How I Work
Integrative Therapy
My main goal is to create a safe, warm space where you can feel comfortable and supported throughout our work together. To achieve this, I use an integrative approach incorporating both humanistic and psychodynamic models of therapy. I also use mindfulness techniques to help clients cultivate self-awareness, reduce stress, and enhance emotional resilience.
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As your therapist, I won't limit our work to just one approach but will draw from a range of these methods, tailoring therapy to your unique needs and preferences to best support your personal growth and healing process.
Approaches I May Incorporate
Psychodynamic
This approach helps you understand how past experiences might be shaping your present life. We will explore unconscious patterns, early relationships and unresolved experiences that might be influencing how you think, feel and behave today. By bringing these hidden influences into awareness and gaining a clearer understanding of how they impact your present life, I often see clients gain a sense of freedom to make new choices rather than repeating old patterns. We might look at your dreams, discuss recurring themes in your relationships or understand why certain situations trigger strong emotions for you.
Person-Centred
In our work together, you are at the heart of the therapeutic process. I provide a warm, accepting space where you can explore your thoughts and emotions freely, without fear of judgment. This approach is built on the belief that, with the right support, you have the innate capacity to grow, heal, and find your own answers. I offer empathy, understanding and a genuine therapeutic relationship that fosters meaningful change. The focus is on your unique experience, helping you reconnect with your inner strengths and move toward greater self-acceptance and fulfilment.
Gestalt
When working with a Gestalt approach, we will focus on what's happening for you right now, in the present moment. Rather than just talking about issues, we might explore how they are showing up in your body, emotions and even in our interactions during the session. We may use creative exercises like having a conversation with an aspect of yourself or someone else or we may pay attention to body sensations to deepen your awareness. This approach encourages you to fully experience both comfort and discomfort, allowing you to better understand yourself, feel more balanced and navigate life with greater ease.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
This practical approach examines how your thoughts influence your feelings and behaviours. We will identify unhelpful thinking patterns that might be maintaining your distress and develop strategies to challenge and change them. I will offer tools and techniques you can use to create positive change in your daily life. For example, you might learn to recognise when you are catastrophising (assuming the worst) and practice more balanced thinking, which can help break cycles of anxiety or depression.
Transactional Analysis
When I use Transactional Analysis in our work, I will help you understand the different ways you relate to yourself and others. Together, we will explore how you shift between different parts of yourself - the guiding, learned voice of the "Parent," the logical and grounded "Adult" and the instinctive, emotional "Child." By noticing these patterns in your thoughts, feelings and interactions, you can gain insight into how they shape your relationships. We might look at recurring dynamics or expectations you have carried from the past about how your life “should” unfold, helping you communicate more openly and make choices that truly reflect what you want and need.
Attachment Theory
This framework helps us understand how your early relationships with caregivers influence your adult relationships. We explore your attachment style - the patterns you developed to feel safe and connected and how these might be affecting your current relationships. For example, if inconsistent care early on led you to develop an anxious attachment style, you might seek excessive reassurance in relationships now. Or if you learned to be self-sufficient early on, you might struggle to allow closeness. Understanding these patterns allows you to develop more secure and satisfying connections going forward.
Mindfulness
I often incorporate mindfulness techniques to help you bring gentle, non-judgmental awareness to your experiences. I will guide you in observing your thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed by them. Many clients find that regular mindfulness practice helps them feel calmer, less reactive and better able to choose their responses rather than acting automatically. We might practice simple exercises during our sessions, such as focusing on your breath or noticing bodily sensations, which you can then use in your daily life.