Music and Therapy? FAQs

What is your creative background?

I specialise in working with artists, creators, and people making lives and careers within the creative industries. It’s a world I know personally myself, having worked as an actor for ten years before my psychotherapy training. I have also worked part time as a songwriter and performer since about 2015, and that is still a big part of my life. My background in both theatre and music allows me a unique insight into those who are seeking and pursuing careers in the creative arts and professions. I understand elements of this life first hand; things like writing, performing, auditioning, job uncertainty, and the connection between identity and work. Knowing how this world works is often helpful when working with clients in creative fields.

Is it ok for me to listen to your songs?

Of course it is! I can’t promise that you will like them, of course (!), but I make no pretence of combining a musical and therapeutic career, and you are welcome to listen to whatever you like. That said, if it’s uncomfortable for you to know about my life and world this way, I would encourage you to talk about it in the consultation or session with me, so we can be sure that I am the right fit for you, and that there is no risk of boundary crossing or dual relationships in our therapy work together.

What do you write about, and is that difficult to combine with being a therapist?

I write songs autobiographically, about my life and experience. As a result, I have shared a reasonable amount about my personal life and experience. When I started training as a therapist, this became a big question for me; is it ok that so much of my life is public due to my other career? In existential psychotherapy, the therapist is not trying to be a blank slate; I am a real person, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. For me, though, it is an asset, rather than a problem; what I have made public about myself may give you a sense of who I am, and help you determine if you’ll be comfortable in therapy with me. However, you should rest assured that my own life and experience is never the focus of therapy, and, of course, nothing you bring in to therapy will ever find its way into my songs. Confidentiality is crucial to therapy, and you can rest assured that at all times I comply with the British Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct and the BACP's Ethical Framework.

I maintain a separate website for my music here.