I am a fully qualified, integrative counsellor, who works relationally, with an emphasis on humanistic, psychodynamic & gestalt perspectives. Being integrative means that I draw from a few different schools of psychotherapeutic thought, in order to tailor the experience of therapy to fit the individual needs of each client.
Whatever it is that has brought you to therapy at this time, we will work together at a safe pace, forming a collaborative relationship with you at the helm.
From a young age, we are often taught that we are only acceptable if we behave in certain ways. We learn to censor ourselves in order to receive love: first from parents, then peers, friends, partners, and society as a whole. This can mean keeping aspects of ourselves hidden, leading to secrecy, shame and low self-worth.
Over time, we learn different ‘roles’ and ways of being that we inhabit, depending on who we are around. These serve a purpose, but it can make it hard to know who we truly are.
One of the principal theories of humanistic counselling is that if you can show these parts to someone who will accept and respect you, you will in turn learn to accept and respect yourself. This doesn’t mean I will never challenge you, or experiment with looking at a situation in a different way; but it does mean that I endeavour not to shame you for the choices you have made, but rather respect your agency to make them.
I work from a stance of non-judgemental, open curiosity. I want to learn about how you see the world, and what it is like for you to inhabit; I am not here to ‘fix’ you (for a start, you are not broken!), pathologize you, or reduce you to a label or a set of symptoms. We are all unique individuals, who have developed ‘creative adjustments’; survival strategies for navigating our environment. Sometimes, it is useful for us to examine these strategies to see if they are still serving us.
I have a Diploma in Professional Studies Counselling from University of West of England (2018).
Fees: £55 for 50 minute sessions. I also offer online sessions.
Contact: 07566 834107