What’s my approach to therapy?
It’s my fundamental belief that you have the potential within you to lead a more rewarding, fulfilling life, no matter what you’ve experienced in the past and what you are struggling with now. It’s also my belief that suffering is inevitable for all of us at some points in our lives. We all go through tough times. What doesn’t have to be inevitable is that you endure suffering alone.
This is where therapy can come in.
I’m trained in an approach called Gestalt Psychotherapy. It’s a vibrant and life-affirming approach to therapy with an emphasis on human potential rather than defects. Here are three fundamental principles that underpin my approach:
You matter
Sometimes we can worry or even feel ashamed about the things that are concerning us and that can make it hard to reach out for help. My starting point is an acceptance of you as you are. I’m non-judgemental and the therapy is confidential. Therapy is effective when you’re supported to stay with painful feelings and at times it can be challenging. But it will always be in the context of a safe, supportive and humane relationship in which I do not judge you or those you talk about.
I commit to taking you, your hopes, your fears, your goals, your pain and your struggles seriously and to building a deep and trusting therapeutic relationship with you. Taking you seriously doesn’t mean we can never laugh in therapy – times of joy, humour, optimism and light are welcome too. What it does mean is that you matter.
You’re not the problem
It can be all too easy to label ourselves or be labelled by others as ‘being the the problem’ or ‘having a problem’. Yet, in my experience, it’s never as simple as that. All difficulties occur within a wider situation and in direct or indirect interaction with other people. So I’ll always explore your difficulties in context, rather than focusing on what is ‘wrong’ with you as an individual. What support might be missing in your life? What’s going on in your family, work, finances, relationships, home-life that might be contributing to your struggle?
You can change, though you don’t have to
My approach is not based on any expectation that you need to be any different from how you are, though I recognise you may want to change. It’s easy to become stuck in patterns that helped you to cope in the past but are now holding you back and limiting your options. I believe that increasing awareness often gives us more possibilities and choice, leading to a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
It’s not unusual to want to change for quite self-punishing reasons, feeling you should somehow be different from how you are. My own personal experience and my experience with many clients is that the journey towards self-acceptance can in itself be profound and transformative.
What happens next if you’re interested in finding out more?
When you make contact with me, I will respond within 48 hours Monday to Friday wherever possible. We can then arrange either a short introductory call which is an opportunity for you to give an overview of what brings you to therapy and I can answer any questions you have at this initial stage or we can book a trial session.