I grew up in a rural area in the middle of England known as Staffordshire Moorlands and the Peak district.  This area has beautiful countryside and I spent a lot of time outdoors. I was also interested in what went on inside people and how they lived their lives and  tried to find out more about these questions by reading stories and poetry. In the place where I grew up psychologists and therapy were non-existent. So it was in Literature that I sought answers to what it means to be human rather than Psychology.

I moved to the Netherlands in 1987 and  worked briefly in the corporate sector and then for a number of years as an editor and translator (development work, finance, museums, the arts and culture). I went back to university and worked for a while as at the University of Amsterdam and Hoge School van Amsterdam as a teacher trainer and mentor. I also became very interested in Psychology and read as much as I could on the subject in my free time.  The idea of helping others to create change and find more meaning in their lives started to grow in my mind and eventually resulted in me retraining as a therapist. I have been in private practice since 2003.

I am glad I have experience in other work environments, it helps me to relate to people from different walks of life. I am a sensitive type and yet not afraid of strong emotions. I have worked for many years with clients who have had a difficult start in life and with histories of (childhood) trauma.

As an expat I find it easy to work with people from other cultures. I know what it is like to be a foreigner abroad and lay down roots in a country that felt so strange and then finally make it my home. I think that this process has helped me to understand the small and large migrations that we all go through in our lives.