Finding a way forward when life is no longer what you expected
I work with people experiencing grief, loss and significant change — whether that means the death of someone you love, the end or breakdown of a relationship, the loss of a future you had expected, or uncertainty about who you are and what comes next. You may be struggling with anger, regret, guilt or shame, or find yourself repeatedly returning to choices and experiences from the past.
My approach brings together person-centred and psychodynamic therapy. I offer a warm, empathetic space where we can understand what you are experiencing now while also becoming curious about the experiences and patterns that may sit beneath it. I believe that, given the right conditions, we all have the potential to understand ourselves more clearly and begin moving towards positive change.
- Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy
- Specialist training in bereavement, loss & grief
- BACP member — accreditation application in progress
Could we be a good fit?
You may find my approach useful if:
You’re grieving the death of somebody important to you and are struggling to adjust to the reality of life without them.
A relationship has ended or changed and you’re trying to make sense of what happened, what you have lost and what comes next.
Life has turned out differently from the future you expected and you’re grieving something less tangible — an assumption, hope, possibility or version of your life that is no longer available to you.
You’re going through a significant life transition and feel uncertain about who you are, who you want to be or how to move forward.
You feel caught in a cycle of guilt, regret, anger, shame or low mood and find yourself repeatedly returning to decisions or experiences from the past.
You want to understand why a relationship or behavioural pattern keeps recurring, what purpose it may be serving and whether there could be another way forward.
What working together can look like
When we first meet, I’ll want to understand what is happening for you now, where you feel stuck and what you hope therapy might help you with.
I’ll also be interested in how emotionally able you feel to engage with the work at that point and what kind of change you feel ready for. We don’t need to force a particular direction; the starting point is understanding where you are.
A warm space with room for honest exploration
My style is open, empathetic and genuinely curious.
I will listen carefully, but I won’t necessarily sit silently. I’m comfortable asking questions, sharing observations and gently challenging something when I think looking at it differently might be useful.
The aim is to create a relationship in which you feel able to explore difficult experiences honestly, while recognising the strengths and resources you already have.
My work integrates person-centred and psychodynamic approaches.
The person-centred part of my work means approaching you with empathy and respect, rather than assuming that I know what your experience means. We can identify and build on your strengths while approaching the parts of yourself you may perceive as weaknesses with greater understanding and compassion.
A psychodynamic perspective helps us become curious about what may sit beneath present-day feelings and patterns. Earlier experiences and relationships can sometimes influence the choices we make and the ways we respond long after the original situation has passed.
When you find yourself going round in circles
When the same difficulty keeps returning, I become interested in why.
If you repeatedly revisit a past decision, for example, we might explore what keeps pulling you back towards it. If a behavioural or relationship pattern repeats, we can become curious about what you believe it does for you — even if another part of you desperately wants it to change.
This can be particularly important when grief becomes intertwined with guilt, regret, anger or depression.
Therapy is not about pretending a loss did not happen or forcing yourself to “move on”. It can provide space to understand what the loss means to you, what you are carrying because of it and how you might gradually begin to live alongside a reality you did not choose.
Areas of experience
My work has included supporting people with a range of emotional, relational and behavioural difficulties, including:
Bereavement, the death of a loved one, other significant losses and adjusting when life no longer looks as you expected it to.
Relationship difficulties, relationship breakdown and the emotional consequences of separation or significant change.
Major life changes, uncertainty about the future and difficulties around identity or understanding who you want to be.
Guilt, regret, shame, anger, feeling stuck and recurring emotional, behavioural or relationship patterns.
Please note: EJ does not work with anorexia.
About EJ
A central idea runs through EJ’s work: given the right conditions, people have the capacity for positive growth and a clearer understanding of themselves.
Her particular professional interest lies in grief and loss — including forms of grief that can be harder to recognise.
Sometimes we grieve a person. At other times, we may be grieving a relationship, an expected future, an opportunity or even our understanding of who we thought we would become. EJ provides space to understand what has been lost and the feelings that remain around it, without assuming that grief should follow a particular timetable or path.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, EJ was an entrepreneur. Her experience of encouraging teamwork, recognising potential and helping people work through obstacles continues to influence the perspective she brings to therapy.
That does not mean approaching emotional difficulties as problems to be quickly fixed. Instead, it contributes to EJ’s underlying belief in people’s capacity for change — combining empathy for where someone is now with a genuine belief in where they may be able to go next.
Qualifications & Professional Credentials
Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy
CPCAB
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling / Psychotherapy
CPCAB
Professional membership
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Membership number: 00992353
Accreditation application currently in progress
Selected specialist training
View selected specialist training
- Bereavement, Loss & Grief Therapy – Royal Trinity Hospice
- Couples Counselling – Debbie Winterbourne, Currently undertaking
What happens when you get in touch?
Start with a conversation
Your free 20-minute discovery call is an opportunity to tell us what has brought you to therapy, what you are looking for and ask any questions you may have.
Find the right fit
We’ll consider your needs, preferences and what you would like from therapy, then recommend the practitioner we believe is best placed to support you.
Agree the next step
If you feel comfortable with the recommendation, our team will talk you through availability, fees and how to arrange your first session.
Fees
EJ’s session length and current fees were not included in the questionnaire response and should be confirmed before publication.
We’ll confirm current availability and answer any practical questions during your discovery call.
You don’t have to know what comes next
When something important has been lost or changed, it can be difficult to imagine what moving forward could even look like.
A free 20-minute discovery call is a chance to talk, ask questions and get a sense of whether EJ feels like the right person to work with. There is no expectation that you arrive knowing exactly what you need.
Confidential – No pressure – Clear next steps