My therapeutic approach is integrative and relational, which means I draw upon a range of methods tailored to your individual needs. I place great importance on the therapeutic relationship that develops between us, and at the heart of the therapy that I offer is a warm, down to earth, and empathic relationship, where you can feel heard, understood, and accepted. This relationship then lays the foundation for exploration, healing, self-acceptance, and growth.
I am strongly influenced by Gestalt therapy and believe that we all have the resources within us to lead satisfying lives, but sometimes we get stuck in fixed ways of being, which may once have served us well but may no longer be working for us. I focus on your whole experience of mind, body, and emotions, to enable you to better understand yourself. Once we know ourselves better, we are then free to accept ourselves, or to explore the possibility of change, and trying out new ways of being.
I also believe that how we are in the present is often influenced by past experiences. I can help you to make connections with how your past experiences may be impacting you now, uncovering patterns of relating and behaving that may be out of your awareness.
My work is trauma-informed, in that I view mental distress through the lens of what has happened to us, rather than something being wrong with us. I appreciate that mental health labels can be helpful to some people, but my focus will be on meeting your individual needs, considering your unique life experiences and how that has personally affected you.
In addition to talking therapy, I can also offer practical resources in the form of grounding and stabilisation techniques, to help regulate your emotions at times of overwhelm or distress. This can enable you to feel more at ease and connected with yourself, others, and the world around you.
You will notice that I say ‘us’ and ‘we’ when I describe psychotherapy. This is to show that no one is immune to life struggles, including me. I strongly believe in hope, that everyone can benefit from therapy and that we all have the potential to heal, grow and change.
Hello and welcome...I am a fully qualified Integrative Psychotherapist working in Stratford-upon-Avon, in person and online. I can offer you a confidential space to talk things through with a caring and trusted professional. I can help you to explore, understand and work through your difficulties, enabling you to gain awareness, find a new perspective, and feel better equipped to deal with life's challenges.
I can offer short term counselling with a specific focus, or to help you work through a particular life crisis. I also provide more longer-term in-depth psychotherapy, with the view that to really understand ourselves and make long lasting changes takes time.
My training and experience enables me to work with a broad range of issues, life situations, and mental health needs. For instance, but not exclusively: anxiety and panic, depression, low self-esteem, obsessions and compulsions, phobias, difficult or traumatic early experiences, trauma, stress and burnout, work issues, bullying, abuse, relationship difficulties, health issues, sexuality or identity issues, loss, and grief. I have worked with people from all walks of life, and I value uniqueness and diversity.
If you feel I may be able to help you, please call or email me in the first instance. We can then have a brief chat about what brings you to therapy, and I can answer any questions you may have. If you then wish to meet we can arrange a suitable time for an initial session. I appreciate taking the first step in making contact is daunting, but I can guide you through it, and will take things at your pace.
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