Therapy
Therapy is becoming an accepted part of looking after ourselves. At its most simple it is a way to make sense of & get in touch with our experience. Better understanding what goes on for us emotionally & why, enables us to consider what could be different, to imagine what we may be. We can come to know ourselves better & change how we are in the world.
Often we look to therapy in a crisis when feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes we find ourselves experiencing ongoing confusing or challenging feelings. One or some of these issues may feel familiar to you:
Problematic feelings e.g. anger or shame
Work related issues
Family & relationship problems, affairs & divorce
Sexual & intimate relationship issues
Identity confusion (cultural, sexual or gender)
Low self-esteem anxiety, low mood or depression
Violence , Trauma & PTSD
Loneliness
Addictive & excessive behaviour
Sexual abuse & surviving child sexual abuse
Joylessness – a lack of meaning, purpose & fulfillment – feeling stuck & or empty
Coping with long-term illness
Loss & bereavement
Who I work with…
I work with people from all walks of life, with both their unique challenges & hardships, and their attributes & potentialities.
Although clients have brought me a wide range of issues which we have explored together, I have a particular focus on working with relationship issues; with adverse childhood experiences & with young people as they step into adulthood.
‘Trauma is about thwarted instincts. …As we resolve our traumas, we discover missing parts of our being, those that make us feel whole & complete. Our instincts house the simple but vital knowledge that ‘I am I’ & ‘I am here’ - Peter Levine
How we can work together…
Whatever the issues & circumstances we bring to therapy, we need to feel safe, accepted & understood.
The deeply personal & unique relationship we develop is the foundation of our work together:
through collaboration & creativity, with warmth & commitment I will guide & support you to address what feels difficult to face alone & to find the change you seek.
The way out is always through.’ - Zen saying
Working through current problems we may look back at childhood & unresolved past issues, essentially making sense of how things have been for you…And alongside this, being curious about what could be: what might be emerging out of a challenging time?
‘Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life & you will call it fate.’ - Carl Jung
Through embodied practice we can address your whole being, exploring feelings, thoughts, sensations & spirit - your essential, intuitive self.
I may work experientially when appropriate, perhaps using guided imagery, drawing, sandbox or chairwork.
This can be a route to successfully connecting to that which has previously been inaccessible & often inexpressible through ‘talking therapy’ alone.
‘..with the full presence of mind & body, we can gain access to the source of our own energy…we can reclaim our enthusiasm for life ‘ - Peter Levine
What our work may bring you…
‘Psychotherapy’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘healing of the soul’: it offers the opportunity to heal at a deep level.
In facing life issues, we can build self-awareness & discover what we need to heal & thrive.
We can learn to respond to life from a place of personal strength & compassion for our self and others
– becoming more able to direct our lives & sustain long-term change.
Therapy can result in a more integrated way of living from a place of personal understanding, honesty & freedom.
‘ Change did not come from trying to get rid of my problems…It came from accepting what was true about myself & working from there.’ - Mark Epstein
Psychosynthesis
My core psychotherapeutic training is in Psychosynthesis – an approach that addresses the whole constellation of a person’s being:
‘Psychosynthesis as applied to psychotherapy is a unique approach that combines both psychology & spirituality. It is a holistic process that helps the individual deal with patterns of behaviours which inhibit or prevent living life in meaningful & fulfilling ways.’
- Diane Whitmore
Read more about Psychosynthesis here:
A transpersonal therapeutic approach
'Transpersonal' means 'beyond the personal': to explore human growth and discover an essential, true or inner self beyond the personality.
In therapy, whilst resolving difficulties we also aim to gain understanding of our capacities, qualities, abilities & relationships, to guide us in life after therapy. In recognising & connecting to our innate self we can heal & grow. By knowing who we are beneath the struggles we experience, we can overcome problems.
Transpersonal psychotherapy includes the major approaches to counselling and psychotherapy. We work together to recognise patterns developed in the past; to develop awareness of thoughts and behaviours and connect with & harness your innate qualities & potential.
‘One cannot come to truth through organisations, knowledge or techniques. One has to find it through the mirror of relationship and in the understanding of one's mind, through observation...’
- J. Krishnamurti
Read more about the therapeutic relationship:
I am a registered member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (MBACP):
P.G Dip (3 year postgraduate diploma) in Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy & Counselling (Level 7 - University of Middlesex accredited)
Certificate in Psychosexual Therapy (COSRT accredited)
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling (WPF affiliated, BACP accredited)
Person-Centred Certificate in Counselling Skills (BACP accredited)
Youth Mindfulness for 7-11yr olds (awarded by Youth Mindfulness Ltd)
My continued professional training includes:
Mindfulness for Stress Reduction (MBCT/MBSR)
Complex trauma certification training
Working with adult survivors of child abuse
Working with sexuality
Working with couples
Working with guilt & shame; working with anger
