Frequently asked questions

BodyTalk is specialist, integrated therapy for anyone living in a body shaped by female reproductive biology. Because our emotional lives are not separate from our physiology: • Hormones shape mood • Stress reshapes the nervous system • Life stages alter cognition, sleep, metabolism, and resilience ... to name just a few things. When therapy leaves out the body, women are often left feeling: • Overly sensitive • Inconsistent • “Too much” • Or somehow responsible for symptoms My work brings the body back into the conversation — gently, intelligently, without reducing you to biology. We look at the full picture: • Hormonal patterns • Nervous system activation • Sleep and energy rhythms • Health context • Emotional history • Identity transitions So that your experience makes sense. And when things make sense, they become workable.

You’ll notice I mostly talk about women – but BodyTalk is for anyone living in a body shaped by female reproductive biology. That includes girls, women, some non-binary people and trans men, to name a few.  ​If you experience (or have experienced) menstrual cycles, hormonal fluctuations, perimenopause or menopause, pregnancy, or health conditions and fertility issues that interact with female biology — this space is for you. ​I work with people whose psychological wellbeing is influenced by hormones like oestrogen, chronic health conditions, medical diagnosis, or reproductive transitions. ​ Your identity is respected here. Your biology is taken seriously here. Please note that I am unable to help with acute psychiatric or suicidal crises; if a client is suicidal, they will be encouraged to contact the emergency services. They may also contact www.samaritans.org (http://www.samaritans.org)or telephone them on 116 123 (UK). If you are being supported by Community Mental Health Services or receiving treatment for acute mental health issues, please do speak in the first instance to the relevant agency for advice and further support.

You might feel unsure where you “fit.” If your mental health is affected by: • Your menstrual cycle • Fertility or infertility • Pregnancy or postnatal changes • Perimenopause or menopause • Hormone-related mood shifts • Chronic illness interacting with female biology ​​Then you are welcome here — however you identify and show up: messy, curious, wanting difference and open to working with all your parts. If you’re unsure whether this approach is right for you, we can begin with an intro call — a calm, relaxed conversation to explore what you need and whether we feel like a good fit.

Trust is an integral part of a therapist-client relationship; therefore, all sessions will be kept confidential. All members of BACP are required to have regular supervision. My work is supervised to ensure that it is safe, ethical and effective. Aspects of our work may be discussed during these sessions, but no full name will be used and identifiable details removed. My supervisor is a member of BACP and as such they are bound by the same confidentiality rules as myself. There might be certain circumstances where I may have to consider breaking a client’s confidence. This includes if there is a risk of immediate harm to the client or to another person. I will discuss this in the first session.

My hope is that every client leaves any interaction with me feeling safe and cared for but if you’ve had a negative experience, I hope that you would feel able to talk to me about this. If you feel unable to talk to me, or in the event of a serious complaint, please contact BACP’s Get help with counselling concerns service (formerly Ask Kathleen), which provides confidential telephone and email guidance on what to do if you have concerns about your therapy or therapist. Phone 01455 883300 or 07811 762114 or 07811 762256. Please leave a message or email gethelp@bacp.co.uk,(mailto:gethelp@bacp.co.uk) or write to BACP, 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth LE17 4HB.