I was born in Germany, grew up in the south of France and qualified as a clinical psychologist in Britain. Throughout my training and early work experience I worked in hospitals, clinics and in the community, providing psychometric assessment, therapy, and group interventions in public and private services. This included a child protection multi-agency liaison team, an early years children’s centre and perinatal services, community child and adolescent mental health services and a refugee team. Much of this work centred on the impact of challenging life experiences and trauma on individuals and their families and so I have worked with children, adolescents and adults throughout my career.
I opened my own practice in the south of France in May 2010 and have continued working with people regardless of age, covering the variety of issues that bring someone to therapy. Rather than using specific terms or diagnoses I prefer considering these difficulties as a reflection of the multiplicity of ways our discomfort gets expressed when we encounter overwhelming emotions, crippling beliefs, burdensome experiences, and problematic contexts or circumstances, and that these get in the way of us being able to lead our lives with ease. I tend to work with individuals but like to consider, and at times include, the system around each person, depending on individual needs and preferences.
As a clinical psychologist I am trained in various models of psychological therapy, as well as in doctoral level research skills, which help me to make sense of the evidence for using different approaches effectively. I trained in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) by some of the leading scientist-practitioners from the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. My clinical practice has also been strongly influenced by my professional experience at the Tavistock Centre, internationally recognised for its excellence in providing clinical services as well as academic training in systemic and psychodynamic therapy. More recently I trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) at the Institut Français d'EMDR, the only recognised training in France, endorsed by Francine Shapiro's EMDR Institute in the USA, EMDR Europe and EMDR France.
Beyond theoretical models, a fundamental stance of empathic, respectful, and non-judgemental listening forms the basis of my work as well as promoting a sense of collaboration and creativity in developing an intervention that makes sense to the people I work with, suiting each person’s needs and preferences.
I am fluent in English, French and German. My varied personal and professional experiences enable me to provide high quality, relevant, and culturally sensitive services in different languages to the people living and working in the intercultural environment of the French Riviera. Over time, I have also brought more variety into my work, reflecting the rich professional collaborations that I have developed with esteemed colleagues, which allow me to provide more varied types of interventions to suit different needs and preferences.
Qualifications:
I opened my own practice in the south of France in May 2010 and have continued working with people regardless of age, covering the variety of issues that bring someone to therapy. Rather than using specific terms or diagnoses I prefer considering these difficulties as a reflection of the multiplicity of ways our discomfort gets expressed when we encounter overwhelming emotions, crippling beliefs, burdensome experiences, and problematic contexts or circumstances, and that these get in the way of us being able to lead our lives with ease. I tend to work with individuals but like to consider, and at times include, the system around each person, depending on individual needs and preferences.
As a clinical psychologist I am trained in various models of psychological therapy, as well as in doctoral level research skills, which help me to make sense of the evidence for using different approaches effectively. I trained in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) by some of the leading scientist-practitioners from the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. My clinical practice has also been strongly influenced by my professional experience at the Tavistock Centre, internationally recognised for its excellence in providing clinical services as well as academic training in systemic and psychodynamic therapy. More recently I trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) at the Institut Français d'EMDR, the only recognised training in France, endorsed by Francine Shapiro's EMDR Institute in the USA, EMDR Europe and EMDR France.
Beyond theoretical models, a fundamental stance of empathic, respectful, and non-judgemental listening forms the basis of my work as well as promoting a sense of collaboration and creativity in developing an intervention that makes sense to the people I work with, suiting each person’s needs and preferences.
I am fluent in English, French and German. My varied personal and professional experiences enable me to provide high quality, relevant, and culturally sensitive services in different languages to the people living and working in the intercultural environment of the French Riviera. Over time, I have also brought more variety into my work, reflecting the rich professional collaborations that I have developed with esteemed colleagues, which allow me to provide more varied types of interventions to suit different needs and preferences.
Qualifications:
- 1997-2001: 1st class honours at the University of Manchester, Undergraduate Masters in Psychology (MPsy) European Programme, including one year at the Université du Mirail in Toulouse
- 2003-2006: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford (DClinPsy), including six 6-month clinical placements in the NHS and a research thesis
- 2009-2010: PostGraduate Certificate in Applied Systemic Theory, University of East London / Tavistock Clinic
- 2010: Obtained the French équivalence from the Agence Régionale de Santé PACA, recognising my qualifications to practice as a psychologist in France: My ADELI number is 06-93-0931-8.
- 2017-2019: Fully accredited Level 1&2 in EMDR at the Institut Français d'EMDR (part of EMDR Europe)