Approach
I welcome all identities, cultures and experiences and believe that inequality, discrimination, social and cultural structures, wars and oppression, all impact on our experience of the world and of each other. I am open to challenge where I am mistaken, or fall short.
Change
In all counselling and psychotherapy, change comes about primarily through the therapeutic relationship. Consequently, it is important to find the right person and feel safe and heard.
Psychodynamic Approach
The psychodynamic approach considers the way in which our earliest life experiences are are stored in our unconscious and repeat themselves in patterns throughout our lives, through the relationships and jobs we chose and how we deal with difficulties in life.
Through a trusting and compassionate therapeutic relationship, we can explore the meaning of our experiences, recognise and break unhelpful patterns and learn both how to be more true to ourselves and be in better relationships with others.
Psychotherapy or counselling
Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Therapist are not protected titles and do not have agreed definitions. This can lead to confusion. A new framework is under way nationally and clearer definitions may soon emerge. I currently describe myself as a counsellor, but am trained, willing and able to work with you on a short-term issue, or at depth, over a longer period of time.
Short and Long Term Counselling
In short-term counselling, we could set a time-frame and look at a specific difficulty or challenge in your life, or be open to whatever emerges from a few weeks of work.
In longer term, or open-ended counselling, we would have the time to develop a more trusting relationship and explore your experiences at a deeper level.
We can discuss the length of counselling in an initial session and review it regularly - you will never be tied into a long-term commitment.
Other information on counselling and psychotherapy
Links to interesting podcasts, or counselling training, can be found here.