beauty, it also acts as a mirror, providing an endless source of insight and metaphor that brings us towards a closer awareness of ourselves and the world around us.

What Will Happen in Sessions?Most of our time together is spent in reflective dialogue, helping you understand your experiences and how they impact your life. At times this will be a gentle and open - at others we may experiment with a more challenging, directive stance.Depending on what feels helpful, we may also include breathwork, creative or embodied exercises, or other approaches designed to support insight, awareness, and regulation.Sessions can be conducted in a walk-and-talk format, or we can sit in a quiet outdoor spot, creating space for reflection and connection.The focus is always on meeting you where you are, helping you make sense of your experiences, and supporting you to discover ways of being that feel meaningful, sustainable, and more connected — to yourself, and to the world around you.

Shame

"Shame is a soul-eating emotion..."
―Carl Jung

"The most paradoxical aspect of neurotic shame is that it is the core motivator of the superachieved and the underachieved, the star and the scapegoat, the righteous and the wretched, the powerful and the pathetic"
―John Bradshaw

Through my own ever present desire to understand both myself and others, I have come to believe that most, if not all, of our psychological distress is driven not by the symptoms - depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidality etc. - that we so readily identify as being 'the problem.' In fact I view these as simply being manifestations of something far greater, and far deeper, something that pre-dates all these things.But because it is at once deeper, older and more fundamental to our view of ourselves, is also far more difficult to perceive, identify and work with. And yet it is this core experience that underlies human suffering.I speak of course, of shame.

Shame is a profound and often deeply felt belief that there is something fundamentally wrong with us and therefore with our lives and the world at large. For some of us it is the air we breathe, the lens through which we view ourselves and the world, colouring and tainting everything we think and feel, informing every action we take.Whereas guilt is a feeling of regret for what we have done, shame is regret for who we are. If left unchecked it eats away at us, providing the necessary fuel for mental and physical illness, keeping us stuck in old ways of being, depriving us of our capacity for joy, and removing the possibility for real connection and love.

Usually originating in childhood, it has strong links with trauma, especially in how it manifests in our nervous system, for some leading to a near-constant state of fight, flight or freeze. This could show up as hyper-vigilance and anxiety, rage and violent aggression. It might manifest as numbness, dissociation and shutdown.Or it may be more insidious, sneakier, more pernicious, making its presence felt in our very attempts to overcome it: through perfectionism, compulsive achievement and a ceaseless pursuit of the validation of others that we believe, somewhere, must hold the key to true happiness.Or finally, we try to bypass it completely. In recovery circles addiction is often referred as a fear-based illness. I disagree. I believe that the extent of any given addiction - be it alcohol, substances, gambling, sex or any other behaviour that we use compulsively in order to provide comfort from difficult emotions, even where we know that behaviour is harming us, and the people around us - is in direct proportion to the shame from which it is attempting to escape...You don't, however, have to have experienced serious trauma to suffer with chronic shame. Mis-attunement from caregivers, arguing parents, sibling and peer rivalries, belonging to a minority group within the wider society...these all have the potential to develop into a view of ourselves that is based on supposition that we are the problem, a supposition that is at best deeply uncomfortable, and for many of us absolutely intolerable.

When an experience is intolerable in this way our bodies and our minds do incredible things to protect us. And this is where things get interesting...What if depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and addictive behaviours, far from being the root causes of our struggles, were actually ways we have developed to protect ourselves?What if the numbing effects of low mood, the heightened stress of constant worrying or the warm oblivion of addiction were actually ways of keeping us safe from a deeper, more fundamental pain?What if it is this in and of itself where the hope of a different way of being lies...?

The Wisdom of Shame

“For magic consists in this, the true naming of a thing.”
― Ursula K. LeGuin

"Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance."
―Brene Brown

To begin to perceive our shame directly, to experience it as it is, is to begin to chip away at the hold it has over us. For most of us, this is a process that takes time, effort and a great deal of courage. It requires a slow and gentle peeling away of all the layers, starting with the anxiety, the depression, the addiction and the emptiness - the symptoms of the thing. For some, this is enough. Life can resume with a lightness and ease not possible in the midst of struggles with mental health.For others however there is yet further to go, a nagging feeling of something else, something greater, deeper, or simply felt but out of sight. And so we continue on the journey...For those who do there are no guarantees. The task is different for everyone who undertakes it. There are however two things I believe we can say for certain:

  1. It won't be easy

  2. Through the struggle, we will discover wisdom

To say it won't be easy is something of an understatement. Working through our core shame can, at times, feel like risking oblivion. It challenges us to our very roots, in ways that may surprise us.It goes without saying that we need a high degree of safety in which to engage in such an undertaking, which is why a secure therapy relationship based upon mutual trust can be such a beneficial - but by no means the only - context in which to do this work.

And then, gradually, gradually, at times almost imperceptibly, we begin to notice things. Life begins to feel, different. Our attitudes towards objects, towards other people, begin to change. New vistas emerge, light begins to find its way through the cracks, fresh air percolates, driving out the dust.Acceptance, connection, love and gratitude - all those things that for so long appeared as mirages on the road before us become tangible, felt and lived. We find a solidity in our own steps, and an ease in knowing when we may need to lean on others for our support. Life becomes turgid with meaning, with purpose and possibility.It's still painful. It's still imperfect. And at times, part of us still yearns to be beyond it all, the pain, the suffering, the grind.But a bigger, and growing, part of us knows that it continues regardless and the fact that we are not there yet can only mean one thing: that this is only the start.

