Our identity usually starts to form in our early years and goes on to continue to develop throughout life.

Our sense of identity can be shaped by family, relationships, culture, work, gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, disability, body image and the expectations placed upon us. You may have spent years adapting yourself to fit in, becoming who other people needed you to be or feeling that parts of you were difficult to explain. At Northlight Therapy, I offer a reflective and accepting space where you can explore who you are without pressure to define yourself, choose a label or reach a particular conclusion. Perhaps you've never really felt a sense of identity and feel lost, and want to work out more about who you are and where you belong.

You might come to therapy during a period of change; after a diagnosis, the end of a relationship, becoming a parent, changing career, experiencing loss or simply realising that the life you are living no longer feels like your own. You may feel disconnected from yourself, uncertain about what you want or caught between different parts of your identity. Together, we can gently explore the experiences, relationships and messages that have shaped how you see yourself, while making space for the parts of you that may have been hidden, dismissed or left behind.

My approach is person-centred, relational, trauma-informed and inclusive. I will not tell you who you are or who you should become. Instead, therapy can offer a collaborative space where we work together, where you can speak freely, notice what feels authentic and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself. I offer identity-focused counselling in York and online across the UK, supporting you to feel more grounded in who you are and more able to live in a way that reflects your own values, needs and sense of self.