My Approach
As a humantistic therapist, I offer a safe, trusting and compassionate therapeutic relationship.
I believe counselling can create space to explore and reflect upon how you feel about yourself and others. This space can create opportunity for you to look at aspects of your life differently and ultimately make changes in order to live your life in a way that feels more comfortable to you.
I enter sessions without agenda, I am here to listen, notice and support. I believe that with the re-telling and exploration of our own stories we can find new ways of coping with life’s challenges and can create space for healing.
I am particularly drawn to imagery as well as how we interpret our experiences through our felt senses such as; headaches or stomach pains. If appropriate, we may explore your story through mediums like art, music, play and being in nature.
Contact me
by phone or email for a free 15 minute consultation.
I can support and explore many difficulties with which you may be struggling, including;
Depression
Depression can be experienced in many ways, including feeling persistently sad, empty, or hopeless. Many people have trouble sleeping, or lose interest in activities they used to find pleasurable. Feelings of irritability and anger may also increase. A therapeutic space is a safe space to bring depression, be heard and explore how you are feeling.
Anxiety
Anxiety can be the body’s reaction to stressful or dangerous situations. It can often go hand in hand with depression and be felt in many ways. These include; feeling tense, unable to relax easily or holding a feeling of dread. People may feel a shortness of breath, increased heart rate or stomach issues during anxious experiences. Therapy can help people increase their current coping strategies for anxiety and explore why it is experienced.
Relationship Issues
Relationships with partners, family, friends and through work are complex and can be difficult to negotiate. Conflict can happen and this may cause huge distress for the people involved. Although every relationship is different, exploring our relationships within a therapeutic environment can create space, increased understanding and healing.
Grief, bereavement and loss
Grief, bereavement and loss can be experienced through many circumstances such as the death of a loved one, a terminal diagnosis or life-altering injury, a relationship changing, redundancy or loss of a home.
There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Common symptoms include; overwhelming sadness, exhaustion, shock/numbness, anger and/or guilt. These feelings may not be felt all the time but when they do appear are powerful and can impact greatly our emotional wellbeing.
Spending time with a counsellor can give space to the loss and provide opportunity to talk through and feel supported during such a complicated and difficult experience.
Anger
Anger is not a ‘bad’ emotion, it can help us identify problems or motivate us to live our lives differently. Anger can also keep us safe in dangerous situations. If a person’s anger is having a negative impact on them or harming those around them then it is becoming unhelpful and possibly destructive. It may become the overriding feeling, covering others such as sadness or fear. Alongside a counsellor it is possible to explore anger, increase coping strategies for anger, expose it’s possible triggers and underlying difficulties in a safe space.
Trauma
Traumatic experiences are very personal; they can be one-off or ongoing events. They may be felt for many years after the initial experience. Symptoms may include; feeling persistently scared, unsafe, powerless or trapped. In the short and long-term people may have trouble sleeping, experience flashbacks and panic attacks. The process of creating a therapeutic relationship takes time and trust. It can provide space for trauma to be gently explored whilst also increasing a person’s coping strategies to support when other feelings such as fear, anxiety, anger and sadness may rise from its exploration.