Therapeutic Approach
As an integrative-relational counsellor, I draw on a range of therapeutic approaches to meet your unique needs. At the core of my work is the belief that the client-therapist relationship is essential for fostering healing and lasting change.
Beginning therapy, you might say, is embarking on a transformative journey. You can think of me as a guide, who has successfully undertaken similar journeys before and can recognise the important landmarks. The map I am using, though, does not identify the precise route we will take. So, in a way, we go on an adventure together.
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
Because of difficult or traumatic life experiences, we often disconnect from parts of ourselves. In our work, we will explore and embrace the parts of you that may have been rejected, hidden, or misunderstood. In this way, you can gain a more authentic sense of self and live more fully.
My approach is collaborative, working alongside you at a pace that feels comfortable and focused on what matters most to you.
When helpful, I incorporate creativity and mindfulness into the process, offering new ways to express and process your experiences. This might include a visualisation, tools such as a sand tray, postcards, nesting dolls, or stones.
In the initial consultation, we will explore your hopes for the therapeutic process and discuss how we can work together. You may come to therapy without a specific issue in mind, but with a sense that something is not quite right, or a desire to gain greater insight into yourself.
Therapeutic approaches I draw on:
Psychodynamic
The psychodynamic approach emphasises that parts of ourselves remain hidden from awareness yet exert a powerful influence on our lives. It addresses inner conflicts and past experiences.
Relational
The relational approach emphasises the therapeutic relationship as a dynamic space to explore how patterns in relationships impact the self, fostering deeper insight into our relational experiences.
Humanistic
The humanistic approach emphasises the present experience and supports our individual capacity for growth and meaningful change through a supportive, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship.
