How I work

I believe that real change begins with real connection. At the heart of my therapeutic practice is a commitment to creating a space where you feel truly seen, heard, and supported.

I am committed to building a trusting and honest relationship with you, which is non-judgemental. We will work together, collaboratively, to explore past or present difficulties and experiment with new ways of coping - giving you the confidence and resources to understand and manage life’s challenges in a way that feels beneficial to you. We will go at your pace, and our work will be guided by what feels right to you.

As an Integrative Counsellor and Coach I draw on various models and approaches including Person Centred, Gestalt Therapy, Psychodynamic and CBT theories, Compassion Focused Therapy, ACT and Transactional Analysis. This allows me to tailor my therapeutic style and interventions to meet the unique needs and preferences of each individual client.

To give you an idea of what you might expect in our work together here is a brief outline of some of the different models.

Person-centred therapy. This is the core model I will use in our work together. Being person centred means I will work to create a supportive and non-judgemental environment, listening and empathetically understanding your experiences from your point of view. I believe that this way of working helps facilitate personal growth and self-discovery, based on your own individual needs and perspectives.

Psychodynamic. We might use sessions to explore thoughts and feelings which may, at the moment, be unconscious to you. We may explore past experiences and relational patterns to help you gain insight and understanding about these unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This helps foster a deeper understanding of how past events or experiences may be impacting on your present.

Gestalt. This involves working in the present, looking at what your immediate experiences are. We may identify patterns of behaviour and explore whether these are helpful to you in your current situation, or keeping you stuck in a certain way of thinking, feeling and behaving. This may involve some exercises or experiments which we can either do together or you can practice at home.

Compassion Focused Therapy. If you have a critical inner voice, or feelings of shame and guilt, then CFT can help you develop self-compassion. Learning self-soothing techniques can help you be less hard on yourself and instead provide you with forgiveness, reassurance, kindness and support; becoming your own best friend rather than your biggest critic.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Our work may involve identifying and helping to change negative thought patterns and behaviours. We may use practical strategies to develop healthier coping mechanisms and achieve positive mental well-being.