I have professional qualifications from the Australian National University, University of Canberra (Australia) and Bangor University (Wales), and for 20 years have continuously invested in professional and personal development.
Professional
- Master of Arts in Teaching Mindfulness (School of Psychology, Bangor University, 2022)
- Bachelor of Science, Psychology (Australian National University, 1998)
- Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology (University of Canberra, Australia, 1999)
- First registration as a Psychologist in 2002, with the Registration Board of Canberra (ACT, Australia).
- British Psychological Society (BPS) Associate Member.
Verification – my university degrees have been recognised by the Ministére De L’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, to practice in Luxembourg. See evidence.
Specialist training
I have sought specialist training from world-renown teachers, and now draw on all of these in my counselling, including:
Resilience
Hardwiring the brain for happiness, 2013 (in Sydney) – Dr Rick Hanson, US-based PhD neuropsychologist specialist,
Developing our Psychological Immune system, 2013 (Sydney) – John Barter, consultant on pain management at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Trauma
Body psychotherapy for physical symptoms, 2014 (in London, Minster Centre) – Kathrin Stauffer, specialist trainer from Chiron Association for Body Psychotherapists,
Making Trauma Therapy Safer, 2015 (in Sydney) – Babette Rothschild, Los Angeles-based world-renown specialist in trauma-sensitive training. Author of ‘The Body Remembers’ and other specialist books on trauma and PTSD.
Mindfulness
I trained in teaching Mindfulness through Bangor University and have been awarded the Certificate of Competency in Teaching MBSR (2022). I adhere to the Good Practice Guidelines of British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA).
Breathworks Compassion Training, 2015 (London) – Vidyamala Burch, at the West London Buddhist Centre, a sufferer of chronic pain who has become a renown teacher in pain management,
Mindfulness with Children and Teenagers, 2012 (Sydney) – Dr Amy Saltzman from Menlo Park California, from The Still Quiet Place centre.
Self-awareness
Insight Dialogue, 2005 – training with Gregory Kramer, US-based author and founder of Insight Dialogue. I have been actively engaged in the practice of insight dialogue since.
Voice Dialogue training and practice – with Diana Scambler (2002-2005) who was a direct student of founders Dr Hal & Sidra Stone.
Master in Mindfulness
My postgraduate Master specialised in teaching mindfulness, so I am able to help my clients to reduce stress, recover from burnout, and regulate their fight/flight response to challenges in their lives.
Mindfulness is a proven method for reducing stress, developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the 1970s by Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, yoga and exploration of patterns of behaviour, thinking, feeling and action. It has been extensively researched to show its effectiveness.
Research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation results in improvements in functioning of the brain in areas related to integration of emotion, cognition, self-awareness, positive emotions and adaptability (Farb et al 2007, Davidson et al 2003).
Bangor University in Wales is one of the most highly regarded research centres for mindfulness in the world. With their qualification I’m able to teach the MBSR course, which has proven results of 35% reduction in medical symptoms and 40% reduction in psychology symptoms, when measured over 4 years.