About Moira

Hi, I’m Moira - a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor, life coach & Yoga teacher.

Hi, my name is Moira, I am a Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapist, Coach and Yoga Teacher based in Preston, Lancashire. I am also a mum, step mum, grandma, wife, daughter, sister, friend, colleague, business owner and I am me. The me enjoys yoga, learning, reading, and creating space to breathe. I love to laugh, to try new things, to spend time with my family. I enjoy supporting my local community and making connections through my services and voluntry work.

My personal experiences of bereavement, burnout, feeling stuck, frustrated, and confused about where I was going, what I was doing, what is my purpose and what I stood for, led me on a journey of self-discovery, spirituality, personal and professional development. This journey saw me retrain as an integrative psychotherapist and more recently a yoga teacher truly bringing together the body, mind, and spirit. I strongly believe that we all have the capacity to connect to our true self, through bringing the unconscious to the conscious, having knowledge of the self and finding meaning and understanding in our stories.

I integrate my knowledge as a therapist, coach, supervisor, and yoga teacher. Creating space for my clients, supervisees, and students to feel safe, valued, heard, and seen. A space for enquiry without judgement, a space to breathe and catch the breath. A space to slow things down for noticing, understanding and acceptance. Working together we are curious - what are the emotions, somatic feelings, thoughts underneath the actions that are driving the behaviours and where do they come from. Being aware of our bodies how they move, how they feel and gaining insight into the source emotions from which we are acting is truly powerful, it brings with it clarity and choices. This translates in how I work, through acceptance, nurturing, empathy, hope and belief, gentle challenge, supporting you to realise your potential and to the lifelong learning of self and others.

I worked as a senior manager in the NHS for over 13 years in both commercial and non-commercial services - managing change – both culture and operational; developing services, and providing mentoring and coaching, providing a safe space for individuals to be curious and make changes to their careers and life plans, develop, and grow. I have learned that working with change and more importantly working with people involved in change, requires time...time to talk and time to listen, commitment and empathy. This also in part is what led me to retrain as a psychotherapist.

I have worked for several years as a therapist, clinical lead, and supervisor across adult and children’s services in a local organisation that provides sexual violence services supporting those who have been impacted by rape and sexual abuse in both childhood and adult life. I have provided counselling in both primary and secondary school and in women’s centres.

Since being qualified (2014) in Psychotherapeutic Counselling I work in private practice from my home in Preston and online, where I see people who are concerned with their wellbeing (anxiety, depression), their relationships (with partners, children, parents, colleagues), their careers, their physical health, experienced bereavement, domestic abuse to name but a few. I also provide short-term counselling to clients through an Employee Assistance Programme. I offer weekly yoga classes to support individuals in my local community to be well physically, mentally and spiritually, creating an environment to connect, breathe, feel strong and find joy.


I am registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Yoga Alliance.

bacp registered member

Testimonials

A few words from some of my past clients.

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"Moira was a professional, warm and supportive counsellor. The therapy she provided me was the best I’ve ever had. She helped me through a very difficult time…"

Adult Female

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"To say my life has changed for the better is an understatement. From the person who walked in on my first session to who I have become today, the…"

Adult Male

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"I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the support and advice you have given xxxx over the past few months. Keep up the good work, you’re a star."

Mother of Adolescent Client

Qualifications and Training

View my list of qualifications and training below.

200 Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training

Qualified in Vinyasa Yoga, a dynamic and fluid yoga style synchronising breath with movement. This training emphasised seamless transitions in postures, promoting flexibility, strength, balance, mental focus, and relaxation. Known for its versatile, full-body approach, Vinyasa Yoga offers a holistic and varied experience, enhancing both physical and mental well-being. (Yoga Love Collective)

Supervision of Counselling and Psychotherapy

This is a practical course with an emphasis on skills development, professional practice, self-awareness and personal growth. The course provides an overview of current models and key concepts in clinical supervision. As well as critically analysing and appraising current models of supervision, the legal and ethical issues involved in supervisory relationships are explored and understood. (University of Central Lancashire)

Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy

This MA seals a constructive and challenging learning experience which develops interconnectedness of theory, practice, research, self-awareness and personal development. it affirms that the psychotherapist has developed an integrative approach with a critical basis for practice and ethical and professional integrity. Practitioners who have completed the MA are competent to offer high-quality Integrative Psychotherapy in a variety of contexts, appropriate to the needs of the client, organisation and society. (University of Central Lancashire)

Advanced Diploma in Transactional Analysis (TA) Counselling

This is a four year training programme. TA is a humanistic, integrative, psychoanalytical, psychodynamic therapy. TA promotes personal growth and change; it is a therapy for promoting well-being and for helping individuals to reach their full potential in all aspects of life. (The Berne Institute)

Post Graduate Certificate in Working Therapeutically with Children and Adolescents

This post graduate course focused on understanding the effect of the child’s experience of early relationships and environment on the child’s successful social and emotional development, and in particular for learning how to effectively regulate their emotions. Using play therapy as a way for the child to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. (University of Central Lancashire)

Children’s Accelerated Trauma Technique (CATT)

CATT is an internationally developed, well-established, trauma-focused psychotherapy for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma. CATT integrates cognitive behavioural therapy and art therapy techniques with human rights principles, resulting in a therapy that is child-centred, trauma-focused, collaborative and holistic. Initially developed through partnership with children by Dr Carlotta Raby in 1998 using a grass-roots approach, CATT draws on empirical research and contemporary psychological theory, and has since been used successfully with psychologically traumatised individuals of all ages. CATT is aligned with UK NICE guidance on treating children and young people with trauma and PTSD. (Trauma Psychology)

Certificate in Therapeutic Life Story Work

This certificate provides an in-depth understanding of the Therapeutic Life Story process. It provides training in the use of specific techniques to enable children to make sense of their past so that what has happened to them does not dominate, control, or inhibit the present, the process assists children in communicating their trauma through their story. (TLSWI)

Dyadic Development Psychotherapy (DDP) Level 1&2

DDP is an attachment focused family therapy. This training involves creating a playful, accepting, curious, and empathic (PACE) environment in which the therapist attunes to the child's subjective experiences and reflects this back to the child by means of eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and movements, voice tone, timing and touch, co-regulates emotional affect and co-constructs an alternative autobiographical narrative with the child. DDP makes use of cognitive-behavioural strategies. supporting the child and family to create new narratives and healing. (DDP Network)

Diploma Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

This training provided a set of tools to apply to a therapy, coaching or life in general. It provides techniques to gain extra insights into the unconscious meanings behind what people say to enable the therapist or coach to facilitate change in a conversational way. (Bridge Associates)

Institute of Leadership and Management Certificate in Coaching and Management Mentoring.

The level 5 certificate focused on the understanding of the role and responsibilities of the coach and mentor in the workplace, through deepening understanding of how coaching and mentoring can impact on a person, team and organisation. (ILM)

Other Training Undertaken

  • Child Sexual Abuse within Family Environments
  • Key Issues in Working with Pre-Pubescent Children with Sexual Behaviour Problems
  • Pre-Trial Therapy
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid
  • Domestic Abuse Awareness and Impact on Adults and Children
  • Safeguarding Level 3
  • Trauma, Resilience and Recovery
  • Working with Relational Trauma: Attachment and Health Relationships (PODS)
  • Learning Disabilities, Child Development and Sexuality (Place2Be)
  • Attachment Theory and Self-Awareness in the Counsellor (Place2Be)
  • Group Work (Place2Be)
  • Children’s Emotional Wellbeing (Place2Be)
  • Working with Metaphor (Place2Be)
  • Working with Difference and Diversity (Place2Be)
  • Foundation Certificate in Transactional Analysis (The Berne Institute)
  • Counselling Skills (The Berne Institute)
  • Transactional Analysis 101 Verification Certificate (The Berne Institute)
  • Top Managers Leadership Programme (The Kingsfund)

Ready to get started?

If you would like to know more about the services I offer or if you would like to discuss an introductory consultation, please get in touch.