Practical guidance and thoughtful perspectives on mental health, growth, and resilience in veterinary life

HOW IT WORKS

PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC COUNSELLING

Psychotherapeutic counselling ("therapy") is a way of getting to know yourself at a deeper level and can support you in living life more fully. Many people come to therapy not for a specific reason or difficulty, but to get to know themselves better and become more self-aware.

Therapy also offers a space where you can get support and work through current or past difficulties and traumas. These might include a bereavement, relationship breakdown, childhood abuse or neglect, other traumatic events, coping with a chronic illness, recovering from injury or work stress. Psychotherapeutic counselling can enable you to find peace with what has happened to you and face the future with confidence.

I encourage you to explore your thoughts and feelings about your problems, challenges and future goals at your own pace.

Therapy generally requires a long-term, weekly commitment.

Person-centred Exploration

I am trained in psychodynamic therapy. This means that together we can explore your life and behaviour patterns, and how these may have stemmed from past experiences - particularly from your developmental/childhood relationships. Here, you will be able to tell your story, feel heard and understood.

This can be especially helpful when exploring relational dynamics in the veterinary workplace - i.e., how you might react and respond to others around you at work. Understanding of your relational patterns in the safety of a healthy, boundaried, confidential relationship can help you to discover new ways to relate in the outside world. 



However, as I am a person-centred, integrative practitioner, I incorporate different approaches to suit your needs and preferences, and it is not always necessary to delve deeply into the past. I am trauma-trained and use a gentle, somatic-based, relational modality for working with trauma.

COACHING

Coaching is action-oriented, helping you to set and achieve goals for the future. These might be career direction decisions, leadership challenges or personal difficulties. Coaching works with thoughts and behaviours (rather than with feelings and emotions).

Coaching is usually carried out within a 'time-limited', short-term contract (e.g., 8 sessions) and sessions are usually fortnightly or monthly, or on an 'ad hoc' basis.

I can offer extended (90 min) coaching sessions, which can be particularly useful if you are working towards a specific goal.

SKILLED INTEGRATION: THERAPEUTIC COACHING

As a dual-qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor and coach, I have the skill to work in both a future, goal-focused way and a present, feelings-focused way, depending on your situation.

Therapeutic coaching combines counselling techniques to explore past difficulties, repeating patterns and limiting beliefs that may be holding you back from reaching your full personal and professional potential.



Therapeutic coaching usually requires a regular, medium to long-term, weekly commitment.

LEADERSHIP COACHING

I have worked with many senior leaders both within and outside the veterinary profession over the past decade. Leadership coaching with me focuses on developing your emotional intelligence. 

This can help you better navigate team dynamics, difficult conversations, change management, and build confidence in your leadership role - all while understanding the unique pressures of veterinary leadership.

This service is particularly supportive for practice owners, clinical directors, head nurses, and emerging leaders who want to develop authentic, relational leadership skills while effectively managing veterinary-specific challenges.

CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT

I offer a supportive, non-judgmental environment where the focus is purely on you and your situation.

I encourage you to explore your thoughts and feelings about your problems, challenges and future goals at your own pace.

I take confidentiality very seriously and believe that therapeutic work cannot take place unless this is upheld at every level. Confidentiality is essential to building trusting relationships, and I respect your right to privacy. This means that I will not share information from your sessions or any other information I hold about you with any other person, organisation or agency, other than with my professional supervisor or in truly exceptional circumstances. 



All enquiries are kept confidential and if there is a conflict of interest issue (for example, we know each other in another setting) I can support you in finding a suitable alternative therapist.

ALTERNATIVE SUPPORT OPTIONS

Looking for other therapist options? Explore our directory of qualified practitioners who understand veterinary culture

IN CRISIS? GET IMMEDIATE SUPPORT

If you need immediate support:

• NHS mental health services: 111 or 999, visit A&E or call your GP
• Samaritans: 116 123 (24/7)

Vetlife: 0303 040 2551 (24/7) - www.vetlife.org.uk