Where are your offices?

At the moment, I work from Peckham in South East London and from Fitzrovia in Central London, a stone’s throw from Oxford Circus.

Do you offer online therapy?

I do, and use Zoom. Online, I work primarily with UK clients but may be able to work with clients overseas.

What are your rates?

Currently my rates are £80 per 50-minute session. Payment is due no later than 48 hours before the time of your session in order to secure the spot.

Do you only work with LGBTQ+ clients?

I don’t. I have clients who identify as straight and/or cis.

Do you only work with people struggling with addiction?

No, some clients I work with may have an unhealthy relationship with drugs and alcohol, some may just be social users.

What is addiction?

For me, addiction is the loss of control of how much or for how long the using happens, combined with the ability to stop and/or stay stopped despite the consequences piling up.

Will I feel safe with you?

So many of us who either grew up LGBTQ+, in dysfunctional homes or have struggled with addiction struggle to feel safe in the world. For me, establishing safety is the first stage of recovery, so I do all I can so that you might feel safe with me.

Do I need to be sober to attend sessions?

I ask that you attend sessions without having had a drink or a drug before our session since you woke up. Drugs and alcohol can affect inhibitions, and I want you to keep safe and not end up saying things under the influence that you may later regret having said. I understand that attending the first session can be very nerve-wracking, so a discussion will need to be had beforehand if you feel you may struggle to attend that session without having used anything.

Will you make me talk about all my trauma?

I won’t make you talk about anything - the choice of what to talk about will always be yours. I may enquire and I may gently challenge at times, but I will always respect your autonomy. I do not work directly with trauma, but do work in a trauma-informed way, with a focus on how past traumas may still be affecting you and how we can free you of some of their power.

If I tell you how much I’m drinking or using, will you think I’m a lost cause?

Not at all. I’ve known people who have been very heavy users/drinkers who have found recovery. How much, or how little, you’ve been using/drinking doesn’t matter.

Are you doing to judge me for the things I’ve done when I’ve been high or drunk?

I did a lot of things when I was drunk and/or high about which I felt ashamed, and so I’m in no place to judge you for what you have done. We all have pasts, and we’ve all done shit we later regret.

Can I be honest about my sexuality/gender-identity and my addiction in the same room - or will one of them end up being ignored?

For me, they can be deeply entwined, due to the shaming we receive around our sexualities and gender identities, and shame is one of, if not main, root of addiction. At times, we may find ourselves focusing on one more than the other, but which one we focus on at any given time will always be your choice. 

Do you get what it’s like to use to quieten down the noise in my head?

From my own using experiences, I definitely do. And even better, I also know how to quieten it down without using.

What if I try and stop and fail - will you give up on me?

I don’t give up on clients I work with. Relapse is part of many people’s journey towards recovery. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We can look at the relapse and see what lessons there are to learn from it.

If I talk about the hookups, the secrets, the things I’ve hidden…will you still see me as a person worth helping?

I will. I have my own history of many, many hookups, secrets and things I kept hidden. And I see myself as a person worthy of being helped, and will hold you in the same esteem. Because I see each person as intrinsically worthy by virtue of them just “being”. Whilst I am the therapist and you’d be the client, it doesn’t mean I’m any better than you - we are two equal, perfectly imperfect humans coming together.

Is there any real way out of this, or am I always going to be stuck in the same cycle?

There are ways out. You only have to stay stuck for as long as you want.

Will I finally feel safe saying everything, without worrying you’ll look at me differently?

You will. Clients I work with tend to start feeling safe shortly after our journey begins, though not yet safe enough to say everything. That takes time. I’ve been the same when I’ve been in the client’s seat with therapists I’ve worked with - it took time to feel safe enough to say things I dreaded saying.