MY PRACTICE

THE WAY I WORK

Research consistently shows that, no matter what modality or school of psychotherapy you come from (and there are many), the therapeutic relationship plays an absolutely central role in determining therapy outcomes. I love working as a counsellor and helping clients feel at ease and able to talk. I am fascinated by discovering, essentially, what makes you wonderfully and uniquely you, and supporting you on your journey towards self-compassion and acceptance.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you felt so good about yourself that nothing anyone said upset you? If you didn’t feel the need for approval or to please people all the time? If you could walk through life at ease with your surroundings, with a sense that good things will probably happen today—and that even if things go wrong, you can deal with them?

Thanks to counselling, I’m closer to that place, and I know that I can help you get there too.

As a person-centred therapist, all my work is client-led and non-directional, and I will always aim to help you feel safe, valued, listened to, and respected. This is your time, and you are in control. I will be on the lookout for patterns of behaviour or thought that you may not be aware of and, with your permission, may gently bring them into your awareness so we can explore them together.

I truly believe that self-awareness is half the battle, and that over time this leads to greater choice, self-acceptance, and compassion.

During our sessions, we explore your world—what brought you to counselling, what you want to change or overcome, and how you relate to yourself and others. I draw from various modalities and integrate those that best suit your needs and style.

I often use Inner Child work to address the effects of trauma or the harshness of the inner critic.

I use CBT to challenge negative thinking patterns and core beliefs.

I also psycho-educate about the nervous system—how the brain is hard-wired to look out for threat, and how to regulate during times of anxiety and stress, perhaps using visualisation.

I can introduce mindfulness to help manage overwhelming thoughts or feelings.

We can work out a programme of self-care if needed, or simply identify and set SMART goals or small, helpful changes.

The most important thing is the relationship—the resonance between two human beings.

Here is a little more information about a few of the modalities I draw upon in my client work.

Person Centred Therapy

This modality underpins the way I work with clients and is interwoven throughout our sessions.

Person-centred theory, developed by Carl Rogers, holds that people have an innate tendency towards growth and self-actualisation. Psychological distress arises when this natural drive is blocked by conditions of worth and lack of acceptance. Therapeutic change occurs through a relationship with the therapist characterised by empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is an extremely useful tool for examining our thinking and thought processes. It addresses the way emotional distress can be maintained by unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour. By identifying and challenging distorted cognitions and testing new behaviours, clients can thereby alter how they feel and act. Encouraging mindfulness with this approach leads us to notice our thoughts and not react to them. We are not our thoughts - we are the consciousness that is aware of them.

Compassion Focused Therapy

CFT combines a mixture of Western evolutionary science with Eastern philosophy. When we understand how much of our decision making or behaviour is influenced by the out of awareness choices our brain makes for us, it becomes easier to develop compassion for ourselves and our actions. Change occurs as compassion reduces self-criticism and supports emotional regulation.

Internal Family Systems

IFS theory views the mind as made up of different 'parts', each with protective or wounded roles, organised around a core self that is calm, compassionate, and whole. Psychological distress arises when protective parts are forced into extreme roles due to unresolved trauma. Healing occurs by accessing the self and helping parts unburden their pain and return to healthier roles.