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What I do
I see clients for both short term counselling and long term psychotherapy. Some of the things that people come to see me about on a regular basis include but certainly not restricted to: Depression and Anxiety Childhood Issues Trauma and Abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, neglect, abandonment/attachment) Complex Trauma EMDR for trauma Personal Issues and Life Transitions Relationship Issues Grief and Bereavment Difficulty Managing Emotions (including Borderline PD) Lack of life satisfaction My approach to therapy is to facilitate emotional and personal growth through developing awareness, insight and self acceptance. I am pretty laid back and dont stand on ceremony. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible, as soon as possible, so that you are able to tell me what you need to for us to start our work together. I know that the thought of counselling can be a little (or a lot) daunting for some people. See blog entry 'First Sessions'. No matter what issues you are coming to counselling for the most important goal is for you to feel emotionally safe. I am always lead by you in the work that you want to do and the direction you want to go in therapy. I do ask lots of questions, both for me to find out about you and for you to think about things that you might not have thought about. I used a 'phased approach' (as per best practice guidelines Blue Knot Foundation and ISSTD) if we are working on trauma which means that we dont go to places that you are not ready or dont wont to go. I am quite open, fairly unshockable, at times irreverent (but never about my clients) and like to be able to share a few laughs, which, even in the most bleak and desperate of situations, can help healing. Many of my clients have experienced childhood events outside their control, including sexual abuse, neglect, witnessing or experiencing domestic violence and emotional abuse or parents who were 'unavailable' for many different reasons. I have completed additional advanced training in working with people who have experienced complex trauma (most recently with Bessel Van der Kolk who wrote 'The body keeps the score' and Janina Fisher) and have many years experience working in this area. I have training in EMDR which is recognised as 'The gold standard' in treating single incident trauma and can be used in some complex trauma as well. My work pivots on mindfulness and helping my clients develop this wonderful skill that can be truly life changing. It is fundamental that we have an awareness of whats going on within us (that is where we hold stress / distress in our body) and what triggers this in order to be able to do something about it. I also utilise Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Gestalt Therapy. I am passionate about neuroscience and I see it as an important part of my work to keep up to date with current research findings that maybe of benefit to my clients. |