About
Perhaps you know exactly what has gone wrong, or maybe your struggle to understand why you feel unhappy. Maybe you found you are unable to get pregnant, are suffering the grief of a miscarriage, had a traumatic birth experience or worry that you are not a good enough parent. Whatever the cause of your unhappiness you probably want to stop thinking about it so much and begin to feel happier. Perhaps you would like to relax more, do more of the things you love and feel closer to the people you care about. You are not alone. I can help.
About me: My career started by building a solid foundation of clinical skills working in a NHS psychology service, treating adults presenting with a range of difficulties before specialising in perinatal mental health, (focusing on issues as they present around conception, birth and early parenting). I have my own personal experience of difficulties at this time, which is why I specialise in this work. This time of transition is particularly difficult for lots of people, exposing and creating vulnerability. Simultaneously people are often receptive to therapy at this time, which can be transformational for individuals, the couple-relationship and for the parent-infant relationship. This may be holding someone through the grief of a miscarriage or still birth. Perhaps coming to terms with a future which is very different to the one long-imagined. Or helping people make sense of their birth experience which has left them feeling fragmented and disconnected from their baby and partner. Through this work I also notice how commonly people’s experiences of being parented are re-evoked when transitioning to parenthood. (I get passionate about the importance of all these experiences…although I can usually be quietened down with a cup of tea!)
Treatment approaches: I have over 17 years experience delivering evidence based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, EMDR therapy (an effective trauma treatment) and psychodynamic psychotherapy. I also have an interest in attachment theory, and find that helping people understand their early relationships is often important.
Alongside being a therapist in Essex, I am also a published author in psychological research and have lectured on perinatal mental health.
Clients who work with me appreciate my ability to put them at ease. I will offer you a safe, comfortable space (or online sessions if this is more convenient). I may be a psychologist but I am also human and can relate to your experience.
There is more information about me, and psychological therapy in general, on my website www.betterbeginnings.co.uk
Qualifications
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (2006)
EMDR Training - level 3
British Infertility Counselling Association Training
Services
Birth Trauma Therapy (online or in person)
Birth can be experienced as traumatic fro lots of different reasons. Mothers and fathers speak to me about experiencing a medical emergency, but often it is about feeling alone and uncared for. Birth trauma can also affect parents ability to bond with their baby. I use my experience to help you make sense of your emotions as they are affecting you today, drawing on therapies proven to help (including CBT and EMDR), main space for you to begin to reconnect to things you love and people you care about.
COST : £120 (standard sessional fee)
Miscarriage/Stillbirth Therapy (online or in-person)
If you have lost a baby (at any stage of pregnancy) it is devastating. The trauma and the grief can feel overwhelming, and parents speak to me of feeling others do not understand. I will use my experience to help you make sense of your grief, whilst also helping you to reconnect with the future.
COST : £120 (standard sessional fee)
Infertility counselling (therapy online or in-person)
Discovering you cannot conceive without help can be traumatic. Perhaps it goes against the way you imagined you would have children, leaving people feeling sad and powerless. It can also lead to assisted fertility for some couples, a journey which brings its own challenges. I will use my experience to help you make sense of your own individual response to fertility issues, using therapies proven to be effective where grief and trauma emerge if appropriate.
COST : £120 (standard therapy session fee)
Anxiety and Depression Therapy (online or in-person)
Becoming a parent is seismic, and very little can prepare people for the impact. Increased worry and low mood are common experiences, however perhaps it is interfering with your ability to enjoy these first few weeks and months? Maybe you worry about the relationship you have with your baby, or partner. I will use my expertise working with new parents to help you understand how you are feeling and how we can work together to help you feel happier.
COST : £120 (standard sessional fee)
Testimonials
"Becoming pregnant was a confusing and upsetting time. I found it hard to talk to my midwife because I worried she would think I didn't deserve to be a mum. Miriam helped me work though my worries. I am now looking forward to meeting my baby more than I could have hoped. Thank you" (26, Perinatal anxiety)