Hey i’m Harriet,
also known as The Good Enough Therapist and I specialise in supporting women in their 20’s and 30’s to increase their self-esteem and feel more secure in who they are.
I can help you to overcome anxiety, insecurities and self doubt which are impacting your wellbeing, relationships and work.
Most of my clients come to me after spending years listening to podcasts and reading self-help books with little meaningful change. The problem with this is it doesn’t resolve the root causes of your present difficulties, and it keeps you stuck trying to figure it all out on your own, which for many is a repeat of their childhood story.
If you grew up in a family where love had to be earned, emotions were dismissed or your needs were often unmet, it makes sense that you’ve learned to do it all by yourself. You may have internalised the belief that you’re not good enough and tried to compensate by achieving more, pleasing others or being endlessly self-reliant. Except healing doesn’t happen by doing more, and it can’t in isolation.
Healing happens in a safe, supportive relationship.
We all need people. If you have been hurt in relationship then you also need to heal in relationship - and therapy with me makes that possible.
facts about me
(and why i can help you)….
With over 12 years of experience in both inpatient and community-based mental health and addiction services, I bring a rich and varied background to my work as a therapist. My earlier roles included supporting individuals as a community support worker, delivering therapeutic interventions on acute mental health wards, and managing a drug and alcohol caseload. These experiences laid the foundation for my transition into therapy and my deep commitment to this work.
My own healing journey began in 2014, when I started counselling to grieve the loss of my brother. As a child, I was highly perfectionistic, deeply anxious, and constantly striving to prove my worth through achievements. Despite these efforts, it never felt like enough. Living with undiagnosed ADHD meant I often struggled to meet the high expectations placed on me, reinforcing a sense of inadequacy.
Therapy helped me uncover the deeper roots of my pain. As I explored my family dynamics, I came to understand my role as the scapegoat in a narcissistic and alcoholic family system. Doing the work of grieving, processing, setting boundaries and letting go of the need to earn their love and approval, enabled me to break the cycle of abuse and neglect, eventually going no contact with my family of origin.
Healing, to me, is a lifelong process. I continue to engage in my own therapy to stay grounded, emotionally present, and open. I understand the courage it takes to be a cycle breaker and to choose a different path from the one you were given. I’m here to support you in doing the same, whatever that looks like for you. Together, we can work towards building a life that feels authentic, fulfilling, and deeply your own.
my approach
I am an integrative therapist with a relational-developmental focus. I hold a compassionate, trauma-informed perspective in which I see current struggles or problems in relationships as outdated survival strategies which were needed in earlier times in your life. Often this is because as a child your early developmental needs to be heard, supported and cared for were not sufficiently met.
I believe that in developing a safe and trusting relationship, what happens between us in the therapy together can offer insight and healing opportunities to work through the issues which also happen ‘out there’ in your life.
For example, in expressing your feelings and needs in therapy and having these be heard, understood and met with warmth, consistency and love can offer a new, reparative template of being in relationship which can help to heal negative past experiences by getting what didn’t get back then and supporting you to practice safe intimacy and connection with me, so you can then experience it with others.
We are a team.
I’m not a therapist who will sit there in silence and nod while you pour your heart out! Two of us are in the relationship, and so I see therapy as a collaborative process. The content of session is dictated by what you want to bring, however I will respond in a directive way to encourage further exploration of these issues and offer challenge when needed. I’m straight talking, swear sometimes and show up as myself - not in a role. I also encourage you to bring your authentic, messy self without having to be perfect or ‘put together’.
qualifications
PGDip Counselling & Psychotherapy - University of Leeds
BSc Psychology (First Class Hons) - Nottingham Trent University
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Level 2 Award in Counselling Concepts
professional development
I am committed to regularly updating my skills and knowledge; engaging in Continuing Professional Development through reading, research and additional training.
I also attend supervision regularly and engage in my own personal therapy.
professional membership
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP) and follow their ethical framework.
I love:
Making memories with my chosen family, sitting in the sunshine, makeup, florals, brunch, travelling.
You will find me:
Pom dancing, learning tarot, in the sauna, watching Netflix, drinking coffee (almond flat white!) and buying books I never get chance to read.
I’m not a fan of:
Watching the news, small talk, cold winter mornings (things that dysregulate my nervous system).
