“The purpose of psychotherapy is to to set people free.”
Rollo May.
How I work
The key issues and difficulties that often bring people into counselling and therapy that I can work with include:
Life transitions (career, parenthood, midlife and depression, third act challenges), stress and anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, family dynamics, anger issues, low self-esteem, feeling stuck, bereavement.
I offer both short-term counselling, usually 6-12 sessions and long-term therapy for around a year or more, with regular reviews. The latter is to allow deeper exploration for more complex issues. Both can provide support during a difficult time in your life.
My experience allows me to work creatively using a variety of different approaches, drawing on whatever seems most helpful to you. I recognise that we are all unique with diverse experiences; I listen sensitively and intuitively to you express the challenges that you face and use my experience to get to the heart of the problem. Then together, we can explore the issue to enable growth and healing. The relationship between the therapist and the client is the most important feature of the work. Creating a comfortable working environment can enable change.
Specific areas
EMDR therapy (https://emdrassociation.org.uk/a-unique-and-powerful-therapy/emdr-the-basics) enables people to heal from the symptoms of trauma and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. I am training in EMDR therapy and many trauma-focused approaches. I offer sessions which can be integrated into talking therapy work.
Maturation issues can be defined as invitations for growth and development that we often face at particular stages in life, and that can be challenging. In particular, I refer to key life turning points such as our late twenties, midlife, and third act. Choosing to explore this stage of life in therapy can offer reassurance, support, and a space to explore how to evolve in ways that deepen your authenticity.
Cultural Identity is a complex area for most of us. Having a mixed heritage and a diversity of place and language can shape our sense of being in the world — a feeling of home and belonging can seem elusive, even hard to name. The space created in therapy offers room to talk, reflect, and explore this complexity in depth, allowing for a deepening understanding of who you are within your cultural inheritance.
Parenting and Matrescence. I have experience and training in perinatal mental health and offer support to men and women at various stages of their conception and parenthood journey. Having a space to share resulting concerns can be extremely useful for achieving balance during this exciting and challenging time.