BIO

Current skill set and Profile

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During my career as a mental health nurse, advanced nurse practitioner and wellbeing consultant I have acquired experience, skills and qualifications in different areas of mental health and wellbeing.

Extensive knowledge and experience in supporting people who have experienced psychosis and other enduring difficulties

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During my 15 year nursing career i have worked in a specialist service that supports people who experience psychosis, over this time I have developed a greater understanding what psychosis is from all schools of thought, including the psychological framework that underpins the trauma narrative but also the biomedical model and how all this interacts with the neuroscience of mind body connection. I also have a specialist interest in the transformative narrative of the spiritual framework linked to psychosis worldwide, this framework is underpinned by positive and transpersonal psychology.

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Assessment

I have vast experience working with different assessment frameworks including specialist tools and more generalised comprehensive assessments.

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Clinical Supervision

I have supervised other clinicians and students over the last 13 years. I use reflective, educational and coaching models within supervision to aid peoples thinking. I have also developed student programmes in the past to help students develop the understanding around the importance of supervision and their own development.

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Heart Math Coaching and Mentoring

Over the last year, I have become certified with Heart math Coaching and we use biofeedback technology alongside heart focused techniques to enable people to self-regulate. This empowers individuals to create safety and stability from within so they can reach their full potential.

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Certified Breathing Therapy

Over the last year I have become increasing interested in functional breathing and how people in our society struggle so much with the basics due to lifestyle and stress. I am trained in the Buteyko Clinical method for functional breathing which supports people to reeducate patterns of dysfunctional breathing to help with issues such as sleep problems (Sleep Apnea), Asthma, anxiety, and depression.

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Coaching

I have been an internally validated coach for the last 4 years and supported many individuals from patients, family members and members of staff. I have knowledge and experience working with many different models of coaching and incorporate them into an integrative framework so that each person i work with receives an individual bespoke experience tailored to their needs, wants and aspirations.

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Trauma informed Care

I have worked with a vast number of individuals who have experienced complex trauma and supported them in developing the importance of understanding how they can heal from their difficulties.

The areas of training and interest i have experienced and acquired over the last 15 years are:

-  Compassionate focused work: using Paul Gilbert’s work around compassionate focused therapy and incorporating this into a psycho-education framework that aids individuals in the healing process of trauma.

-  Formulation and care planning: I have vast wealth of experience in the importance of formulating and care planning for individuals and always taking into consideration that trauma can manifest in some many ways and how formulation is key to time appropriate support.

-  The therapeutic alliance: The natural skills i have as a person include the ability to make people feel comfortable and open in my presence. With the training i have received around this i have enhanced my natural skill so people can come into a space  of openness allowing for open dialogue and a trusting environment.

-  Unusual sensory experiences: I have been on many workshops and worked with a vast amount of people who experience different sensory experiences including adults and children. My work has always been to normalise these experiences and help people gain a greater understanding around their own narrative and how this can transform their lives from a growth mindset perspective

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Psychological well-being interventions and stabilisation work

I was part of a development team in 2016 that streamlined well-being interventions for patients so that these interventions had more sustenance and quality.

All this work is underpinned by the awareness and use of trauma informed narratives.

I have all basic training in all psychological wellbeing interventions and 15 years experience in :

-  the Cognitive behavioural framework

-  Voice hearing work

-  Working with suicide

-  Anxiety model and graded exposure

-  Working with depression

-  Carer support

-  Personality disorder

-  Helping people understand relationship

-  The use structured management in high-risk patients

-  Working with children aged 14-17

-  Emotional regulation work

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Family work and knowledge of systemic practice

I am a trained behavioural family work practitioner (Meriden model) for the last 6 years and worked with families who live with psychosis and complex mental health needs. I have good knowledge of systemic practice through my experiences within training, clinical supervision and group supervision.

 

 

Education and Training

Over the last 13 years i have developed a passion for education and bringing this to other fields of work. The areas of interests and experience are

-  supporting schools developing a greater understanding of mental wellbeing. I have done many workshops with schools and received good feedback.

-  I regularly do lectures at teesside University teaching nursing students

-  Specialist interests in somatic experiences, polyvagal theory and trans personal psychology. I incorporate all this knowledge into an educational framework to aid learning.

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Accredited Meditation Teacher

Since 2019 i have been an accredited meditation teacher though the British school of meditation. I have had a 10 year daily practice of mindfulness and use this experience and qualification to help groups and individuals gain a greater sense of themselves through developing a quiet space in the minds.

 

Mindfulness in School Teacher

I have a massive passion for enabling children of all ages to build a greater sense of who they are and help them become the full true selves. I am trained with the Mindfulness in Schools Project which teaches children how to develop skills such as mindfulness, being more present, being their best and overall being kind to themselves and others through these techniques.