How I work
I am an ‘integrative’ psychotherapist and counsellor, which means I believe that a single therapy approach - one of those listed below - will not help you with all issues that arise for you, and that there are many different therapeutic ways for problems to be explored and worked on. Consequently, I draw techniques and ideas from different ‘schools’ of therapy, depending on the needs of the people I see.
Psychotherapy versus counselling
In case you don’t know, psychotherapy usually deeply exploring emotional issues and their roots, and so a longer-term process - many months, sometimes years, as opposed to weeks. Psychotherapists are qualified to a higher level than counsellors and are trained to be able to ‘diagnose’ what is going on for you psychologically. Counselling, on the other hand, tends to be shorter term work to identify problems and change patterns of thinking and behaving, in the here and now.
My toolbox of therapy approaches
Here are some brief and simple explanations of some of the different approaches that I integrate into my practice:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Put very simply, this is an approach that is useful for exploring and breaking cycles of unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, uncomfortable feelings and self-defeating behaviours, which impact on you in the present. It sometimes involves you undertaking some between-session tasks and challenges, but in its basic form it can be a tool to help you better understand what's going on for you.
Person-centred therapy
This approach allows you to talk freely and openly, and my role is to listen and guide you to discover solutions to your problems for yourself by nurturing greater self-awareness and drawing on your innate potential to make changes towards a more satisfying and positive way of living.
Solution-focused therapy
I use a series of questions taken from this approach to help people get a better sense of their goal, and to envision a future free of their problem. Rather than focus on their current 'symptoms' or concerns, this model helps people develop the skills, resources and abilities they need to achieve their vision, and move them from where they are, to where they want to be.
Psychodynamic therapy
This is a useful approach for looking at the roots of current problems. This is done by exploring unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and patterns in relationships, that have their root in the past but continue to impact on the present.
Intensive short-term psychodynamic therapy (ISTDP)
I use ideas from this school of therapy to help people understand how anxiety works in the body to defend us against threatening emotions, and how we maintain our problems by the use of cognitive and behavioural defences, and ultimately not facing and effectively acting on our feelings.
Schema therapy
Techniques and tools from this therapy are helpful to look at what are called 'life-traps' or schemas - patterns of seeing yourself, others, and the world. These develop and stay with you into adulthood, as a result of things that were done to you as a child, such as not being shown enough love, empathy and guidance, or being abandoned or abused.
Gestalt therapy
I use exercises and experiments taken from this approach to help my clients explore and reconnect with aspects of themselves that they have been disregarding, overlooking or denying, as well as to examine personal conflicts.
Transactional analysis
I use this approach to therapy to look at how we interact with others. It is useful as a way of understanding, and working towards resolving, conflicts or relationship issues.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment. For some people, understanding and practising mindfulness, and in particular, mindful meditations, can be a way of controlling anxiety and depression.
If you would like to arrange an initial assessment appointment (charged at half my usual session rate), please contact me by email, contact form, or mobile.
I am an ‘integrative’ psychotherapist and counsellor, which means I believe that a single therapy approach - one of those listed below - will not help you with all issues that arise for you, and that there are many different therapeutic ways for problems to be explored and worked on. Consequently, I draw techniques and ideas from different ‘schools’ of therapy, depending on the needs of the people I see.
Psychotherapy versus counselling
In case you don’t know, psychotherapy usually deeply exploring emotional issues and their roots, and so a longer-term process - many months, sometimes years, as opposed to weeks. Psychotherapists are qualified to a higher level than counsellors and are trained to be able to ‘diagnose’ what is going on for you psychologically. Counselling, on the other hand, tends to be shorter term work to identify problems and change patterns of thinking and behaving, in the here and now.
My toolbox of therapy approaches
Here are some brief and simple explanations of some of the different approaches that I integrate into my practice:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Put very simply, this is an approach that is useful for exploring and breaking cycles of unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, uncomfortable feelings and self-defeating behaviours, which impact on you in the present. It sometimes involves you undertaking some between-session tasks and challenges, but in its basic form it can be a tool to help you better understand what's going on for you.
Person-centred therapy
This approach allows you to talk freely and openly, and my role is to listen and guide you to discover solutions to your problems for yourself by nurturing greater self-awareness and drawing on your innate potential to make changes towards a more satisfying and positive way of living.
Solution-focused therapy
I use a series of questions taken from this approach to help people get a better sense of their goal, and to envision a future free of their problem. Rather than focus on their current 'symptoms' or concerns, this model helps people develop the skills, resources and abilities they need to achieve their vision, and move them from where they are, to where they want to be.
Psychodynamic therapy
This is a useful approach for looking at the roots of current problems. This is done by exploring unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and patterns in relationships, that have their root in the past but continue to impact on the present.
Intensive short-term psychodynamic therapy (ISTDP)
I use ideas from this school of therapy to help people understand how anxiety works in the body to defend us against threatening emotions, and how we maintain our problems by the use of cognitive and behavioural defences, and ultimately not facing and effectively acting on our feelings.
Schema therapy
Techniques and tools from this therapy are helpful to look at what are called 'life-traps' or schemas - patterns of seeing yourself, others, and the world. These develop and stay with you into adulthood, as a result of things that were done to you as a child, such as not being shown enough love, empathy and guidance, or being abandoned or abused.
Gestalt therapy
I use exercises and experiments taken from this approach to help my clients explore and reconnect with aspects of themselves that they have been disregarding, overlooking or denying, as well as to examine personal conflicts.
Transactional analysis
I use this approach to therapy to look at how we interact with others. It is useful as a way of understanding, and working towards resolving, conflicts or relationship issues.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment. For some people, understanding and practising mindfulness, and in particular, mindful meditations, can be a way of controlling anxiety and depression.
If you would like to arrange an initial assessment appointment (charged at half my usual session rate), please contact me by email, contact form, or mobile.