For more information about how I work with the issues described above in my practice click on the image below

Where do Sessions Take Place?

I offer therapy in three ways: outdoors in natural settings, online via video call, and in-room. We’ll choose the format that feels most supportive and accessible for you.

Outdoors

For those drawn to working outdoors, I work in Highbury Park.Situated between Moseley and Kings Heath in South Birmingham, it offers a quiet, grounding backdrop that many clients find calming and clarifying. Whether we walk or sit, being in nature can help ease into the therapeutic process in a gentle and spacious way.The park is easily accessible, with a free car park accessed via Dad's Lane. It is served by bus numbers 50, 35, 11A/11C, 76 and 27 and will shortly be accessible by train at the new Kings Heath Railways Station.

See the pictures below for a flavour of what to expect from the surroundings across the seasons..

Indoors

I do understand that for any of number of reasons, outdoor working may not be for everyone and so I also offer face-to-face sessions from my consulting room in Kings Heath.

Online

For online work, you simply choose a space that is confidential and works for you and we connect via phone or video call. For many this is the easiest, most convenient way of working and for many people is as affective as traditional face-to-face counselling.

Remote Nature-Based

Remote sessions can also be facilitated in nature, either via video or phone call. This allows us to benefit from the grounding presence of the natural environment, even when we're not in the same physical space together.

To learn more about me, click the image below

Plant and Woodcrafts

Alongside my counselling work, I make simple functional and decorative pieces from foraged wood and plants. This process draws on the same values that sit at the heart of my nature-based practice: attentiveness, patience,and respect for the living world. Working with wood and plants invites a slower pace and a different kind of listening — to grain, growth, and form. Many of these woods come from the same outdoor spaces where I carry out my therapeutic work.The pieces I make are not perfect, nor would I want them to be. In fact it is extremely important to me that the imperfections - knots in the wood, chainsaw marks, fungal or insect damage and weathering - are given space to be in the finished item. Like in human relationships, there are always flaws, natural features or scars, wounds that have been acted upon us, that inevitably show up even where we try our best to hide or suppress them. I believe that it is through accepting and even prizing these aspects of ourselves, of our lives and of the things that inhabit our world that beauty, meaning and connection can emerge.

Mounted Epiphytes

Epiphytes are a type of non-parasitic plant that grows on other plants. They are often seen growing on tree bark, or in clumps of moss. They obtain their moisture from the surrounding environment in a range of ways dependent on species, but always without taking from their host.I was first introduced to mounted epiphytes by my wife. In her native Taiwan they’re commonly grown in homes, on the street and in cafes and other businesses (see image below).I was immediately struck by the strange, striking forms and the sense of abundance that emerges from seeing man-made structures dripping with lush greenery. Immediately hooked, we got to work making some for ourselves - initially just for our home, but increasingly for family, friends and more recently paying customers.

The range of epiphytic plants available in the UK is somewhat limited, but still substantial enough to sustain our ongoing experimentation. We primarily use staghorn ferns (Platycerium spp. - particularly the common staghorn fern Platycerium bifurcatum) due to their striking appearance and relative resilience in their non-native climate. As the name suggests, they bare a resemblance to deer antlers, and thus mounted on a wall are reminiscent of a stag's head hunting trophy.Other species we regularly mount include the blue-star fern (Phlebodium aureum), fish-bone cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger) and bromeliads (Bromeliaceae spp), amongst many others.The wood used for the mounts are all either foraged or reclaimed hardwoods. As above (and below) I like rustic, organic forms for that honour the natural make-up of the material, always seeking to preserve the story a given chunk of wood has to tell and provide a setting for the plants that is aesthetically coherent.

Hand-Carved Spoons

I am also an occasional spoon carver, working directly from found wood using only axe and knives. They’re left unsanded — burnished or knife-finished — and shaped to remain close to the material they came from. I like spoons that look rough, organic, like they've been found on the woodland floor or amongst the embers of a still smouldering campfire.My favourite woods to carve with are birch (Betula spp.), alder (Alnus glutinosa) and cherry (Prunus spp.) foraged almost entirely from local woodlands, parks and gardens.

Below is a sample of some of my work from the past few years...

Both mounted plants and spoons are available for purchase upon request. Click below and drop me a message with a brief explanation of what you are looking for.Due to the nature and means of sourcing materials, I am unable to reproduce exactly anything pictured above, but will always do my best to approximate as closely as possible a given design.

Fees and Services

First Session
Free (outdoors or online only)
I acknowledge that finding a counsellor, and particularly the right counsellor, can be both expensive and difficult, so I provide our first session free of charge to allow you to get a true feel for whether I'm the right fit for you at this time.One-to-One Counselling
£60 per 50-minute session
Available at my consulting room in Kings Heath or online via Google MeetNature-Based Therapy / Walk-and-Talk
£60 per 50-minute session
Outdoor sessions held at local natural sites in South Birmingham. Sessions can involve walking or seated work, tailored to your needs and accessibility.

Contact Me

For direct bookings simply follow this link to schedule a session:https://calendar.app.google/Li7hAx7p8fdb3D7e7To ask a question, or find out more about how I work, please feel free to get in touch using the form below. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, usually within 24 hours, and would be glad to hear from you.

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Whether we work together or not, I wish you steadiness, clarity, and connection on your path.

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