Why work with me?
Time, care and practical support.

I know what it is like to need help.

I came to this work through my own experience of benzodiazepine and SSRI withdrawal. I remember trying to find answers while frightened and unwell, and how much it mattered when someone made time for me. I have recovered, but I have not forgotten what that felt like.

I bring lived experience, a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, years of research, and a background in computer science and mathematics. Senior data analysis skills help me understand how to approach the complex nature of tapering safely. For me, emotional support and practical problem-solving belong together. I want you to feel heard and to understand what we are doing and why.

We have a proper conversation first.

Before I offer individual tapering guidance, we have a proper conversation. I have noticed that some other coaches treat about 25 minutes as enough for a first session. I think you deserve a full two hours — time to really learn about tapering, and time for me to really understand you and what can help you specifically. There is no one-size-fits-all with me.

I want to understand the person behind the medication list: what you have been through, what you are struggling with now and what support you need. That conversation comes before individual guidance.

Depending on time and what you need, the intake is also practical teaching. I walk you through how to taper using Guy's Tapering Tool, what has helped with supplements and other physical or psychological approaches, and a full sleep protocol. The aim is that you leave with a clearer plan and skills you can actually use.

Distress is not an inconvenience.

I can sit with distress, strong emotions and difficult conversations without being “triggered.” I hold space for you — whether you cry for two hours, have OCD, or find it hard to concentrate. That is not a nuisance. We go at your pace.

What gets labelled “drama” by someone who has never been through withdrawal may be somebody frightened, exhausted and desperate to be heard.

I go out of my way to help — not because everyone will be easy to support, but because support matters most when things are difficult. I will never gaslight you. I will take your account seriously, explain my reasoning, and say when I do not know something. That does not mean agreeing with every interpretation or pretending I have every answer. It means we can discuss uncertainty without dismissing what you are experiencing, and if something is not working, examine it rather than defend it simply because it was my suggestion.

My commitment is also personal and spiritual. I believe we are brothers and sisters on this earth, here to help one another, a belief influenced by Dr Michael Newton's teachings. You do not need to share those beliefs to receive my full respect and care. They explain my motivation; they are not evidence for a medical claim.

The plan should serve you.

I built Guy's Tapering Tool because I wanted to understand and calculate my own reductions. That same understanding and flexibility are central to the support I offer.

GTT is about freedom: you control the pace rather than being locked into a table. It helps you calculate and track adjustable reductions so you can discuss and adapt your plan with your prescriber.

Software is not a guarantee of an easy taper and does not replace clinical judgement. What it should give you is clarity: numbers you understand, and a say in what happens next. The person matters more than the spreadsheet.

You do not have to figure everything out alone.

A pharmacist can help establish whether a proposed preparation method is suitable. I can help you work through this too: by understanding exactly which medication and formulation you are taking, helping you find the manufacturer's official information, and helping you get answers through the appropriate professional channels. You do not have to figure it all out alone. My aim is to help you make practical use of better tools, understand what the measurements mean and find a suitable way forward.