About Me
My mission is to help you find your own path to living an authentic life
I am a clinical hypnotherapist, with over 15 years’ experience helping individuals with all aspects of anxiety. I have qualifications in developmental psychology and training in counselling psychotherapy and hypnotherapy. My training also includes Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). These are powerful techniques that promote rapid change.
Read more about Hypnotherapy.
My Approach
While most of us want to resolve our problems in the quickest most effective way, I see healing as enrichment and transformation rather than elimination process. Claims that certain techniques can rewire and reprogram your brain are simplistic and reductive. We are more than our thoughts and getting rid of something too quickly often moves the problem elsewhere. If you want to go fast, take it slow is my mantra.
Therapy can be a confusing process. Sometimes you may find that what you are seeking therapy for is only the top of the iceberg and you may have deeper wounds. Other times, you are on your healing journey and things appear to get worse before they get better. In any case, I am here to guide you through the confusion and support you along the way, walk the walk with you at your own pace.
If you are ready to start your journey now, or simply curious to find out more, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)7838169923.
Experience
Before starting in private practice in 2019, and beyond my training, my experience spans:
- 2018: Counsellor at the Lambeth Academy, a secondary school in London, serving a multi-cultural community.
- 2016: Working in the NHS, in a Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) at Kaleidoscope, in the Borough of Lewisham, London.
- 2015: Working in the NHS, in a Tier 4 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), in the Child and Adolescent Forensic Service, at the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital, dealing with cases related to sexually harmful behaviours.
- 2008-2016: Sessional counsellor for the NSPCC, working on the night service at Childline.
This experience gives me a unique insight into different developmental pathways of neuro-diversity, emotional and personality dis-regulation. But in my work now, I treat individuals as individuals, not labels.
Acceptance guaranteed
I am from Paris originally and lived in Australia and Japan before relocating to London in 1995. My first career was in corporate brand design and tech start-ups. As I gained in seniority, I developed an interest for the psychology of human behaviours. I eventually decided to retrain in developmental psychology and child and adolescents mental health, then counselling and hypnotherapy.
I run a regular online Meetup group, called Relax and Explore Hypnotherapy Online, for anyone who is interest in learning about clinical hypnotherapy. My aim is to showcase some of the techniques I use in my practice to reduce anxiety and promote. To find out more, please go to https://www.meetup.com/relax-restore-online-coronavirus-meditation-sessions/ or https://www.facebook.com/groups/406024044979174
Qualifications
- 2016, MSc. Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH), Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience (IOPPN), King’s College, London.
- 2011, MSc. Neuro-Developmental Psychology, Birkbeck University, London.
- 2009, BSc. Psychology, Open University.
Training
- Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy training, National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, 2017-19.
- Mindfulness training, www.bemindfulonline.com, 2017. (do not use bold on link)
- CBT training, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, 2016.
- Mind over Matter, BPS, 2016.
- Parenting skills training, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, 2016.
- Using Play in Children’s Therapy workshop, Place2B, 2011.
- Psychosynthesis and Creative Visualisation workshop, University of East London, 2010.
- Child Centred Solution Focused counselling training Childline, NSPCC, 2008.
- Professionally insured
- Enhanced DBS
Academic Research
- Most recently, I have contributed to epidemiological research studies to better our understanding of neuro-diverse developmental pathways.
- 2017: Research Assistant, REACH study (Resilience, Ethnicity and Adolescent Mental Health), led by Prof C. Morgan, King’s College, London, 2017.
- 2017: Research Assistant, Autism and ADHD Comorbidity study, led by Prof J. Turk, King’s College, London, 2017.
- 2016: ‘Are there reliable predictors, during the preschool years, of a neurodevelopmental cascade leading to the emergence of ADHD in childhood?’.
- 2011: ‘Characterizing suicidal women in pregnancy and early postpartum’.
- 2011: ‘An international review of early childcare models’.
- 2009: ‘Comparative experience of fatherhood using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)’.
Publication
Systematic Review of Mindfulness Induced Neuroplasticity in Adults: Potential Areas of Interest for the Maturing Adolescent Brain. Kirk, V., Fatola, C. and Romero Gonzalez, M. Journal of Childhood & Developmental Disorders (2016).
Professional memberships
I am professionally insured and follow the UKCP and NCH Professional Code of Ethics.
I am a graduate member of the BPS (British Psychological Society), trainee member of the UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy) and member of the UK Association for Solution Focused Practice (UKASFP).
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