Professional Background

Kate began her working life as a musician and press officer in the classical music business, running her own company, Classical Communications, and working for Polygram Records and BBC Radio 3. She trained as a counsellor/psychotherapist at Metanoia Institute in London in 1997 and has since trained in Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and EMDR. She has worked for the NHS in long-term conditions’ management for the last 10 years, with a particular interest in Acquired Brain Injury. She also has a private psychotherapy practice in Hereford, working mostly with trauma and self-identity and has been an associate with Halliday-Quinn Ltd since 2012.

Kate uses an integrated humanistic approach to her psychotherapeutic work. She has considerable experience of working with trauma, both as a result of her work in Acquired Brain Injury and with young people and adults. Her trauma work uses EMDR as well as embodied mindfulness, as a way of processing traumatic memories, informed by the writings of Babette Rothschild and Bessel van der Kolk. Her experience as a musician has enhanced her understanding of the therapeutic process. At the same time as allowing or flexibility in her work, she is keenly aware of the need for structure. She also believes it is vital that she and the client work together with a clear idea of the aim(s) of the therapeutic work.

Kate specialises in working with musicians, particularly in terms of performance-related anxiety. She wrote a short book for Faber Music in 1999 entitled Keeping Your Nerve, which is still in print and has sold worldwide. She qualified as a Motivational Interviewing trainer in 2006 and is part of the international organisation MINT (Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers). Kate’s training experience has taken her all over the country, working with a range of Allied Health Professionals from GPs and consultants, specialist and practice nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, therapy support workers and healthcare assistants to social workers and teachers. One of her MI courses, which was designed for clinicians working with stroke patients, was accredited by the UK Forum for Stroke Training and Education.