My path to this work

I came to therapy through an unusual route. I spent years as a chef in England and Spain before training as a psychotherapist at Dartington Hall in Totnes — a place that taught me the value of community, creativity, and working with the whole person, not just their symptoms.

After qualifying, I worked in disability support, at a psychiatric hospital, and at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Plymouth. Each role deepened my conviction that recovery is not something that happens in isolation. It happens in relationship — with other people, with meaningful work, with a sense of belonging.

In 2016, I founded Esperanza Health and Wellbeing in Exeter. The name means "hope" in Spanish, and it captures what I believe therapy should offer: not a guarantee, but a genuine reason to keep going. Since then I have worked with hundreds of clients through private practice, group therapy, retreat programmes, and online courses.

Clinical work today

I currently work as a remote therapist at the Priory Hospital (Southampton and Glasgow), managing a caseload of 20–25 patients. This includes assessments, risk assessments, and clinical reports — serious, structured work that grounds everything I do at Esperanza in evidence and accountability.

I am an accredited registrant with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), a member of Addiction Professionals (formerly the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals), and I work within the BACP ethical framework. My therapeutic approach is integrative, drawing on CBT, person-centred therapy, and Gestalt.

In 2025, I completed specialist training in Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) and Motivational Interviewing — two of the most evidence-supported approaches to addiction recovery. I'm also currently studying for a Master's in Addiction Treatment at the Asociación Española de Psicología Sanitaria in Valencia, Spain.

Why Morocco, why Essaouira

Essaouira is a city that practises hospitality as a way of life. It has a long tradition of welcoming musicians, artists, and seekers. The pace is slower, the light is extraordinary, and the community is real — not manufactured for tourists.

Esperanza in Morocco is built around a network of local independent professionals: therapists, musicians, yoga teachers, cooks, hammam practitioners, and trekking guides. We work with existing community organisations, not against them. Money from international clients stays in Essaouira and helps fund low-cost treatment for Moroccans who need it.

This isn't a luxury retreat. It's an honest, ethical recovery programme in a city that has something genuine to offer anyone in need of healing.