Psychotherapy
I am a psychotherapist who practices primarily from a Gestalt therapy framework. I am a current student of Somatic Experiencing and include mindful, somatic, attachment, polyvagal and trauma theories into my practice – and have a deep interest in the practices that support both self-regulation and co-regulation.
People come to therapy for many reasons. We can feel stuck or weighed down. Have a sense of something missing from our lives, something unfulfilled. People I work with often are struggling with relationships, with loss, loneliness, feelings of disconnection or a general sense of discontentment. Some people are are looking for an opportunity to understand themselves more fully. We can lose a sense of connection between our body and mind and may feel a sense emptiness, of never-ending anxiety and fear, of unresolved anger, of dissatisfaction- of life passing us by. The world and cultures we live in now takes us away from ourselves, from basic human to human connection. The beautiful sensitivities of our nature, of our longings can become objects of derision and shame.
Therapy is a commitment to yourself. A commitment to wanting a life that is different from what you are currently living: more fulfilling, more vital, more connected – to parts of yourself and in relationship to others, and your environment. So often we become stuck in anxiety or depression, cut off from aspects of ourselves, self-flagellating, unable to shift from experiences of grief or anger, or stuck in a way of living that is not nourishing us.
My aim is to support you to come to ‘be with’ and to accept parts of yourself that have been disowned, disallowed and disavowed.
My way of working is interested in developing with you a safe, non-judgemental and inclusive space that allows for a growth-full and dynamic therapeutic relationship. Gestalt therapy recognises the paradox: “Change occurs when one becomes what he is, not when he tries to become what he is not” (Beisser). I work from the basis that the body has important messages to tell us when we listen closely enough, and my interventions include inviting you to notice your felt sense of your body and to pay attention to internal sensations and impulses. My intention is to work so that your self-awareness is heightened, and you are able to feel enlivened and choiceful in your life. I am passionate about creating a relationship that enables you to create lasting change in your life, so that your life feels more enriched and meaningful. This means that I rarely provide advice nor strategies. I will work with you to decrease your self-doubt and to enhance your own sense of agency. If you are looking for someone to tell you what to do to cure yourself or rid yourself of afflictions, then I encourage you to look around for someone who seems right for you.
Psychotherapy offers an opportunity to gain a greater sense of the ways in which we live our lives, ways that may no long support us. It can provide an opportunity to explore our lives in a supportive, compassionate yet sometimes challenging environment.
I am experienced in working with clients who experience difficulties with relationships, anxiety, struggles at work, uncertainty about the future, addictive behaviours, significant life changes, carer stress, traumatic events, difficulty parenting, feelings of loneliness, carer stress, Borderline personality struggles, complex-PTSD, depression, grief, anger, frustration, isolation, or even just a sense that something about life could be more satisfying.
I am a deep believer in the supportive nature of a therapeutic relationship that can offer aliveness, change and a possibility of being in the world that is connecting to ourselves and others, as well as feeling deeply “held” and understood – an experience that we didn’t all receive growing up – these are wounds that come up in relationships with ourselves and others often outside of our awareness if we are acting from a place of feeling reactive. My wish is to support you to be in connection with yourself, and in relationship.
Underlying my practice is a belief that we all have the capacity to live our lives more consciously, and that therapy has the potential to assist people to become more aware of the habitual ways in which they react to life, and to consequently experience deeper levels of meaningfulness and connection in their lives, through connecting to their inner landscape.
