fierce
adjective /firs/
Strong and powerful | Having a bold or heartfelt forcefulness in pursuit of a goal
In my years working as a therapist it has shocked and saddened me to discover how many people have had unhelpful experiences when seeking therapy. From being told “you’re broken” to being forced to pay up front for a big block of sessions, the current therapeutic model we have in the west is incredibly disempowering, patriarchal (think Freud) and rests on the premise that clients are innately damaged and need fixing.
Fierce Therapies was founded as an antidote to this!
Having experienced anxiety myself for much of my adult life, I have been lucky enough to work with some incredible therapists (as well as dodging some more questionable ones) and I can confirm that the vast swathes of global research are correct: It is the rapport you have with your therapist that brings about the biggest positive outcome.
When done well, I believe that the therapeutic space is one that can be positive, playful and incredibly empowering. I strive to help each and every one of my clients find their fierce by stepping into their power and building on the parts of themselves they feel most aligned with and wish to build on.
I have a proactive and solution focused approach, akin to Life Coaching, and see myself more as a guide or mentor than an “expert” - because you know better than anyone else what you want from life, you just need a bit of help making it happen.
Interested?
Qualifications and Experience
After initially training in Fine Art and Philosophy (BA), in 2007 I embarked on my second degree in Occupational Therapy (BSc) after which I started gaining more targeted mental health experience, working therapeutically in psychiatric inpatient settings with adults in mental health crisis. Through this role I was lucky enough to work alongside and learn from a broad array of experienced professionals, from Psychiatrists and Psychologists to Art Psychotherapists and Counselling Psychologists.
In 2013 I worked for some time in Bangladesh, supporting orphaned and abandoned children and young mothers to access education, training and the therapeutic input required to help them realise and fulfil their true potential. On my return to the UK I integrated my therapeutic skills within community settings, working for the Bristol Crisis Team, offering both face-to-face and telephone support as well as assessing adults for secondary mental health care.
In 2014 I spent some time working as a Paediatric Therapist, assessing for conditions such as ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder and dyspraxia whilst creating bespoke care plans for children and young people struggling to navigate these diagnoses within the context of their everyday lives. I then spent almost 5 years working for a leading young peoples’ mental health charity as a Therapy Supervisor, Services Manager and Health Promotion Lead. During this time I also worked as a suicide prevention trainer, delivering internationally recognised models to health and social care professionals across two counties.
In 2020 I took my toolkit into the classroom and worked as a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy (BSc) at the University of the West of England. Through this role I was able to really consolidate not only my in-depth understanding of a myriad of therapeutic models, paradigms and approaches, but in helping others to understand and integrate them into practice. I was unable to stay in the world of academia for long, however, as in 2021 I was headhunted by a local charity (Empire Fighting Chance), where I worked as their Therapy Consultant, supervising staff and developing a therapeutic model supporting disadvantaged young people to access mental health provision through the medium of boxing.
During this time I have been building my private practice working as a Therapist, Counsellor and Coach with young people, adults and professionals. When you work with me I will aim to create a safe and open space where you feel able to explore whatever you’re going through in the service of letting go of your old, unhelpful habits, narratives and beliefs whilst stepping into the person you wish to become. I have a keen interest in Stoic philosophy alongside Eastern approaches to mental wellbeing and regularly practice and teach meditation, mindfulness and yoga in support of my own journey towards mental wellness.