Qualifications & training

First Class BSc (Hons) Integrative Counselling*
- Person-Centred (Humanistic)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Existential
- Psychodynamic
Diploma in Counselling Children & Young People (SPC Training Academy)
Creative Counsellors (Fellow)
Mental Health First Aider (MHFA England)
Trauma Informed Practitioner (Gold Level - Thrive London)
Rewind Trauma Practitioner (IARTT)
Understanding Autism (Level 2 - NCFE CACHE)
Member BACP

As a member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), I work within their ethical code and follow best practice guidelines.

I am committed to ongoing professional development, and continuously strive to maintain and expand my knowledge and skills via workshops and conferences, through professional research and literature, as well as via my regular clinical supervision.
I am fully insured and hold an enhanced DBS check.

*If you want to know about the different counselling modalities, more details can be found on the BACP website.

My journey to becoming a counsellor

alt="phot of Lida with a giant sunflower"

The first thing it is important to know about me is that I am a human being, just like you, who has struggled.
Life happened to me, and it knocked me off my feet.
So after a long and successful career in financial services, managing projects and implementing change, I took a year out to figure out what was important.

At this point, I had volunteered for Samaritans for around 5 years, and in my time there, I learned that life can be unfair, it can be difficult, it can be messy and unpredictable for all of us, and it can feel frightening, lonely and very overwhelming at times. I felt so privileged that callers chose to share their stories with me. As I began to experience the world through their eyes, I learned how unique our problems and issues are, and the power of truly listening, of someone's experience being heard, understood and validated without judgement. I discovered how amazingly resilient people could be when they felt supported, even during unbelievably tough times, and this felt both rewarding and life-affirming.

And so began my journey to retrain as a psychotherapeutic counsellor, starting with a 3-year degree. Post-graduation, I initially worked with children, young people and adults via local agencies and in schools before setting up my own private practice.

Now, instead of helping businesses to deliver change, my area of special interest is supporting people to navigate life changes, to help them find their way forward when life happens to them.

My approach

I believe we all have within us the power to find our way forward when life knocks us off our feet, but we can’t always see it, we don’t always believe it, and sometimes we can become stuck and lose sight of it.

I can’t give you all the answers, as I believe that only you truly know what the missing piece of your personal puzzle is, or what the right answer for you looks like.

But I will come with you on that journey of exploration as you learn more about yourself. I will help you to look at your problem or situation more clearly, offering different perspectives and deepening understanding, and together we can explore all of the possible solutions. I will support you to make the right decisions for yourself, but not by yourself. And I will help you to move forward, towards thriving rather than surviving.

Working together

I know how hard it can be to ask for help, so I do my best to reassure my clients that we will always work together in a way, and at a pace that feels right for them and I truly want my clients to get what they need from our time together.

I have experience working with a wide range of difficulties but as every client and every problem is unique to them I offer a free informal chat which allows me to work out whether I feel I have the rights skills to best support you, and gives you a chance to decide whether you feel like I am a good fit for what you need.

Should we decide to work together, our sessions will either be held Online via Zoom, or in-person at The Willow Herbal Centre in Romford RM3, depending on your preference and we would usually meet on the same day and time each week as this allows me to reserve that space specifically for you. I do also offer sessions bi-weekly.

Our first session will usually be a consultation, which simply means I will ask you quite a few questions to learn more about you and what has happened to you - the pieces of your puzzle.

Counselling is a collaborative process and I will work with you from the start to identify what you want, or hope for, from your sessions and to agree on how we can best work together to achieve this, with regular reviews to check how we are doing. The number of sessions will depend on your needs and goals, and I usually allow the first few sessions for us to explore these as we get to know each other.

I will ask you to sign and return a counselling contract, and a client information form prior to our first session. The contract outlines the mutual responsibilities and terms of our therapeutic relationship, whilst the information form collects medical information and emergency contact details to help us to keep you safe.

Please read my Privacy Policy, which outlines your rights and my obligations with regard to collecting, using, sharing and storing your personal information.

Get in touch