About Jacqui

Over the past 25 years of practice I have undergone various significant trainings and I also continue to update my skills with continuing professional development.

My first experience of counselling was with the co-counselling movement and this led me to training in Gestalt Therapy in London and later on I completed the Advanced Training in Gestalt Therapy with Gestalt Southwest. Prior to that one of my main areas of interest and excitement was Meditation and bodywork. I had formerly trained as a bodywork therapist and ran classes in meditation and mindfulness.

I went on to train with the Jungian Analyst Marion Woodman for a period of 15 years during which I completed the Body Soul Training. This work went deeply into metaphor and understanding the meaning of our dreams and the symptoms we experience in our life and in our bodies.

My couples work is based on the IFIO model and informed by the work of Hedy Schleifer who developed a unique way of working with couples which she called: ‘Crossing the Bridge’ which teaches couples to re connect with each other: where each can experience being heard and seen in a safe way: to understand and safely cope with conflict as we can’t not, not hurt each other, which is then seen as an opportunity for growth in the relationship instead of disconnection: for couples to connect together to the dreams of how they each would like their relationship to be and move towards in their future. It is also deeply influenced by my training in Internal Family Systems Couples therapy.

My couples work has no agenda as couples may choose to stay together or separate that is their choice. Even if couples separate they still need to find a way to do that with as much compassion as they can as separating is hard enough. To do it with lots of blaming and shaming is even more painful, difficult and effects each of them more deeply. In the case where a couple has children, as children grow in the space between a couple if the space between the couple is very ‘toxic’ this has an even worse impact on the children which will effect their future relationship and their sense of themselves

I have also integrated the insights of Frans Ruppert around trauma and also the inter generational impact and transmission of trauma. 

I am completely level 3 IFS (Internal Family Systems) as pioneered by Robert Schwartz. IFS is a practice which transforms our ability to understand and heal ourselves. I have also completed the training in IFIO couples training with Toni Herbine Blank. This practice teaches us we each of a Self that is undamaged, that knows everything we need to heal the parts of us that have been wounded and feel extreme or have extreme roles that came from our past experiences.

I work according to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct which includes regular supervision of my work.