STARTING THE PROCESS

You would make contact via email, text, WhatsApp, or phone we would arrange to have a brief telephone call to discuss your needs. This is usually helpful if you're new to therapy and perhaps feeling a little nervous about taking the leap. I can answer any questions you may have around therapy and any practicalities. Then, should you want to move forward, we will arrange a more in-depth consultation.

Most people are happy to move straight to a stand-alone consultation where we meeting for approximately 1 hour which will give us a chance to get to know each other, and for me to understand what you are looking for and determine how I might be able to help. It will also be a chance for us to determine that all important "chemistry" necessary for a good therapeutic relationship. You will be assessing me as much as I am assessing you. 

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If you are unsure what you are looking for, this meeting could function as a one-off consultation to help guide you to find the right support. This could include referral to another specialist, psychiatric referrals, group therapy or more practical support. I might also refer you to a colleague should I/we feel it might be a better fit.

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I will then give you some time to digest the session and ask you to get in touch when you've decided whether or not you'd like to work together.

Therapy can be as short as 4 sessions, where the focus might be on a specific acute issue, or as long as a year or more where chronic or historic issues may need some space to work at a deeper level. I usually suggest 4 sessions in the first instance to get a feel for the work.

Therapists come from many different theoretical schools, which can be quite confusing when you are just looking for someone to talk to. It's worth looking up "therapy approaches" online to see which speaks to you. My core training was psychodynamic, which provides a foundation to my way of working, but I would now consider myself more of an integrative therapist, drawing on a variety of therapeutic approaches, depending on your needs. I've a particular interest in existential therapy, attachment psychotherapy, group analysis and Jungian psychology which can all loosely be described as "depth" psychotherapies. This means that as well as looking on the surface and in the present, we might be curious about how your current difficulties relate to the past, or parts of you that might be operating out of your awareness.

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Psychodynamic psychotherapy aims to increase awareness of your inner unconscious world and its influence over your relationships, moods, and behaviours in the present. Existential therapy places emphasis on the human condition, our fear of death and dying and our search for meaning. It is a positive approach that applauds human capacities and aspirations while simultaneously acknowledging human limitations. An attachment approach describes four attachment styles: Secure, Anxious/preoccupied, Dismissive/avoidant, and Fearful-avoidant which can be very useful lenses through which to work on issues of intimacy, sex, commitment and conflict. My group trainings also place importance on the familial, cultural, social and political world in which we live and how we make sense of the human desire to both belong or fit in and to be an individual and unique. Jungian psychology places emphasises on those shadowy aspects of us that might be unknown to us, but that contains a vital and creative part necessary for our lifelong process of becoming who we truly are. Bringing your dreams to therapy can sometimes be a useful way of exploring that part of you. Generally speaking, dynamic therapies aim for a more balanced understanding of the self through an assimilation of our conscious and unconscious parts.

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My view is that therapy can help most people - from work stress, anxiety, depression or relationship issues, those with diagnosed mental health conditions, to those who might be experiencing a loss of meaning in their lives or who are seeking a greater sense of fulfilment or creative potential. Research points to the relationship between the client and therapist being the main vehicle for change in successful therapy. I can offer a safe, collaborative and confidential space, free from judgement but challenging where necessary, to help you to understand yourself better and feel more comfortable in your skin.

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