About Me

I am Ren, a BACP-accredited psychotherapist and counsellor who trained in a relational-dynamic model at masters’ level at the University of Leeds. I am an integrative practitioner who specialises in neurodiversity, loss, relational dynamics and informed consent with lived experience of AuDHD.

My therapeutic experience

I have worked in therapeutic roles with a range of organisations in the north and south of England covering presenting problems from relationship difficulties, health-related issues and loss to anxiety, depression, recovery, bi-polar disorder, trauma, PTSD and borderline personality disorder, as well as neurodiversity in all its forms.

How I work

I use a relational-dynamic approach, mixed with some psychoeducational, coaching and creative methods. I usually begin with a pretherapy assessment and co-created formulation process to help us think about your presenting problem, your history, what you want to work on and how you want to work. This often takes two sessions, sometimes more. When we move into your therapy work, you can work short-term to a clear fixed target or longer term to help you work at depth on a range of goals. I use outcome measures (core-om) to monitor clinical change and a regular reviewing process to check our progress, identify what you are finding helpful and what I might need to change.

My Background

I began my working life as an administrator, trained as an artist, worked for arts organisations for a while and then supported neurodiverse students with study skills and through mentoring in the university system prior to, and alongside, training as a talking therapist. I have accessed a range of therapies as a client, including psychodynamic, relational, art therapy and group analysis.

Summary therapeutic work roles

​ARA Recovery for All - In person art therapy groups.
Penny Brohn - Online therapeutic art groups.
Gloucestershire Counselling Service - Talking therapy on a 1:1 basis.
Bristol Mind - Talking therapy on a 1:1 basis.
Cancer Support Yorkshire - Talking therapy on a 1:1 basis.
University of Bradford ​ - Talking therapy on a 1:1 basis.

CPD

Safeguarding Adults & Children; CAPPP; 1 day [April 2026]
D810 Critically Exploring Psychology 1; Open University; 1 year [June 2025]
Changing the ADHD Brain: Moving Beyond Medication; PESI; ½ day; Online [March 2025]
Integrating Artwork into your Counselling Practice; ½ day; BACP; Online [April 2024]
A Mind-Body Approach to Race-based Stress and Trauma; Webinar; Dr Gail Parker; PESI; Online [April 2021]
Shame and Self-Loathing in the Treatment of Trauma; 1 day; Dr Janina Fisher; PESI-UK; Online [July 2020]
Neurobiology and its Applications to Psychotherapy; 3 days; Confer; Online [July 2020]
Taking Therapy Outside; 1/3 day; Annie Robinson [July 2020]
A Study in Trauma and Somatic Memory; 1 day; Dr Janina Fisher; Confer; Online [June 2020]
Online Therapy: How to make the transition to Working Online; 1/2 day; Tavistock Relationships, Online [April 2020]
Short-term Psychotherapy; 3 days; GCS, Stroud [January-February 2020]
Secret Agent of Shame; 1 day; Gestalt Centre Wales, Chepstow [December 2019]
Working with the Body in Counselling and Psychotherapy; Margaret Landale; 1 day; GCS, Stroud [June 2019]
Suicide and Suicide Ideation; 1 day; BACP, Bristol [June 2019]
Let's Talk Groups: A Group-Analytic Approach; 1 day; GCS, Stroud [June 2019]
Adolescence; Margot Waddell; 1 day; GCS, Stroud [May 2019]

Qualifications

​​​​PG Dip Therapeutic Arts - University of South Wales (2024)
Foundation Certificate in Groupwork - Group Analysis South West (2021)
​MA Psychotherapy and Counselling - University of Leeds (2018)
Dip HE (Open) inc. Psychology, Counselling and Mental Health - Open University (2014)
PG Dip Visual and Verbal Representation in Britain 1840-1940 - University of Reading (2003)
​BA Fine Art - C&GCHE (1997)

Publications

​​​​Article, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 2020 (Topic - loss)
Paper Presentation, BACP Research Conference, Belfast, 2019 (Topic - informed consent)
Poster Presentation, BACP Research Conference, London, 2018 (Topic - informed consent)